Preparation of application documents and review of procedures for business licenses and notifications by industry

Procedure

1. 1. Decide the business type by whether alcohol will be sold

   Both types may cook and sell food; the difference under the statutes is whether alcohol may be sold. A general restaurant may sell alcohol incidentally with meals. A rest restaurant cooks and sells food in forms such as beverages, ice cream, light meals (bunsik) or fast food, but drinking alcohol is not permitted there. If you plan to sell alcohol, you must report as a general restaurant.

2. 2. Check the building use before signing the lease

   A restaurant can operate in neighborhood living facilities (Class 1 or Class 2), but the permitted use differs by business type and floor area. If the use recorded in the building register does not match, the report will not be accepted, so check before signing the lease. If the total floor area of the business premises is 100 square meters or more (66 square meters or more for a basement floor), a certificate of completion of safety facilities, etc. issued by the fire station is required. This does not apply to business premises located on the 1st floor above ground or on a floor directly adjoining the ground whose main entrance connects directly to the ground outside the building (excluding a multi-level layout connected by an internal staircase).

3. 3. Prepare sanitation training and health certificates

   Complete the sanitation training for new operators (6 hours for general and rest restaurants) before the business report. Pre-opening training for new operators is in principle in-person group training, and remote (online) training is possible only when an exception set by the statutes applies, so check the method with the training institution first. Operators and employees directly engaged in cooking and selling food must undergo a health examination before starting the business or starting work (excluding persons who only transport or sell fully packaged food), and it is valid for 1 year. If you use LPG, also prepare the gas completion inspection documents.

4. 4. Business report, then business registration

   File the business report with the sanitation department of the competent city, county or district (si/gun/gu) office and receive the business report certificate. Then register the business at the tax office or on Hometax. The business type written on the signboard must also match the reported business type.

Required documents

• Business report form, ID
• Certificate of completion of sanitation training
• Health examination result certificate (health certificate, for operators and employees directly engaged in cooking and selling); the reporting authority checks it through shared use of administrative information, and a copy is submitted if you do not consent
• Materials confirming the use recorded in the building register, lease contract
• Where applicable: certificate of completion of safety facilities, etc., and certificate of completion inspection for a liquefied petroleum gas use facility (the reporting authority checks both through shared use of administrative information, and copies are submitted if you do not consent), water quality test report (when groundwater is used)

Fees

Regardless of business type, the government fee for a new business report under attached Table 26 of the Enforcement Rule (amended 2026-09-01) is 28,000 won for an in-person or postal filing and 25,200 won for an online filing. Our office fee starts from the amount shown above and may vary depending on whether a review of the building use or fire safety documents is also 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

• Food Sanitation Act, Article 41
• Enforcement Decree of the Food Sanitation Act, Article 21
• Enforcement Decree of the Food Sanitation Act, Article 25
• Enforcement Rule of the Food Sanitation Act, Article 42
• Enforcement Rule of the Food Sanitation Act, Article 52
• Rules on Health Examinations of Workers in the Food Sanitation Field, Article 2
• Enforcement Rule of the Food Sanitation Act, attached Table 26
• Food Sanitation Act, Article 41(3) and (4)
• Enforcement Decree of the Food Sanitation Act, Article 26
• Enforcement Rule of the Food Sanitation Act, Article 42(2) and (10)
• Enforcement Rule of the Food Sanitation Act, Article 43
• Enforcement Rule of the Food Sanitation Act, Article 49
• Enforcement Rule of the Food Sanitation Act, Form No. 37
• Enforcement Decree of the Special Act on the Safety Control of Publicly Used Establishments, Article 2

Checked against the statutes on 2026-10-30

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

• Check the building use before signing the lease. If the use does not match, the report will not be accepted.
• If you will sell alcohol, you must report as a general restaurant. Keep the reported business type and the actual business consistent.

Frequently asked questions