Checklist of Essential Licenses, Permits, and Notifications for Opening a Restaurant | Including Commonly Overlooked Points

Before opening your business, there are three types of procedures you must go through: “qualifications,” “permits,” and “notifications.” The ones required for all stores are as follows.

• Qualifications: Food Sanitation Supervisor (can be obtained with a one-day course; required at all locations)
• Permits: Restaurant business license (apply at the public health center; advance consultation before starting construction is crucial)
• Notification: Notification of Start of Use of Fire-Prevention Property (to the fire department) and Business Opening Notification / Corporation Establishment Notification (to the tax office)

Whether you need to appoint a fire prevention manager or submit notifications for late-night operations depends on factors such as the size of the establishment, the type of business, and the form of operation.

You can check what your own shop needs in the summary table at the end of the article. Below, we’ll go through things in the order of “1. Qualifications,” “2. Permits,” and “3. Notifications.”

First, as a rule, there are two qualifications required by law to open a food and beverage business.

• Food Sanitation Supervisor(Required for all food and beverage establishments)
• Fire Prevention Manager(Required for establishments that can accommodate 30 or more people)

The often-discussed cook’s license is a qualification that allows you to call yourself a “licensed cook” if you have it. Even without it, anyone can do the actual cooking. In other words, depending on the size of the establishment, as long as you obtain the Food Sanitation Supervisor certification, you can open a business and cook without a cook’s license.

Which of the two certifications you need depends on the size of your establishment (its capacity). In the following sections, we’ll look at each one in detail.

What is a Food Sanitation Supervisor?

Food sanitation supervisors are required by law to be appointed at all food-handling facilities, including restaurants, with one supervisor per facility. They are responsible for managing food hygiene, and a certificate of qualification must be submitted when applying to the public health center for a business license.

The way to obtain it is very simple. All you have to do is attend a one-day (about six-hour) course run by the Food Sanitation Association of your prefecture. There is no pass-or-fail exam. As long as you take the course, everyone can get it.

• Cost: Around 10,000 yen (varies by prefecture)
• Difficulty level: Low (only course attendance required, no exam)
• Exemption eligibility: Those who already hold qualifications such as chef, nutritionist, or pharmacist are exempt from taking this course.

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There are times when reservations for the course become crowded. In particular, spring (March–April) overlaps with the opening season, so it can be fully booked. Apply well in advance—ideally about three months before your planned opening.

A cook’s license is not required to start a business.

Just to be sure, let’s dig into this a little. A cook’s license is a type of qualification called a “title-restricted qualification.” In other words, it only means that only people who have that qualification are allowed to call themselves “licensed cooks.” Anyone is allowed to do the actual cooking itself.

※If you already have a cook’s license, you can become a food sanitation supervisor without taking the course.

A cook’s license is not legally required to open a restaurant, but in loan interviews with institutions such as the Japan Finance Corporation, it may sometimes be valued as “proof of your cooking skills and experience.” If you are considering raising funds, it may be worth obtaining one from that perspective.

However, during the loan consultation, your work experience in the food and beverage industry and the results you achieved there may also be taken into account in the evaluation. For more details, please see the article below.

We also recommend this article.

経営

飲食店の融資面談で聞かれること｜担当者が評価する回答例とポイント

飲食店開業では多くの人にとって必須の「融資面談」。金融機関の担当者は何を見て、どんな質問をするのか？自己資金の出所の見せ方や事業への熱意の伝え方、具体的な回答例まで、審査を通過するための準備と面談時のポイントを分かりやすく解説します。

Under the Fire Service Act, it is mandatory to appoint a fire prevention manager in any establishment that can accommodate 30 or more people. This role is responsible for fire safety management within the facility, including fire prevention measures and conducting evacuation drills.

Let’s take a moment here to review how to calculate the “capacity.”

It’s not always true that “it’s fine as long as there are fewer than 30 seats for customers.” Capacity is calculated not only by the number of customer seats, but also byadding in the number of employees, including kitchen staff,to get the total. Even in a small establishment, depending on how many staff members you have, the total can exceed 30 people.

There are two types of fire prevention managers: Type A and Type B. Large-scale facilities (with a capacity of 300 people or more) require Type A, but most restaurants and bars can be covered with Type B.

• Type B: For facilities with a capacity of fewer than 300 people. Can be obtained with a one-day course.
• Type A: For large-scale facilities with a capacity of 300 people or more. Two-day training course
• Estimated cost: Around 5,000–8,000 yen
• Application Contact: Local fire department or Fire Protection Equipment Engineers Association

If your establishment is a small venue with a capacity of fewer than 30 people, you are not required to appoint a fire prevention manager. However, because this is an item where calculation mistakes are common, it’s a good idea to check with the local fire department just to be safe.

Next after qualifications, we’ll talk about permits. Before going into the details, let’s first sort out the two easily confused concepts of permits and notifications.

"Permission" and "notification" may seem similar, but their meanings are completely different.

The most important procedure when opening a restaurant is obtaining a “Food Service Business Permit” from the public health center. Around this, there is a structure in which various notifications to the fire department and the tax office are additionally required.

What is a restaurant business license (required)?

To operate a restaurant or other food service business, you must obtain a “Food Service Business License” under the Food Sanitation Act. You apply at the public health center that has jurisdiction over the area where your establishment is located. Operating without this license is subject to penalties of up to two years’ imprisonment or a fine of up to 2 million yen.

The procedures take time. From application to the issuance of the permit, it generally takes about two weeks or more (this varies by municipality). It’s safest to complete your application at least one month before your desired opening date.

The application for a business permit at the public health center proceeds in five main steps. If you read through everything from start to finish before you begin, it will be easier to grasp the overall process.

Step 1: Preliminary consultation (before construction starts)

Before starting interior construction work, visit the local public health center with your design drawings. This is to have them check in advance whether your plan meets the facility standards.

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There are cases where construction is carried out without prior consultation, and design changes are requested after completion. For example, if there are not enough hand-washing facilities, it may require major work such as rerouting water pipes. This can lead to significant losses in both cost and time, so we recommend consulting in advance before starting construction.

Step 2: Interior construction

Let’s incorporate the feedback from the public health center into the design, and then proceed with construction.

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In the case of a ready-to-use (inherited) property, there are situations where Steps 1 and 2 are skipped. However, even with such properties, there have been cases where the sink and drainage pipes had been removed and had to be redone, so be sure to pay attention to this.

Step 3: Submission of application documents

After the construction is completed, we will gather the necessary documents and submit them to the public health center. The main documents to be submitted are as follows.

• Business License Application Form
• Facility floor plan
• Food Sanitation Supervisor qualification certificate (already obtained)

The application fee varies depending on the municipality, but it generally costs around 15,000 to 20,000 yen.

Step 4: Facility Inspection

Public health center staff will actually visit the establishment to check whether it meets the facility standards. If you pass this inspection, a permit will be issued.

Step 5: Issuance of Permit and Start of Business

If there are no issues, a permit will be issued, bringing you one step closer to opening your business.

Facility standards vary by municipality, but the main points to check are as follows.

• Proper separation between the kitchen and the dining area
• A two-compartment sink for food preparation and handwashing (or equivalent equipment)
• Proper storage facilities for food (such as refrigerators)
• Handwashing facilities for employees only

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The application forms for business permits, the fees, and the facility standards set by local ordinances (such as kitchen equipment requirements) differ depending on the municipality (public health center). In practice, there was a time when a two-compartment sink was required in some prefectures but not in others. Always check with the public health center that has jurisdiction over your area.

What is a Notification of Commencement of Use of Fire-Prevention Target Facilities?

When opening a business, you are basically required to submit a “Notification of Start of Use of Fire Protection Object” (防火対象物使用開始届), regardless of whether interior construction work is needed (such as in a secondhand/ready-to-use property) or not. This notification is necessary so that the fire department can accurately understand both the “change of the person responsible for fire safety (user)” and the “fire risk (resulting from changes in business type or facilities).”

Please note that this notification must be submitted to the fire department, including its details, no later than seven days before you begin use.

In addition, since restaurants are businesses that use fire, there may be fire-resistant regulations on interior materials. When meeting with the interior contractor, it is reassuring to also confirm that the materials to be used meet the fire-resistance standards.

If there is a legal obligation to install fire protection equipment such as automatic fire alarm systems, a separate fire department inspection will also be required. It is recommended that you check this with the fire department in advance, before starting construction.

In addition, if construction work is involved, a “Fire Protection Target Construction Plan Notification” is also required.

Please note that this must be submitted seven days before the construction work begins.

One thing that’s easy to forget toward the end of the process is filing the required notifications with the tax office.

If you start a business as a sole proprietor

• Notification of Commencement of Sole Proprietorship: Submit to the competent tax office within one month after starting your business
• Application for Approval of Blue Return (Simplified Tax Return): Strongly recommended to submit at the same time as your business opening notification

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There is a difference of up to 650,000 yen in income deductions between white tax returns and blue tax returns, but there is a deadline for applying for blue tax returns. If you miss the deadline of within two months after starting your business, you can only file a white tax return for that year. Be sure to submit it together with your business opening notification.

When establishing as a corporation

Submit the Notification of Incorporation to the tax office and the prefectural government within two months after establishing the corporation (note that there are multiple submission destinations).

Up to this point, we’ve focused on the essential procedures. Depending on the situation, there are other procedures that may also be required, so we’ve compiled them into a list together with information on the relevant offices. Please use it as a quick reference when checking “what is required for my own business.”

Regardless of the type or size of your business, this is a procedure that everyone must go through when opening a restaurant. If you skip this step, you may not be able to open, or you might have to deal with additional procedures later on.

Not all stores are covered, but if you meet the conditions, it will definitely be required. Be sure to check whether your own store is included.

You can start your business without submitting it, but filing it offers significant advantages.

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Depending on your type of business—for example, selling baked goods in a café, handling fresh meat, or operating a bar late at night—you may need additional permits on top of the ones mentioned above. In my case, I planned to serve raw meat dishes such as yukhoe, so I obtained a separate permit. Be sure to check with the relevant public health center and police station as early as possible.

As introduced this time, obtaining business permits from the public health center basically involves various interactions with each submission destination. As you move forward with acquiring these permits and qualifications, the opening day will approach in no time, so in parallel,we recommend that you also proceed with selecting the systems you will use to operate your store.

If you think, “Let’s only start thinking about it after we get permission,” situations like this tend to happen.

• On the first day of opening, we get so busy dealing with customers that the table assignment operations fall into confusion.
• The business opened without the POS register being set up, causing delays at checkout.
• Because the installation work for the payment terminals could not be completed in time, we are forced to accept cash only.

All of these problems happen because setting up operations was put off. If you choose things like your reservation ledger, POS register, and payment terminals while you’re applying for permits, you’ll be ready to use them on your opening day.

A common concern we hear when choosing systems before opening a business is that “if you sign up for separate services for things like reservation books and POS registers, management becomes complicated.” With different vendors and different operation screens, the cost of training staff also increases.

During the busy period right after opening, this becomes a heavier burden than you might imagine.

Respo is an all-in-one platform for restaurants that integrates reservation ledger, POS, site controller, and self-ordering into a single app. All of these features are available completely free of charge.

While you’re taking care of the licenses and permits needed before opening, the next step is to prepare your store operations. With Respo, you can get started with zero initial cost and zero monthly fees, so it’s designed to be easy to introduce even during the period when your pre-opening expenses are concentrated.

[Start Respo for free →]　https://respo.autoreserve.com/

Legally, it is not mandatory. What is required to open a food and beverage business is the appointment of a “Food Sanitation Supervisor.” The cook’s license is a title-only qualification, and even without it, you can still cook and open a restaurant. However, because it can sometimes be valued as proof of skills and experience when applying for financing, it is worth considering obtaining it if you plan to raise funds.

You must obtain this before opening your business. Since you will be required to submit your qualification certificate when applying for a business license at the public health center, it is recommended that you acquire it at least one month before submitting your application. Because the spring opening season can make it difficult to book a training session, it’s safer to apply about three months in advance if possible.

We strongly recommend that you start preliminary consultations with the public health center before beginning interior construction work. Since it generally takes about two weeks from submitting the application after construction is completed, through the facility inspection, to the issuance of the permit, a good rule of thumb is to finish the application process at least one month before your desired opening date. If you proceed with construction without prior consultation, there is a risk that you will be required to change the design after completion.

If you serve alcohol after midnight (12:00 a.m.), you must submit a “Notification of Commencement of Late-Night Alcoholic Beverage Service Restaurant Business” to the competent police station no later than 10 days before opening. Note that this is a notification, not a license, and that it must be submitted to the police station, not the public health center.

The procedures for obtaining a restaurant business license from the public health center and acquiring the necessary qualifications are the same for both individuals and corporations. The main differences lie in the tax and administrative filings. Sole proprietors must submit a “Notification of Business Opening” (開業届) and an “Application for Approval of Blue Return” (青色申告承認申請書) to the tax office, while corporations must submit a “Notification of Incorporation” (法人設立届出書) to the tax office and the prefectural government within two months of establishment. From a tax-saving perspective, for individuals in particular, it is highly recommended to submit the Application for Approval of Blue Return at the same time.

Along with the summary table, I’ve also prepared a checklist organized by timeline. I hope you’ll go through it step by step, checking which stage you’re currently in as you proceed.

[Qualifications]

• Applied for the Food Sanitation Supervisor training course (from about 3 months before opening)
• Obtained the Food Sanitation Supervisor qualification (at least one month before opening)
• Confirmed whether a fire prevention manager is required (occupant capacity already calculated)
• If required, I completed the fire prevention manager training and appointed one (before opening the business).

[Permission]

• Consulted with the competent public health center in advance (before starting construction)
• Reflected the public health center’s facility standards in the design drawings (before construction started)
• Prepared the application documents for a restaurant business license (after completion of construction)
• Completed the permit application to the public health center (2–3 weeks before opening)
• Underwent a facility inspection
• Received business license (before opening)

[Notification: Fire Department]

• Submitted the Notification of Start of Use of Fire-Prevention Object (no later than 7 days before the start of construction)
• Underwent inspection of fire protection equipment (if required)

[Notifications: Tax & Labor]

• Submitted a notification of commencement of sole proprietorship (within one month after starting the business)
• Submitted the application for approval of blue tax return (within two months after starting the business)
• Submitted a Notification of Commencement of Late-Night Alcoholic Beverage Serving Restaurant Business (only if applicable)
• Completed employment insurance and labor insurance procedures (if you have employees)