Is a Hygiene Certificate Mandatory? Hygiene Training Guide for Restaurant and Cafe Staff in Türkiye
The Hijyen Eğitimi Yönetmeliği (Hygiene Training Regulation) was published in the Resmî Gazete (Official Gazette) No. 28698 dated 5 July 2013, as a joint regulation of the Ministries of Health, Interior, and Food, Agriculture and Livestock. It requires workers in food production and retail premises, such as restaurants, cafes, eateries and patisseries, to take hygiene training and be employed with a certificate.
This guide summarises, based on the regulation's text, who must hold a certificate, the length and subjects of the training, where the certificate is obtained and how it is verified, its validity, and the sanction for employing staff without one.
Is the hygiene certificate mandatory, and who needs one?
Yes. Article 5 of the regulation states that people without a certificate cannot be employed in the premises it covers. The scope in Article 2 lists food production and retail premises, drinking and mineral water producers, spas, hammams, saunas, barbers, hairdressers, tattoo and piercing studios, massage and beauty salons, and hotels, motels and pensions. Restaurants, cafes and eateries fall in scope as food businesses.
- Everyone working in the kitchen or in service: cooks, kitchen assistants, waiters, busboys, dishwashers, cashiers and delivery staff.
- The business owner or operator: if they work on the premises themselves, they must also take the training (Article 5).
- Seasonal and part-time staff: the regulation does not distinguish by employment type; anyone working on the premises should hold a certificate.
Who is responsible?
The regulation makes owners and operators primarily responsible for their staff taking the training and being employed with a certificate. Asking for a new hire's certificate before they start is the business's job.
How long is the training and what does it cover?
Under Article 6, the training cannot be shorter than eight hours. Article 8 frames the content: general characteristics of microorganisms, transmission routes, risks by sector, disease symptoms and ways of prevention, plus hygiene and cleaning principles specific to each line of work.
The regulation also restricts work in certain health situations (Article 9): people with foodborne illness and carriers, those with diarrhoea, those with open wounds or infections on visible parts of the body, and those with the communicable diseases listed in the regulation may not work until a medical report shows they have recovered or are no longer infectious. Workers must notify their employer of such a condition (Article 10 covers the report).
How and where is the hygiene certificate obtained?
The training is delivered by the education institutions of the Ministry of National Education's Directorate General of Lifelong Learning (the Genel Müdürlük in the regulation), meaning public education centres (halk eğitim merkezleri). Employers may also deliver it with their own resources, following the procedures set by the commission. Participants receive a course completion certificate through the e-yaygın system.
- 1Apply to the public education centre in your district or through the Ministry's e-Yaygın registration page, and ask when the next hygiene training course opens.
- 2Attend and complete the training of at least eight hours.
- 3Your certificate is recorded in the e-yaygın system. Course certificates can be looked up on e-Devlet via the Yaygın Eğitim Sertifika Belgesi Sorgulama service.
- 4Keep a printout or the e-Devlet verification in your business file and present it during inspections.
The regulation allows participants to be charged for training costs and says personal materials for practical sessions are provided by the participants. Ask your public education centre for the current fee and course calendar. Prefer a certificate issued through e-yaygın and verifiable on e-Devlet over documents from private providers that are not recorded in the official system.
Does the hygiene certificate expire?
Article 6 says the certificate is valid for as long as the person works in the service. The text sets no number of years and no mandatory renewal period. In other words, the certificate does not lapse automatically with a date.
Workers who change jobs
Whether the certificate requires fresh training at a new workplace can be interpreted differently by provincial directorates in practice. For a new hire, the safe route is to confirm in advance with your inspection authority (the municipality or the district/provincial agriculture directorate) that their existing certificate will be accepted.
What do inspectors ask for, how does it relate to the licence, and what is the sanction?
Under Article 11, the ministry or local authority that issues permits and licences inspects compliance with Articles 5, 9 and 10. In practice, inspectors ask to see employees' certificates and the owner's own certificate, and expect the staff list and the certificates to match.
Employing staff without a certificate is treated as a separate violation for each worker, and action is taken under Article 282 of Umumi Hıfzıssıhha Kanunu No. 1593 (Public Hygiene Law). Three uncertified workers therefore means three violations. Administrative fine amounts are revalued every year, so check the current amount in official announcements.
The regulation does not make the hygiene certificate a condition of the licence application; the obligation is checked through employees once the business is operating. Still, it is wise to confirm any certificate requests in your licensing and permit process with your municipality and the relevant directorate.
Hygiene certificate readiness checklist
0/7Frequently asked questions
Is a hygiene certificate mandatory?
Yes. Article 5 of the Hijyen Eğitimi Yönetmeliği states that people without a certificate cannot be employed in covered premises, including food production and retail. Restaurants, cafes and eateries are covered.
How do I get a hygiene certificate?
You attend a hygiene course of at least eight hours at a public education centre of the Ministry of National Education. Those who complete it receive a certificate through the e-yaygın system, which can be looked up on e-Devlet.
How long is a hygiene certificate valid?
The regulation sets no number of years and no mandatory renewal period; the certificate is valid for as long as the person works in the service. If a worker changes jobs, confirm acceptance with your inspection authority.
Does the business owner need a hygiene certificate too?
Yes, if the owner or operator works on the premises; the regulation says they must take the training themselves. They are also primarily responsible for their staff's training and for employing them with a certificate.
What is the penalty for employing staff without a hygiene certificate?
Each uncertified worker counts as a separate violation and action is taken under Article 282 of Law No. 1593. Follow official announcements for the current administrative fine amount.
Who inspects hygiene certificates?
The ministry or local authority that issues permits and licences. In practice, municipal teams and the district or provincial agriculture directorate ask to see employees' certificates.
Official sources
- Resmî Gazete (5 July 2013, No. 28698): Hijyen Eğitimi Yönetmeliği (Hygiene Training Regulation)
- Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi: Hijyen Eğitimi Yönetmeliği
- Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi: Law No. 1593 (Public Hygiene Law)
- MEB Directorate General of Lifelong Learning
This guide is for information purposes and does not replace legal advice. Published: October 22, 2026 · Last updated: October 22, 2026
Keep staff and shift records in one place
In Genu, the staff list and shift schedule live in one panel. That makes it easier to ask for a new hire's hygiene certificate before they start and to match your staff list with your certificate file. Remember to confirm your own situation with your municipality.
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