How to Open a Cafe in SG: 2026 F&B License Comparison

The Regulatory Framework for New Cafes in Singapore

Singapore Food Agency (SFA)

Opening a cafe in Singapore starts with the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) rules, which set the pace for your entire launch. The cornerstone here is the Food Shop Licence, mandatory for any spot selling food or drinks to customers. This licence, costing $195 and valid for one year, covers the full process from application submission through layout reviews, pre-licensing inspections, and final payment. Food Shop Licence Application Process and Fees

Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) & Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA)

Before SFA even looks at your food licence application, register your business with ACRA and confirm the premises suit F&B use. If the space wasn't zoned for food operations before—like an old office turned cafe—you'll need 'Change of Use' approval from the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA). Front-of-house setups often trigger these checks, especially when adding customer seating or display counters that alter the floor plan.

Technical Requirements and Layout Submission

Submit a scaled layout plan in metric units, marking out kitchen zones, toilets, grease traps, plus your tenancy agreement and cleaning schedules. SFA reviews applications within 7 working days and layout plans shortly after, but renovations and inspections can stretch the timeline to 2-8 weeks. Stationary cafes face stricter pre-licensing checks than mobile setups, so pick your model early to avoid delays.

Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) Food Safety

Every food handler on your team—from baristas steaming milk to cooks prepping pastries—must complete the WSQ Food Safety Course Level 1. This 6-hour training plus assessment, offered by SSG-approved providers, certifies them for up to 5 years before retraining kicks in. Schedule it upfront; uncertified staff can't handle food during inspections or on opening day.

Financial Considerations for Compliance

Factor in costs beyond the $195 fee: layout tweaks for grease traps or ventilation might run into the thousands, plus WSQ training per handler. Build your pos system singapore and kitchen display system into the layout plan from day one—they help show efficient workflows that meet hygiene rules without extra retrofits.

Operational Distinctions: Stationary Cafes vs. Food Trucks

In Singapore, most brick-and-mortar cafes and Quick Service Restaurants (QSRs) operate under the same core category: the Food Shop Licence issued by the Singapore Food Agency (SFA). The licence application asks for your layout plan, cleaning programme, pest control contract and basic hygiene training records so officers can see how food flows from delivery to service and how you manage refuse and dishwashing. High-street cafes with smaller menus and slower turnover usually present simpler layouts, so reviewers tend to focus on basics like handwash basins, chiller capacity and clear separation between raw and ready-to-eat food zones, in line with SFA’s guidelines for licensed food retail premises.

QSR brands work under the same Food Shop Licence, but their high-volume, standardised operations often mean tighter scrutiny at the plan-checking and inspection stages. For example, SFA’s Food Shop Pre‑Licensing Checklist asks larger operators and caterers for process flow diagrams, HACCP or Food Safety Management System documents, and clear identification of critical control points in the kitchen workflow self-checklistfoodshop. A QSR line with multiple fryers, holding cabinets and warmers creates more hot-food, high-risk zones, so officers may ask more questions about time-temperature control, cross-contamination risks at the pass, and how your grease traps and refuse storage cope with peak-hour waste volumes compared with a small specialty cafe.

For food truck singapore, the starting point is different. Instead of a fixed Food Shop in a unit, operators typically apply for a Mobile Food Wagon Licence and must run only at sites approved by landowners and the authorities. NEA’s application form states that a mobile food wagon may operate only at designated sites approved by the landowners, relevant government agencies and NEA. For prominent locations like Marina Bay, URA specifies that food trucks need both a Mobile Food Wagon licence from SFA and vehicle approval from the Land Transport Authority (LTA). Instead of securing one permanent planning approval for a shopfront, you plan around event permits, approved lots and parking rules, which affects your trading hours and revenue model.

Halal requirements sit on a separate track from government licences, but they change how you structure operations, especially for QSRs. The MUIS Halal Certification regime looks at your entire supply chain: approved Halal suppliers, storage, preparation areas, staff practices, and document control. A QSR chain that runs multiple outlets and a central kitchen must prove consistent sourcing and standard operating procedures at scale, often across many SKUs. An independent cafe that only wants Halal certification for one shop with a tight menu usually manages a narrower list of ingredients and fewer critical points, so the operational planning and documentation load tends to be lighter, even though the core MUIS rules still apply.

Static cafes also draw more attention to structural works than food trucks do. Before you commit to a shophouse lease, you usually need to confirm that F&B use and kitchen exhaust routing are acceptable to URA or the relevant landlord agency. URA’s guidance on considerations for property use explains that many premises require a change‑of‑use application or agency consent when converting to F&B Considerations for Property Use. On top of that, NEA’s Code of Practice on Environmental Health sets out ventilation and kitchen exhaust requirements, such as proper ducting and discharge points for food shops Code of Practice on Environmental Health. Food trucks, by contrast, face LTA vehicle safety approvals and NEA checks that the onboard equipment, water supply and waste handling match the submitted layout, but they do not need to run long exhaust ducts through a building. When you decide between a cafe unit, a QSR concept or a truck, map out these licence types and structural demands early, and confirm them with SFA, NEA, URA, LTA or a qualified consultant before signing any lease or buying a vehicle.

Financial and Timeline Projections for F&B Approvals

When you budget for approvals in Singapore, the SFA Food Shop Licence is only the starting point. The licence fee itself sits at about S$195 for one year for a standard food shop, according to the SFA food retail licensing page. On top of that, you need a registered business with ACRA. Most cafes set up a private limited company, where the basic ACRA registration fee is S$300, plus S$15 for name approval, as outlined in an Aspire guide on company incorporation in Singapore. That already puts your starting compliance line item in the S$300–S$400 range before you even touch the space.

The visible licence fees rarely hurt the most. The big numbers usually come from renovation and compliance works: installing or upgrading a grease trap, putting in an F&B-grade exhaust and ducting, adding washable wall finishes, upgrading flooring, and reconfiguring the kitchen to meet SFA layout requirements. SFA evaluates your layout plan and process flow as part of the licence application, and the fee already covers this review and a joint site inspection as noted in their food retail licence process description. In practice, this means any mistake in plumbing, ventilation, or kitchen workflow can trigger rectification works, extra contractor days, and sometimes new equipment purchases. Many operators see these works running into the tens of thousands, even though the SFA licence itself costs under S$200.

You also want to plan for other one-off compliance steps that affect both time and cash flow. If your unit needs a change of use for F&B, URA or HDB approvals come before SFA. A practical guide on change-of-use applications notes that HDB usually processes such applications within 1–14 days after verification of information, although timing varies by case and complexity of the property use change, as explained in a SingaporeLegalAdvice overview. During this time, you may already be paying rent and deposits while you wait for the green light to start heavy renovation. For your SFA licence, the official estimate is about 7 working days for processing if your application and documents are complete, according to the GoBusiness Food Shop Licence listing. Realistically, back-and-forth on layout plans or missing documents can stretch the entire pre-opening licensing phase to anywhere between two weeks and two months.

From a cash-burn perspective, the most critical segment of the timeline starts the day you take your keys and begin renovations. You usually need your layout plan approved before major works that affect plumbing and exhaust, then you coordinate SFA’s pre-licensing inspection toward the end of the fit-out. SFA mentions that application fees include both the evaluation of layout plans and a joint site inspection for food retail licences, as described on their licence process page. If you pass inspection on the first try, you move quickly to licence issuance and can start sales soon after. If you fail, you pay in both time and rent: contractors return, rectifications follow, and you schedule another inspection while salaries, utilities, and landlord costs keep running.

During the inspection phase, inspectors look beyond surfaces. They want to see how food flows from delivery to storage, preparation, and service, with proper segregation for raw and ready-to-eat items. A clear kitchen layout, labelled storage areas, and documented cleaning routines help you explain your operation. A modern POS and kitchen management system that supports order tracking, menu allergen notes, and clear docket printing gives you structure when you demonstrate your opening and closing procedures or how you avoid mix-ups at the pass. After you clear this last hurdle, SFA issues the licence and you can pay subsequent fees using options such as GIRO, which helps you manage renewals without scrambling for manual payments.

When you map out your financial model, treat licensing and approvals as a distinct pre-revenue phase: allow at least one month of rent, utilities, and basic staffing with no sales, and have a contingency for a second month. Use the official licence fee details from SFA’s food retail licensing guide, ACRA registration costs from company incorporation references, and realistic contractor quotes to build a schedule that your cash reserves can support. Plan approvals as a known cost so they don't blow out your opening budget.

Optimise Your Cafe Operations from Day One

Dealing with permits and inspections takes time and focus, which leaves less energy for everything else that matters, like site setup and staff training. Eats365's restaurant POS and kitchen display system can help reduce manual tasks and keep operations organised so your team can concentrate on passing inspections and serving customers. Send an inquiry to Eats365 today to see how our solutions can help your F&B enterprise run more efficiently in Singapore and beyond.

General FAQs

Q: What are the essential licenses and permits needed to open a cafe in Singapore in 2026?

Register your business with ACRA first, then obtain the SFA Food Shop Licence (S$195/year). Confirm premises are approved for F&B use — apply for URA/HDB change‑of‑use or get landlord/agency consent if required. Prepare SFA layout plan and pass pre‑licensing inspection. Depending on operation, secure NEA/other agency clearances (ventilation/exhaust per NEA Code of Practice). If pursuing Halal, apply to MUIS separately.

Q: How do licensing requirements differ between a food truck, quick-service restaurant, and a cafe in Singapore?

A: Brick‑and‑mortar cafes and QSRs both fall under SFA’s Food Shop Licence, but QSRs typically face tighter plan‑checking and inspection scrutiny (may be asked for process flow diagrams, HACCP or Food Safety Management System documents and clearer identification of critical control points). Stationary cafes draw more attention to structural works (URA change‑of‑use, kitchen exhaust routing and NEA ventilation requirements). Food trucks instead apply for a Mobile Food Wagon Licence, must operate only at designated sites approved by landowners and agencies, and often need vehicle approval from LTA for key locations; NEA checks focus on onboard equipment, water supply and waste handling rather than long building exhaust ducts. Halal certification (MUIS) is separate and varies by scale and supply‑chain requirements.

Q: How much does it typically cost to obtain all necessary licenses for a cafe in Singapore?

Direct licence fees include the SFA Food Shop Licence at S$195/year and ACRA company setup at about S$300 plus S$15 name approval. Beyond fees, expect layout, ventilation and grease‑trap works to cost thousands to potentially tens of thousands; WSQ Food Safety training per handler is an additional cost based on your headcount.

Q: How long does the entire licensing process take for a new cafe in Singapore?

SFA reviews complete applications within about 7 working days; layout plan review and renovations plus inspections can stretch the pre‑opening phase to roughly 2–8 weeks. Realistically, with back‑and‑forth or change‑of‑use steps, expect anywhere from about two weeks to two months; HDB change‑of‑use can take about 1–14 days after verification.

Q: What documentation do I need to prepare for Singapore's food and beverage business registration?

• Scaled layout plan in metric units showing kitchen zones, toilets, grease traps and workflow

• Tenancy agreement and landlord/agency consents (or URA/HDB change‑of‑use approvals if required)

• Cleaning schedules and pest control contract

• Records of basic hygiene/WSQ training for food handlers

• For larger/QSR operations: process flow diagrams, HACCP or Food Safety Management System documents and identification of critical control points

• Business registration details for ACRA

Q: What specific food safety training is mandatory for cafe owners in Singapore?

Every food handler must complete the WSQ Food Safety Course Level 1: a 6‑hour training plus assessment delivered by SSG‑approved providers. Certification is valid for up to five years; staff without this certification cannot handle food during inspections or on opening day.