How to Get a Food Business Registration Certificate in Türkiye: Guide for Restaurants and Cafes

The regulation splits food businesses in two. Businesses listed in its Annex 1 are subject to approval and must obtain conditional approval and then full approval before they start operating. Every business not listed in Annex 1 falls under registration (Art. 5). Annex 1 mainly covers establishments producing foods of animal origin; restaurants, cafes and eateries are not on the approval list.

The regulation defines a mass catering place (toplu tüketim yeri) as a place where food is processed, produced and offered for consumption on the same premises (Art. 4). Restaurants, cafes and eateries fit this definition, so you obtain a registration certificate and do not go through the approval process.

The competent authority is the provincial directorate of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry; where the provincial directorate has delegated authority, the district directorate accepts applications (Art. 4). Applications can be made with a wet signature or electronically with an e-signature (Art. 6). The Ministry also offers the registration certificate service on e-Devlet (the Turkish e-government portal) under the name "Gıda Üretim, Satış ve Toplu Tüketim İşletmeleri İçin İşletme Kayıt Belgesi". Confirm with your provincial or district directorate which route is open to your business.

The core document requested from mass catering operators is the Ministry's "İşletme Kayıt Belgesi Başvuru ve Beyannamesi" (Business Registration Application and Declaration form). It declares the trade name, tax number, activity, business address, contact details and number of employees. The application fee is paid to the provincial directorate's revolving fund and depends on the number of employees; ask your directorate for the current amount. Directorates may request additional paperwork, so ask for the current list before you apply.

1. 1Get the current application form and document list from your provincial or district Agriculture and Forestry directorate (or open the e-Devlet service).
2. 2Complete the application and declaration in full; make sure the name, address and activity match your licence exactly.
3. 3Pay the application fee to the provincial directorate's revolving fund and attach the receipt.
4. 4The directorate reviews the file within fifteen business days. If the information and documents are complete, the registration certificate is issued; an incomplete or incorrect file is returned with an official letter stating what is missing (Art. 6).
5. 5Keep the certificate and the registration number on it where you can show them during an inspection.

• •The business opening and operating licence is issued by the municipality; it is the general permit to operate at the premises.
• •The business registration certificate is issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry directorate; it enters the business into the Ministry's records as a food business and is the basis of food safety inspection.
• •Neither replaces the other; both are asked for during an inspection.

The original text of the regulation required applying within thirty days after obtaining the licence; that provision was repealed in 2013. The current text contains no fixed number of days after the licence. In practice, the safest course is to start preparing both documents together and complete the registration before opening. Ask your municipality and provincial directorate at the outset which order they expect.

The certificate is valid for the trade name, the person, the business address and the activity stated on it. If any of these changes, the certificate loses its validity (Art. 6/4). A transfer, a change of name, a move or a change of activity therefore requires a new certificate procedure.

1. 1Apply in writing to the competent authority within three months at the latest, counting from the date of the change.
2. 2Attach the relevant information and documents to your petition, together with the original certificate.
3. 3The directorate processes the change and reissues the certificate.

• •If you stop all or part of your activity, you must notify the competent authority within three months (Art. 6/5).
• •If the certificate is lost, you apply with the original of a newspaper in which you published a notice of loss; if it is damaged beyond reading, you apply with the damaged original (Art. 6/6).

Article 30 of Law No. 5996 requires businesses subject to registration to have their business records entered with the Ministry. Businesses that do not comply face an administrative fine under the registration provision in paragraph 1 of Article 41 of the same Law; the fine depends on the type of premises. In addition, if an official inspection finds that the premises pose a danger to human health and food safety, operations can be suspended under the relevant sub-paragraph of the same article.