How to Get an FSSAI License for a Restaurant — Step-by-Step (2026)

Every food business in India — from a single-counter tea stall to a multi-outlet chain — must hold a valid FSSAI registration or licence before it serves a single plate. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) structures this compliance into three tiers, and which one applies to your restaurant is decided mainly by annual turnover, and in some cases by whether you operate across state lines.

Getting the tier right before you apply matters: applying under the wrong tier means your application can be rejected or returned, costing you weeks. The figures below are the commonly cited thresholds, but FSSAI revises them periodically, so treat them as indicative and confirm the current limits before you file.

Two nuances trip people up. First, a restaurant operating outlets in more than one state generally needs a Central Licence for its head office or importer function, plus a State Licence for each qualifying outlet — each licensed premises carries its own 14-digit number. Second, the turnover bands and fee amounts above are indicative and change over time; verify the tier and fee that apply to your restaurant at fssai.gov.in or foscos.fssai.gov.in before you begin.

The FoSCoS portal will not let you submit until every mandatory field and upload is complete, so assemble these before you start. Basic Registration needs the lightest set; State and Central licences require additional operational documents such as a layout plan and a food-safety management plan. Have clear, legible scans (PDF or JPG) ready.

• Photo ID of the proprietor, partners, or directors (Aadhaar, PAN, voter ID, passport, or driving licence)
• One recent passport-size photograph of the applicant/authorised signatory
• Proof of possession of the premises — rent agreement, electricity bill, or a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) from the property owner
• Completed and signed FSSAI declaration form (Form A for Basic Registration; Form B for State/Central Licence)
• List of food categories or products you will serve
• Layout/blueprint plan of the premises showing dimensions and operating areas (required for State and Central licences)
• List of kitchen equipment and machinery (for State/Central)
• Food Safety Management System (FSMS) plan or declaration (for State/Central)
• For partnerships/companies: partnership deed, certificate of incorporation, or MOA/AOA as applicable
• NOC from the local municipality or panchayat where required, and a water-test report if you handle water-intensive processing (more common for Central)

If you are unsure which category codes apply to a restaurant, most dine-in food service falls under the prepared-food/catering categories — but confirm the exact category selection on FoSCoS, because it determines the inspection scope and, in some cases, the fee.

FSSAI applications are filed online through FoSCoS (Food Safety Compliance System) at foscos.fssai.gov.in, which replaced the older Food Licensing portal. The flow below covers a standard restaurant application from account creation to receiving your number.

1. 1

   Identify your tier and create a FoSCoS account

   Confirm whether you need Basic Registration, a State Licence, or a Central Licence based on your annual turnover and whether you operate across states. Then register on the FoSCoS portal with your mobile number and email to create a login.

   https://foscos.fssai.gov.in
2. 2

   Start a new application and select your Kind of Business

   Choose 'Apply for New Licence/Registration', select your state and district, and pick the Kind of Business (e.g., restaurant/food service). FoSCoS will show which tier and form (Form A or Form B) apply based on your inputs.

3. 3

   Fill the application form and food categories

   Enter your business details, premises address, proprietor/partner KYC, and the list of food categories you will serve. Accuracy here matters — mismatches with your uploaded documents are the most common reason applications get returned.

4. 4

   Upload the supporting documents

   Attach the ID proof, premises proof, photograph, signed declaration, and — for State/Central — the layout plan, equipment list, and FSMS plan. Ensure scans are legible and within the portal's file-size limits.

5. 5

   Pay the government fee online

   Pay the applicable fee for your tier and licence duration (1 to 5 years) through the portal. Fees vary by tier and are subject to revision — the amounts you see on FoSCoS at the time of filing are authoritative.

6. 6

   Respond to inspection or clarifications, then receive your 14-digit number

   For State and Central licences a Food Safety Officer may inspect the premises; respond promptly to any clarification raised on the portal. Once approved, download your certificate bearing the unique 14-digit FSSAI number and display it as required.

Timelines vary. A Basic Registration is often issued within about 7 to 30 days, while State and Central licences typically take longer — commonly 30 to 60 days — because they can involve a premises inspection. Track the live status of your application inside your FoSCoS dashboard, and reply to any query quickly to avoid the clock restarting.

Getting the licence is only half the obligation — FSSAI also requires you to display it. Restaurants are generally required to display the FSSAI licence or registration certificate prominently at the premises and to print the 14-digit FSSAI number on menus and bills (and on packaging where applicable). This lets customers and inspectors verify your food-safety status at a glance, and aggregators require a valid number before they will list you.

• Display the certificate at the premises where customers can see it.
• Print the 14-digit FSSAI number on bills, tax invoices, and menus.
• Renew before expiry — licences are issued for 1 to 5 years, and an expired licence is treated much like operating without one.
• Keep a different FSSAI number per licensed outlet if you run multiple premises — each has its own number.

Operating without a valid FSSAI registration or licence is an offence under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and can attract substantial fines and, in serious cases, imprisonment — plus delisting from aggregators and blocked renewals of other trade permissions. Penalty amounts and renewal timelines are set by the FSS Act and associated rules and change over time; confirm the current schedule at fssai.gov.in or with a qualified legal/CA advisor before you rely on any figure.

For the full breakdown of the tiers, the anatomy of the 14-digit number, and mandatory-display specifics, see our glossary explainer: What Is an FSSAI License for Restaurants (/glossary/what-is-fssai-license-for-restaurants).

Restrofi does not issue or process FSSAI licences — that is done directly on the FoSCoS portal — but it removes the everyday friction of the display requirement. Store your restaurant's 14-digit FSSAI number once in your outlet settings, and Restrofi automatically prints it on every generated bill and GST tax invoice, right alongside your GSTIN.

Because the number lives in the invoice header, your staff never have to remember to add it by hand, and it stays consistent across QR-code orders, counter bills, and takeaway receipts. Multi-outlet businesses can store a different FSSAI number per outlet, which matters because each licensed premises has its own.

Restrofi is a paid product — Premium starts at ₹699 per outlet per month, with no free plan and no trial — and it charges zero commission on your orders. It handles the compliant-billing side of food-safety and GST so you can focus on the kitchen while the paperwork prints itself.