Restaurant Business Report (General and Rest-Area Restaurants)

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.

01
Decide the business type by alcohol sales: Both types can cook and sell food, and the legal difference is whether alcohol may be sold. A general restaurant may sell alcohol incidentally with meals while drinking is not permitted in a rest-area restaurant, so report a general restaurant if you plan to sell alcohol.
02
Check the building use before the lease: Restaurants are possible in Type 1 or Type 2 neighborhood living facilities, but the permitted use differs by business type and floor area. The report is not accepted if the building register use does not match, so check before the lease, and prepare a fire safety completion certificate if the area is above the threshold.
03
Complete hygiene training: Complete the new operator training (6 hours for general and rest-area restaurants) before reporting and obtain the certificate. Pre-opening training is classroom-based in principle and online training is allowed only under the exceptions set by law, so confirm the method with the training institution first.
04
Prepare health certificates and facility documents: All staff obtain a health certificate, valid for 1 year. If LPG is used, prepare the gas completion inspection documents, and if groundwater is used, a water quality test report.
05
Submit the business report: Submit the report and attachments to the hygiene department of the district office; after a facility standards check the business report certificate is issued. Also check that the business type on the signboard matches the reported type.
06
Business registration and start of operation: After receiving the report certificate, register the business at the tax office or Hometax. Changes of floor area, representative or name require a change report within the deadline, and you must manage health certificate and periodic hygiene training deadlines.

Filing route

Hygiene department of the city, county or district office where the business is located

Confirm the current filing office, jurisdiction, and online availability on the official website.

Official check

Actual processing agencyCompetent Korean authority or official service

Statutory and policy authorityMinistry of Food and Drug Safety

Online routeGovernment24 · Food Safety Korea

Deadlines & processing notes

Check deadlines and next steps against the notice, filing date, and any request for additional documents.Official check

Basic documents

Basic documents0 / 8

Business report form (Food Sanitation Act Enforcement Rule Form No. 37)ID (corporate registry extract for a corporation)Hygiene training certificateHealth certificates for all staffDocuments confirming building use in the building registerLease or other proof of the right to use the premisesFire safety completion certificate (if applicable)LPG facility completion inspection certificate and water quality test report (if applicable)

식품 영업 신고서(별지 제37호서식)

HWP original PDF

Source: Korea National Law Information Center, 「식품위생법 시행규칙」 별지 제37호서식(effective 2026.09.01.) · checked 2026.10.26. · the form is in Korean; confirm it is the current version before submitting.

If you do not check the building use before the lease, the report may be refused for use mismatch and you may bear only the deposit and interior costs.

Scope of services

Hwang Yunsang Administrative Agent Office prepares and translates documents for administrative agencies, submits them on your behalf, and guides you through permit, application, and notification procedures. Services that require the principal’s personal appearance, principal’s application, or electronic signature may be limited in delegation.