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FSSAI Licence for Restaurants and Cloud Kitchens

Complianceer Team · Sep 12, 2026 · 6 min read

FSSAI licence for restaurants and cloud kitchens in 2026: which category applies, documents, fees, Swiggy and Zomato checks, hygiene rating and FoSTaC.

Quick answer: Every restaurant, cafe and cloud kitchen in India needs FSSAI registration or a licence before serving food. From 1 April 2026, outlets with turnover up to ₹1.5 crore need Basic Registration, ₹1.5 crore to ₹50 crore need a State Licence, and above ₹50 crore or five-star hotels need a Central Licence. Each kitchen premises needs its own registration or licence, and delivery apps will not list you without one.

Delivery platforms, landlords, banks and food safety officers all ask for your 14-digit FSSAI number before anything else. For cloud kitchens, which have no dine-in space, the FSSAI number is often the first thing a platform verifies during onboarding. This guide covers category selection, documents, platform requirements and the ongoing rules every food service business must follow.

Which category does your restaurant need

Turnover means the outlet's annual food sales, including dine-in, takeaway and delivery app orders. If you run several brands from one kitchen under the same legal entity, they generally share that kitchen's licence, but the combined turnover decides the category. Confirm on the FoSCoS eligibility tool or our FSSAI Licence Finder.

Cloud kitchens and multi-brand operations

A cloud kitchen is a food service business like any restaurant. Points that often trip operators up:

• One premises, one licence. Each kitchen location needs its own registration or licence.
• Multiple virtual brands. Brands run by the same entity from one kitchen usually sit under that kitchen's licence. Keep the food categories updated as menus grow.
• Shared kitchens. If different companies cook in a shared facility, each company typically needs its own licence for its operations.
• Commissary or central kitchen. A central kitchen supplying several outlets may be treated as a manufacturer or caterer depending on its activity.
• Expansion. Opening a second kitchen is a new application, not a modification.

Documents restaurants usually need

• Photo ID of the proprietor, partners or directors
• Premises proof: rent agreement, ownership deed or utility bill
• Food category list (for example, prepared foods, beverages, sweets)
• Constitution document for firms and companies
• Form IX nomination for companies (licences)
• FSMS plan (licences)
• Municipal, fire or health trade licence where your state requires it

See the full documents checklist.

What Swiggy, Zomato and other platforms check

FSSAI requires ecommerce food businesses to list only sellers with a valid licence or registration and to display that number. Platforms typically check:

• The 14-digit FSSAI number is active on FoSCoS
• The business name matches the licence and GST records
• The kitchen address on the platform matches the licence premises
• The food categories cover what you sell

If your licence lapses or is suspended, platforms can delist the outlet automatically. Our guide for ecommerce and online food sellers covers platform rules in more detail.

Ongoing rules for restaurants

• Display the licence. Show the FSSAI certificate or a copy at a prominent place, and print the number on menus and bills where possible.
• Food Safety Display Board. FSSAI requires food businesses to display a board with hygiene practices and the licence number at the premises.
• Trained Food Safety Supervisor. FSSAI's FoSTaC programme expects licensed food service businesses to have at least one trained and certified supervisor for every 25 food handlers.
• Hygiene rating. FSSAI's Hygiene Rating Scheme lets restaurants get audited and display a rating, which platforms increasingly show to customers. See our health and hygiene rating service.
• Schedule 4 hygiene. Follow the hygiene and sanitation conditions in Schedule 4 of the Licensing Regulations, including pest control, water quality and staff health checks.
• Modification. Update FoSCoS when you add food categories or change partners through FSSAI modification.

Fees and timelines

Basic Registration costs ₹100 a year and is often approved within 7 to 30 days. A State Licence costs ₹5,000 a year for most food service KoBs and can take up to 60 days, often with an inspection. Under the 2026 reforms, licences have perpetual validity as long as you pay the annual fee. Read the full fees and cost guide.

Launch checklist for a new outlet

1. Finalise the premises and sign a rent agreement in the business name.
2. Confirm the category based on projected annual turnover.
3. Apply for FSSAI registration or licence on FoSCoS.
4. Apply for GST and local trade licences in parallel.
5. Train a Food Safety Supervisor through FoSTaC.
6. Put up the licence and Food Safety Display Board.
7. Share the FSSAI number with delivery platforms during onboarding.

Common mistakes

• Opening before the certificate is issued
• Using one licence for two kitchen locations
• Platform address that differs from the licence address
• Not upgrading to a State Licence when turnover crosses ₹1.5 crore
• Ignoring FoSTaC and display board requirements

Frequently asked questions

Which FSSAI licence does a restaurant need?

It depends on turnover. Up to ₹1.5 crore needs Basic Registration, ₹1.5 crore to ₹50 crore needs a State Licence, and above ₹50 crore or a five-star hotel restaurant needs a Central Licence.

Do cloud kitchens need an FSSAI licence?

Yes. Cloud kitchens are food businesses and need FSSAI registration or a licence for each kitchen premises, chosen by the kitchen's annual turnover.

Can multiple brands run under one FSSAI licence?

Usually yes, if the same legal entity runs them from the same kitchen. The combined turnover decides the category, and the licence must cover all food categories sold.

Is FSSAI mandatory for Swiggy and Zomato?

Yes. FSSAI requires ecommerce food platforms to list only sellers with a valid FSSAI licence or registration and to display the number to customers.

How much does an FSSAI licence cost for a restaurant?

Basic Registration costs ₹100 a year. A State Licence costs ₹5,000 a year for most restaurant categories, and a Central Licence costs ₹7,500 a year.

Do restaurants need a Food Safety Supervisor?

FSSAI expects licensed food service businesses to have at least one FoSTaC-trained Food Safety Supervisor for every 25 food handlers.

Do I need a new licence to open a second outlet?

Yes. Each premises needs its own registration or licence. A company running outlets in several states also needs a Central Licence for its head office.

Official sources

• FoSCoS business eligibility tool
• FoSCoS Kind of Business eligibility (revised 31 March 2026)
• FSSAI advisory to ecommerce food businesses, December 2024
• FoSTaC training portal
• FoSCoS fee structure