Food Safety Rules by Country: One Table for 63 Countries

What are the food safety rules in my country? In almost every country, a food business must do five things: tell the authority before it opens (register or get a licence), run a written food safety system based on HACCP, train and supervise its staff, keep records, and let inspectors in. The details change from country to country: who you register with, whether there is a public hygiene rating, what training is required, and how long you keep records. The table below puts all 63 countries Chef Hygiene works in side by side.

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This guide is for anyone opening or running a restaurant, takeaway, café, bakery, dessert shop, pub, venue, corner shop, school kitchen, catering business, food van or home kitchen business. Every fact comes from an official government, food agency or law source. Where we could not confirm a rule from an official source, we leave it out and the table says "Ask your authority".

Rules change. Use this page to know what to ask, then check the official link in your country's row before you act.

To see what happens after an inspection goes badly, read Low food hygiene rating or failed inspection: what happens next. To choose how to keep your records, read Paper vs digital food safety records.

## Contents

1. The five rules almost every country shares
2. How to read the table
3. All 63 countries in one table
4. Country notes, region by region
5. By type of business
6. Before you open: a simple checklist
7. How Chef Hygiene helps you follow your country's rules
8. FAQ
9. Official sources

## 1. The five rules almost every country shares

1. Tell the authority before you open.

• In most countries you register the business, or the premises, with the food authority before you start.
• Some countries ask for more: a licence or permit (for example Japan, Singapore, Iceland and many US states), or an authorisation after a visit.
• A licence can cost money and may need renewing.

2. Run a food safety system based on HACCP.

• HACCP means Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points: you look at what could make food unsafe, decide where you control it (for example cooking and chilling), check it, and write it down.
• In the European Union, Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 article 5 asks every food business after primary production to have permanent procedures based on HACCP principles. The UK, Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and many neighbours have the same idea in their own law.
• Small businesses can usually keep it simple. Many countries accept a sector guide or a ready-made pack instead of a plan written from zero.

3. Train and supervise your staff.

• Almost everywhere, staff who handle food must be supervised and trained for the work they do.
• Some countries go further: a certificate before the first day (Germany), a set course (Croatia, Latvia, France for commercial catering), a food handler card (Malta, Qatar, Singapore) or a named supervisor (Australia, Japan, the United States).

4. Keep records.

• Temperatures, cleaning, deliveries, training and fixes when something goes wrong.
• Many countries say only "for an appropriate period". Others give a number, from 30 days (Brazil) to 4 years (New Zealand).

5. Let the inspector in.

• Inspections are usually based on risk and often unannounced.
• About one country in five in this guide has a public hygiene rating or publishes results. Elsewhere, results are private but the authority can still warn, fine or close a business.

## 2. How to read the table

• Register / licence: what you must do before opening.
• HACCP plan: whether a HACCP-based food safety system is required.
• Public rating: whether there is a public hygiene rating or published results.
• Staff training: the main training or health rule for food handlers.
• Records kept: how long records must be kept, where a rule exists. "Appropriate period" means the law sets no number: keep them long enough to show the inspector your system works.
• Ask your authority: we could not confirm this from an official source. Your local food authority will tell you.

Federal countries (the United States, Canada, Australia, India, Malaysia, Brazil, Mexico and the UAE) have national rules plus state, province, emirate or city rules. The table shows the national rule, or the best-known example.

## 3. All 63 countries in one table

From Chef Hygiene's checked country pages and official sources, October 2026.

## 4. Country notes, region by region

### UK, Ireland and the Crown dependencies

• United Kingdom: the Food Safety Act 1990 and retained Regulation 852/2004. Councils' environmental health officers inspect. Register with your council at least 28 days before trading; this includes home businesses, vans and stalls. England, Wales and Northern Ireland use the FHRS 0–5 rating; Scotland uses FHIS Pass / Improvement Required. Display is a legal duty in Wales and Northern Ireland.
• Ireland: Regulation 852/2004 applies through S.I. 369/2006. The HSE's Environmental Health Service inspects; register with them before starting. A HACCP-based system has been law since 1998. There is no public rating, but enforcement orders are published.
• Jersey: the Food (Jersey) Law 2023. Register with Environmental Health before opening; it is free. Eat Safe gives 0, 2, 3, 4 or 5 stars, and by law you must display your rating.
• Guernsey: Environmental Health registers food premises. Ratings (FHIS, 0–5 stars) are published online.
• Isle of Man: register with DEFA before opening. A new 0–5 rating scheme starts its inspections in early 2027.
• Gibraltar: a business licence plus registration of the premises with the Environmental Agency.

### Nordic countries

• Denmark: register or get an authorisation before starting; very small activities are exempt. The Smiley scheme report hangs at the entrance and is published online.
• Norway: register with Mattilsynet before starting. Internal control on HACCP principles. Smilefjes at the entrance and online.
• Sweden: register with the control authority, usually your municipality, before you start. Own-checks with HACCP-based procedures. No national rating.
• Finland: notify the municipality at least 4 weeks before starting. Oiva reports (A–D) go at the entrance and online. Handlers of unpackaged perishable food need a hygiene passport.
• Iceland: you need an operating permit (starfsleyfi) before you start. MAST and the municipal health inspectorates inspect.

### Western Europe

• Germany: report in writing before starting, separately for each site. Before the first day of food work, every worker needs an Infection Protection Act (IfSG) certificate, and the employer repeats the instruction every 2 years. There is no rating, but serious breaches can be published for 6 months.
• Austria: report all food activities for registration; businesses with animal products need approval. Own checks on HACCP principles.
• Switzerland: notify the canton before starting (LGV art. 20). Businesses with up to 9 staff may keep simpler documents. Some cantons ask for a Wirtepatent (innkeeper's permit).
• Liechtenstein: a trade licence plus notification to the food authority (ALKVW). Swiss food law applies through the Customs Treaty.
• France: make a health declaration before opening. Commercial restaurants, cafeterias and fast food need at least one person with 14 hours of food hygiene training (no expiry). Inspection results are public on Alim'confiance (4 levels).
• Belgium: first a company number (BCE), then registration or authorisation with FAVV/AFSCA. A public Food Hygiene Rating has existed since November 2025.
• Netherlands: register with NVWA through MijnNVWA. Inspection results are published online for up to 2 years. Managers in places that serve alcohol need a Verklaring Sociale Hygiëne.
• Luxembourg: notify ALVA on MyGuichet.lu; you may start once it is sent. The HORESCA guide can replace your own HACCP plan.
• Monaco: a DEE authorisation and a food-sector agrément from the Minister of State.

### Southern Europe and the Mediterranean

• Spain: register with your region; the steps vary by autonomous community. APPCC (HACCP) is required. There is no national food handler card.
• Portugal: before opening a restaurant, café or bar you must send a prior notice (mera comunicação prévia) to the town council.
• Italy: notify the local health authority (ASL) through your town's SUAP desk. Training rules are set by each region.
• Greece: notify the municipality that you are starting. Staff need an EFET certificate (valid 5 years) and a health certificate.
• Cyprus: a licence from the Deputy Ministry of Tourism, which needs a health certificate for the premises. Staff health certificates are renewed every 12 months.
• Malta: register with the FSSA; catering also needs a yearly MTA licence. Food handler cards: category A for 2 years, category B for 5 years.
• Andorra: a sanitary authorisation and registration, revalidated every 5 years. Food handlers need a title from an authorised trainer.
• San Marino: a sanitary authorisation from the ISS. Food handlers take a course within 1 month of starting, with a refresher every 2 years.
• Turkey: register with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. HACCP is required, and staff are trained in food hygiene (Food Hygiene Regulation articles 21 and 22).

### Central and Eastern Europe

• Poland: register and get Sanepid approval at least 14 days before you start. Staff need documented hygiene instruction and a medical certificate.
• Czechia: notify the start by the day you start. Since 1 January 2025 SZPI inspects restaurants; school and care kitchens stay with the regional hygiene station (KHS). The health card ended on 1 July 2023.
• Slovakia: you need a decision from the regional public health office (RÚVZ) before opening; some simpler sites only send a written notice.
• Hungary: register in FELIR with Nébih. Train new workers within 1 month. Self-check records are kept for at least 2 years.
• Slovenia: register each site at least 15 days before opening.
• Croatia: a 15-hour hygiene course, renewed every 5 years, and a sanitary card.
• Romania: register with the county DSVSA. Staff need a hygiene certificate valid for 3 years.
• Bulgaria: register or be approved before operating (Food Act art. 23). Staff need a personal health book.
• Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania: notify or register with the national food agency (PTA, PVD, VMVT) before you start. Latvia asks for a 3-hour hygiene course every 3 years.

### The Balkans and Eastern Europe

• Serbia: enter the business register and the Central Register of Objects before opening. A HACCP-based system is needed in every site, and the sanitary book is renewed every 6 months.
• Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Albania and Kosovo: register with the national food authority before opening and run a HACCP-based system. North Macedonia keeps HACCP records for 2 years. Montenegro adopted a new Law on Food Safety in April 2026.
• Moldova: ANSA authorisation or registration, plus a trade notice.
• Ukraine: register the facility with the State Service on Food Safety and Consumer Protection, free, at least 10 days before start. HACCP records are kept for 3 months after the sell-by date.
• Belarus and Russia: no permit for a normal restaurant; you notify the authority of the start (Russia through Gosuslugi). Production control follows HACCP principles.

### North America

• United States: the FDA Food Code is a model that states, counties and cities adopt. You need a permit from your state or local health department. The person in charge is usually a Certified Food Protection Manager. Some cities grade restaurants (New York City posts A, B or C).
• Canada: provinces set the rules. In Quebec, MAPAQ issues a permit renewed every year; managers take 12 hours of training and handlers 6 hours. Most provinces publish inspection results.
• Mexico: send an "aviso de funcionamiento" 30 days before opening. NOM-251 asks for hygiene training at least once a year. HACCP is optional unless a product rule requires it.

### Australia and New Zealand

• Australia: register or notify your council before starting. Category one and two businesses need a certified Food Safety Supervisor; category one keeps records for 3 months.
• New Zealand: register a Food Control Plan or a National Programme (Food Act 2014). Records are kept for at least 4 years.

### Asia

• Japan: a restaurant licence from the public health centre. HACCP-based management has applied to all food businesses since 1 June 2021, and you appoint a Food Sanitation Supervisor.
• Singapore: an SFA licence. Every food handler needs Food Safety Course Level 1. SAFE grades (A, B, C) are public. Caterers need a food safety management system.
• Malaysia: register the premises with the Ministry of Health and get a council licence. Handlers need a food handler course, a medical exam and vaccination.
• India: register on FoSCoS, or get a State or Central licence, depending on turnover. Licensed businesses need a trained FoSTaC Food Safety Supervisor for every 25 handlers. The FSSAI Hygiene Rating (1–5) is voluntary.

### The Gulf

• United Arab Emirates: each emirate has its own rules. Dubai: Foodwatch registration and a certified Person in Charge. Abu Dhabi: the public Zadna rating.
• Saudi Arabia: a municipal licence through Balady, after Civil Defence approval. Staff need a Balady health certificate.
• Qatar: register the business and food handlers on Watheq. Handlers need a food handler permit, valid for 3 years. The Ministry of Public Health publishes a six-level rating.

### Latin America

• Brazil: an alvará sanitário from the city or state health surveillance (VISA). ANVISA RDC 216 asks for a Manual of Good Practices and 4 written procedures. Records are kept for at least 30 days.
• Mexico: see North America above.

## 5. By type of business

The basic rules are the same for every food business. These are the differences that an official source states.

### Restaurant

• The table applies in full.
• France: commercial restaurants need at least one person with 14 hours of food hygiene training.
• Cyprus and Malta: restaurants also need a tourism licence.
• Japan: restaurants need a licence from the public health centre.

### Takeaway

• A takeaway is a food business like a restaurant: register, run a HACCP-based system, train staff and keep records.
• France: the 14-hour training rule includes fast food.
• In the UK, a takeaway gets an FHRS rating like a restaurant.

### Café

• Cafés follow the same rules as restaurants.
• Portugal: the prior notice to the council covers cafés.
• Brazil: RDC 216 covers cafés and snack bars.
• Belgium: the hospitality guide G-023 covers restaurants and cafés.

### Bakery / cake shop

• New Zealand: bakeries making cakes, pies or pastries use a Food Control Plan; bread-only bakeries use a National Programme.
• Singapore: bakeries are in a separate category.
• Netherlands: craft businesses such as bakeries are a separate NVWA group.

### Dessert shop / sweets

• Desserts with cream, eggs or dairy need the same fridge checks as any chilled food.
• Saudi Arabia: the ministry has a separate requirements book for bakeries and sweets.

### Pub / bar / club

• If you serve food, the food rules apply in full.
• Netherlands: managers in places with an alcohol licence need a Verklaring Sociale Hygiëne.
• Switzerland: some cantons ask for a Wirtepatent.

### Community hall / venue

• A venue that serves food regularly is a food business and registers.
• Sweden: a food business is one that works regularly and with some organisation, not just once in a while.
• Denmark: very small activities below the "bagatelgrænse" do not need to register.

### Corner shop / grocery

• Shops that sell food register like any food business.
• Australia: a shop selling unpackaged ready-to-eat food it did not make is a category two business.
• New Zealand: shops selling packaged food use a National Programme.
• Netherlands: retail is a separate NVWA group.

### School / nursery kitchen

• Czechia: school and care kitchens are inspected by the regional hygiene station (KHS), not SZPI.
• Russia: schools and nurseries keep a sample of each meal for 48 hours.
• Netherlands: institutions such as day care are a separate NVWA group.
• Hungary: public canteens get a compulsory hygiene rating.

### Caterer / food van

• UK: vans and stalls register like any other food business.
• Germany: food trucks register where the business has its main seat; stalls that move between places need a Reisegewerbekarte.
• Australia: a food van notifies the council where it is garaged.
• Poland and Slovakia: vans and mobile sales have their own registration or notice.
• Singapore: caterers need a food safety management system.
• Hungary: event caterers serving more than 29 portions a day keep recipe and allergen records for 90 days.

### Home baker / home kitchen

• UK: home businesses register with the council, like any food business.
• Australia: home businesses follow the same rules and notify their council.
• Netherlands: "selling from home" is its own NVWA group, and everyone must register.
• Poland: regular home production for sale needs registration.
• Latvia and Lithuania: home kitchens can be used if they are registered and household food is kept apart.
• Austria: food made at home only for your own household does not need registration.

## 6. Before you open: a simple checklist

1. Find your authority in the table and open the official link.
2. Register or apply for your licence in good time (UK: 28 days; Finland: 4 weeks; Poland: 14 days; Slovenia: 15 days; Ukraine: 10 days; Mexico: 30 days).
3. Write your HACCP-based food safety plan, or use your country's guide or pack.
4. Book the training your country asks for, and keep the certificates.
5. Set up daily records: fridge and freezer temperatures, cooking, cooling, cleaning, deliveries.
6. Write down your allergen information for every dish.
7. Decide where records live and how long you keep them.
8. If your country has a public rating, learn how it is scored before the first visit.

## 7. How Chef Hygiene helps you follow your country's rules

Chef Hygiene does not register your business or file forms for you. It helps you do the daily work and show it:

• Your country's rules built in. Pick your country and the app uses its rules, its rating scheme and its language.
• Food safety plan ("safe methods"). About 20 minutes: answer questions, check each method, sign it, set a review date and print it. Earlier versions are kept.
• Daily checks. Fridges, freezers, cooking, cooling, cleaning and deliveries, with time, staff name and photos.
• Ready for inspection? Checks your last 4 weeks of records the way an inspector would, and shows how many are ready.
• Practice inspection (free walk round). About 10 minutes of yes/no questions with extra questions for your type of business. It shows your likely result in your country's scheme and a "Put it right" list.
• Records you can show. Print a PDF or share a secure link with your inspector.

## 8. FAQ

### Do I need to register my food business?

In almost every country, yes. You register with the food authority, or get a licence, before you open. Check the "Register / licence" column for your country.

### How long before opening must I register?

It depends on the country. UK: at least 28 days before trading. Finland: 4 weeks. Mexico: 30 days. Poland: at least 14 days. Slovenia: 15 days. Ukraine: 10 days. In Luxembourg you may start once the notice is sent.

### Is registration free?

Often, yes. It is free in the UK, Jersey, Latvia and Ukraine. A licence or permit can cost money; for example, Dubai's Foodwatch costs AED 1,500 a year.

### What is the difference between registration and a licence?

Registration tells the authority you exist. A licence or authorisation is permission given after a check, and it can be refused.

### Is HACCP a legal requirement?

In the EU, UK, Norway, Iceland, Switzerland, Turkey, Japan and many other countries, yes: you need a food safety system based on HACCP principles. In the United States, Brazil, Malaysia and Mexico, ordinary restaurants follow hygiene rules instead of a written HACCP plan.

### Do small businesses need a full HACCP plan?

Usually not a complicated one. The law asks for a system that fits your size. Many countries accept a sector guide or a ready-made pack, and Switzerland lets businesses with up to 9 staff document less.

### Which countries have a public food hygiene rating?

The UK, Jersey, Guernsey, Denmark, Norway, Finland, France, Belgium, Singapore, Qatar and Abu Dhabi have one. The Netherlands publishes results online, and some cities and regions (New York City, for example) have their own.

### Do I have to display my hygiene rating?

In Wales, Northern Ireland and Jersey, yes, by law. In Denmark, Norway and Finland the report goes at the entrance. In England, display is encouraged but not required.

### Is a food hygiene certificate required for staff?

Not everywhere. The UK, Ireland, Sweden and the Netherlands ask for training that fits the job, not a set certificate. Germany, Croatia, Greece, Malta, Singapore and Qatar have fixed certificates or cards.

### How long is a food handler certificate valid?

It depends on the country. Croatia: 5 years. Greece: 5 years. Malta: 2 years (category A) or 5 years (category B). Qatar: 3 years. Romania: 3 years. Latvia: every 3 years. France: the 14-hour training has no expiry.

### What does Germany require before a new worker starts?

An Infection Protection Act (IfSG) certificate from the health office or a doctor it appoints, no older than 3 months at the start. The employer repeats the instruction every 2 years.

### What is the 14-hour training in France?

Commercial restaurants, cafeterias and fast food need at least one person trained in food hygiene for 14 hours. The training does not expire.

### Do staff need medical checks?

In some countries, yes: for example a yearly exam in Hungary, Moldova, Russia and India, a health certificate in Greece and Cyprus, and a sanitary book in Serbia renewed every 6 months.

### How long must I keep food safety records?

Many countries say "for an appropriate period". Where there is a number: Brazil at least 30 days, Australia (category one) 3 months, Finland 1 year after use-by, Hungary at least 2 years, North Macedonia 2 years, New Zealand at least 4 years.

### What does "appropriate period" mean?

The law gives no number. Keep records long enough to show the inspector that your system works, and at least until the next inspection.

### Can I keep records digitally?

In most countries, yes, as long as you can show them to the inspector. Hungary says paper and digital records are both accepted. Read our guide to paper vs digital records for details.

### Who inspects restaurants?

It depends on the country: the council in the UK, the HSE in Ireland, the municipality in Sweden and Finland, district or city offices in Germany, regional authorities in Spain, a national agency in Denmark, Belgium and the Baltic states.

### Are inspections announced?

Usually not. Most countries inspect by risk and often without warning.

### Can the authority close my business?

Yes, in every country, when food is a serious risk to health. Most problems end with a written report, a deadline or a fine instead.

### Do the rules differ for a food van?

The food rules are the same. What differs is where you register: in Germany at the main seat of the business, in Australia with the council where the van is garaged, in the UK with your local council.

### Can I bake at home and sell?

In many countries, yes, if you register. The UK, Australia, the Netherlands and Poland treat home businesses like any other food business. Latvia and Lithuania allow home kitchens if household food is kept apart. In Austria, food made only for your own household needs no registration.

### Do school kitchens have extra rules?

Some countries name them. Czech school kitchens are inspected by the regional hygiene station (KHS), and Russian schools keep a sample of each meal for 48 hours.

### Do pubs and bars need food hygiene training?

If they serve food, yes, like any food business. In the Netherlands, managers in places with an alcohol licence need a Verklaring Sociale Hygiëne.

### What is the EU food hygiene regulation?

Regulation (EC) No 852/2004. It applies in every EU country and asks every food business to register and to run procedures based on HACCP principles.

### Does EU law apply in the UK?

The UK kept Regulation 852/2004 as "retained" law after Brexit, alongside the Food Safety Act 1990.

### What is a Food Control Plan in New Zealand?

A written, HACCP-based plan that most restaurants and cafés register under the Food Act 2014. Some lower-risk businesses use a National Programme instead.

### What is the FDA Food Code?

A model code from the US Food and Drug Administration. States, counties and cities adopt it, sometimes with changes, so the rules depend on where you are.

### What is a Food Safety Supervisor in Australia?

A trained, certified person that category one and two businesses must have. The certificate is valid for 5 years.

### Do I need a licence in India?

You register or get a licence on FoSCoS, depending on turnover. Since 1 April 2026, registration covers businesses with a turnover up to Rs 1.5 crore, a State licence up to Rs 50 crore, and a Central licence above that.

### What does Japan require since 2021?

Since 1 June 2021 every food business, including restaurants, must run HACCP-based hygiene management. Restaurants also need a licence and a Food Sanitation Supervisor.

### What is the Singapore SAFE grade?

The Singapore Food Agency's public grade for food businesses: A, B or C. Every food handler needs Food Safety Course Level 1.

### Do I need allergen information?

In the EU and UK, yes: you must give information on the 14 main allergens for food you sell.

### Which language should my records be in?

Your inspector must be able to read them. Chef Hygiene lets staff write in their own language and keeps an English translation next to it.

### Can Chef Hygiene register my business?

No. You register with your own authority. The app helps you run your food safety system, keep records and show them.

### Is this guide legal advice?

No. It is a summary from official sources, checked in October 2026. Rules change, so always check the official link for your country.

## 9. Official sources

• EU: Regulation (EC) No 852/2004, article 5
• UK: Register a food business, Food safety management systems
• Sweden: Livsmedelsverket: register a food business
• Denmark: Fødevarestyrelsen: authorisation and registration
• Portugal: gov.pt: open a restaurant or bar
• New Zealand: Food Act 2014
• United States: FDA Food Code
• Every other country: the official link in its row of the table in section 3.

Chef Hygiene helps you follow your country's rules every day:

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