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Restaurant & bar business reports

Requirements and Procedure for the Outdoor Business Report for Cafe and Restaurant Terraces

To place tables on a terrace in front of a cafe or restaurant and operate there, you need an outdoor business report under the Food Sanitation Act. First check whether the outdoor space is directly connected to the indoor business premises, whether you have the right to use that land, and whether it is space that must be kept clear under the Building Act, the Road Act or the Parking Lot Act. If any of these three points is a problem, the report itself will not be accepted.

Written by Hwang Yunsang, Administrative Agent · Published 2026-09-23 · Updated 2026-10-30

Procedure

Procedure type
  • Notification Difficulty Low

    You submit the statutory report form and required documents. Once the documents are in order the report is accepted; for some reports the authority checks the contents before accepting it.

  1. 1. Check the connection to the indoor business premises

    The outdoor business area must be directly connected to the business premises inside the building. If it is on a different floor, it must be possible to go directly up and down between the two. A detached space that can be reached only by going around the outside of the building is unlikely to be recognized as an outdoor business area.

  2. 2. Check the right of use

    For a stand-alone building, prove ownership or a right of use such as a lease. For a condominium building (a building with sectional ownership), there must be an exclusive use right under the management bylaws, and common areas cannot be used as an outdoor business area. Also check whether the lease contract states the scope of terrace use.

  3. 3. Preliminary review of conflicts with statutes

    An outdoor business area cannot be set up on public open space, required open space within the site, mandatory landscaping, a mandatory rooftop plaza, evacuation or firefighting passages, front open space under the National Land Planning and Utilization Act where business use is restricted, or a mandatory parking space, and a road may be used only if a road occupancy permit has been obtained. Compare the building register and the site plan with the actual site and screen out the 'not allowed' items first. Local governments sometimes set their own standards for allowing outdoor business, so check the local standard as well.

  4. 4. Meet the facility standards

    If the area is on the 2nd floor or higher, a railing of 1.2 m or more is required. Fixed structures are not allowed, only movable facilities, and fire-using equipment cannot be installed. Rest restaurants (hyuge eumsikjeom) and general restaurants (ilban eumsikjeom) must take out disaster liability insurance if the total floor area used as business premises is 100 square meters or more; check with the competent sanitation department before filing whether the outdoor business area is included in that total.

  5. 5. Report to the competent sanitation department

    Prepare the business report certificate, a drawing of the outdoor business area and the right-of-use documents, and file the report with the sanitation department of the competent city, county or district (si/gun/gu) office. If a request for supplementation is issued, respond with the drawing and site photos.

Required documents

Fees

Administrative service fee
  • Basic scope from KRW 400,000
All administrative service fees exclude 10% VAT.

A report that adds an outdoor business area is a report of change in the area of the business premises, and the government fee is 9,300 won for an in-person or postal application and 8,300 won for an electronic application. Our office fee starts from the amount shown above and may vary depending on how much checking of condominium bylaws or review of conflicts with the Building Act and the Road Act is needed; we will give you an exact quote after reviewing your documents.

See fees and official charges for this service →

Legal basis and review date

  • Enforcement Decree of the Food Sanitation Act, Article 26
  • Enforcement Rule of the Food Sanitation Act, Article 43
  • Enforcement Rule of the Food Sanitation Act, Article 42
  • Enforcement Rule of the Food Sanitation Act, attached Table 14
  • Enforcement Decree of the Building Act, Article 40
  • Framework Act on the Management of Disasters and Safety, Article 76-5
  • Enforcement Decree of the Framework Act on the Management of Disasters and Safety, attached Table 3
  • Enforcement Rule of the Food Sanitation Act, attached Table 17
  • Enforcement Rule of the Food Sanitation Act, attached Table 23
  • Enforcement Rule of the Food Sanitation Act, attached Table 26
  • Enforcement Decree of the Building Act, Article 41
  • Enforcement Decree of the Framework Act on the Management of Disasters and Safety, Article 84-6
  • National Health Promotion Act, Article 9
  • Enforcement Rule of the National Health Promotion Act, Article 6

Checked against the statutes on

Statutes and public notices change, so each case needs to be checked individually. Statute titles are given in English for reference. The Korean statutes are the authoritative text.

Check these first

  • A report is not possible for public open space, evacuation routes, mandatory parking spaces and the like. Check for conflicts before starting terrace construction.
  • If you install structures such as a fixed deck or a roof first, you may have to remove them.

Frequently asked questions

May I put tables on the sidewalk in front of my cafe?
Only if you have obtained a road occupancy permit. Roads under the Road Act, including sidewalks, are places where outdoor business is restricted, but the Yeonsu-gu outdoor business guidance makes an exception where a separate occupancy permit has been obtained and requires submission of the occupancy permit stating the place, area, purpose and period of occupancy. Whether occupancy is allowed is decided by the competent road management authority.
Can I use the common space in front of the 1st floor of a commercial building as a terrace?
The common areas of a condominium building cannot be used as an outdoor business area. The space can be reported only if the management bylaws give that shop an exclusive use right.
May I install parasols and a fixed deck on a 2nd-floor terrace?
On the 2nd floor or higher, a railing of 1.2 m or more is required, and fixed structures are not allowed. Only movable tables, parasols and the like are possible, and installing fire-using equipment is also prohibited.
What happens if I operate on the terrace without an outdoor business report?
It is regarded as operating at a place that was not reported, and you may be subject to an administrative disposition such as a corrective order or business suspension. If you have received prior notice of a disposition, it is advisable to organize the circumstances and the corrective actions taken and submit them within the deadline for submitting a written opinion.
When must I take out disaster liability insurance?
Rest restaurants and general restaurants whose total floor area used as business premises is 100 square meters or more must take out the insurance within 30 days from the date the report or similar procedure is completed. If adding the terrace may bring you under this standard, check with the competent sanitation department whether the outdoor business area is included in the total and prepare to take out the insurance.

Other guides in this area

Contact us

Hwang Yunsang Administrative Office in Songdo, Incheon prepares and submits administrative documents and explains the procedure. If your situation is similar, send us a message.

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This guide is general information based on public sources. Requirements, documents and deadlines differ by case and by the competent agency, so please confirm them before you proceed.