Licensing approach

In order to ensure food safety and hygiene for consumers, private canteens operated by third party vendors/businesses would need to obtain a licence from NEA. This includes staff canteens and schools that provide boarding services with canteen, operated by third-party companies. NEA considers such operations/arrangements to involve the sale of food, even though it is done under a service contract such as employment contract or contract for accommodation services.

Third party vendors who are operating the canteen can start applying to NEA for the licence with immediate effect. In general, NEA will issue a Food Shop licence when the following conditions are met:

• [For new premises, and premises undergoing major renovations] Compliance with the Code of Practice of Environmental Health (COPEH) Section 3 on Food Retail Outlet and operational requirements for food shops. Please refer to appended requirement. The requirements will be verified through a pre-licensing inspection of the premises upon completion of renovation and installation of equipment.

• [For all premises] Submission of relevant approvals and supporting documents

• Individual (Singaporean or Singapore PR) – Both sides of NRIC or:

• Company (Pte Ltd/ Ltd/ LLP)– Information Business Profile from Accounting & Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) or;

• Society - Certificate of Registration from Registrar of Societies

• Letter of authorisation (when submission of application is not done by intended licensee/director of company holding the licence)

• Layout plan of premises (in scaled metric units)

• Planning permission from relevant land agency e.g. URA and HDB

• Tenancy agreement

• Supplementary Information form to capture business name, type of food sold, business operating hours, etc.

• Attend and pass WSQ Follow Food & Beverage Safety and Hygiene Policies and Procedures (Food Handler)

• Attend and pass WSQ Conduct Food & Beverage Hygiene Audit course (Food Hygiene Officer)

• Cleaning program

• Pest control contract covering the control of rodents, cockroaches and flies during the year-long licensing period. The inspection frequency of the food shop premises covered in the contract shall be at least once a month to detect any sign of pest infestation.

The online application for a Canteen licence can be submitted here.

The licence costs $195.00 and is valid for one year.

For submission of documents after online application through LicenceOne, please email the documents to NEA_Hygiene_Licence@nea.gov.sg with the application ID.

My company currently operates private canteen on service contract. As NEA is commencing the licensing of private canteen with immediate effect, does it mean the operation of the private canteen has to cease until we obtain a licence?

No. Existing operators are given till 31 Aug 2017 to comply with NEA licensing requirements and to apply for a NEA licence. In the meantime, existing operators may continue with your current operation. However, any new private canteen operator shall be licensed before commencing the operation. 

My school provides boarding service for the resident-students. We provide a hostel kitchen for the student to prepare their own food. Do we need to obtain the NEA canteen licence?

My company provides free-of-charge in-house meal for my staff. The kitchen operation is manned by in-house staff. Will my canteen operation need to be licensed by NEA?

No. Only private canteens operated by third party vendors/businesses under a service contract would need to obtain a licence from NEA to operate.

My company outsource the staff canteen operator to third party operator but my company continue to have an oversight of the canteen operation. Who should apply and hold the licence?

The operator of the canteen should hold the licence. If the third party operator operates the kitchen while your company oversees the operation, the third party operator should hold the licence.

There is a staff canteen in my company to provide free meals to my staff. However, the food is catered from external parties, i.e. prepared offsite at the caterer’s premises. Does my canteen need to be licensed by NEA?

No. Since the food are catered from external parties, a NEA licence to operate a food retail establishment is not required. Please note that you should only obtain the catered food from NEA licensed food caterers or AVA licensed central kitchens.