Hawker Management

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Becoming a Hawker

Everything you need to know about the regulatory requirements of hawker business.


Tender for a hawker stall under the NEA's monthly tender exercise.


Successful bidders will receive a Letter of Offer from NEA. Sign your Tenancy Agreement and make payment.


Visit GoBusiness to find out about the required licences/certifications.


Collect your stall keys and submit the completed GIRO application form at NEA One-Stop Information and Service Centre (OSISC).


Prepare for business operations before tenancy commencement date.

If you are interested to operate a stall at our hawker centres, you may visit the monthly Tender Notice for the list of stalls available and submit a bid through the E-Tender system. If you are applying for a stall managed by NEA-appointed Operators, more information can be found here. 

You are eligible to tender for a hawker stall if you are:

  • A Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident;
  • 21 years old and above;
  • Not debarred from holding a SFA hawker licence;
  • Not a former assistant/nominee who was deregistered by NEA;
  • Not banned by the Government/Statutory Boards from taking part in any business tenders;
  • Not renting or a joint operator of two cooked food stalls in markets/hawker centres managed by NEA. The maximum number of cooked food stalls any individual can rent is two;
  • Undischarged bankrupts who became bankrupt due to unemployment/retrenchment/ill health/failure in previous business venture/liabilities due to guarantees through no fault of his/her own, but are now healthy and ready to operate a small business may tender for a stall. Each undischarged bankrupt is only allowed to rent a maximum of one (1) market/cooked food stall. The tender award shall be at the sole discretion of NEA.

Successful bidders will receive a Letter of Offer from NEA by mail at your registered address. The Letter of Offer will provide information on the digital signing of Tenancy Agreement and payment details.

To sign your Tenancy Agreement and perform tenancy transactions, visit Hawkers Online. You will be required to sign in via your SingPass. If you experience issues logging in using your SingPass, you may call the SingPass hotline at 6335 3533. 

To take note:

  • NEA will assist stallholders to apply for their Food Stall Licence as part of tenancy administration. However, if you are a stallholder operating within centres/markets that have the tenancies managed by NEA-appointed Operators, or if you are operating a business type that requires additional licences/certificates, you will need to make the relevant applications on GoBusiness. Visit for more information.
  • If you are operating a cooked food stall, you must obtain the Food Safety Course Certificate before the Food Stall Licence can be issued to you. 
  • For application forms related to hawker stall, you may access them at our e-portal. 


GoBusiness

After obtaining a hawker stall, depending on your stall type and type of item sold, you may be required to obtain relevant licences and/or certifications through GoBusiness.

GoBusiness provides comprehensive information and guides for businesses and allows businesses to easily apply for the relevant licences/certifications, make payments, and track the status of applications. The Hawkers e-Adviser advises the common types of regulatory licences and/or certifications required for hawker business. Answer a few simple questions and you will learn the types of licences/certifications that are applicable for your hawker stall. 

The common types of hawker-related licences/certifications are listed below (non-exhaustive):

Licence/Certification TypeDescription
Food Stall Licence
  • Food Stall Licence is regulated by the Singapore Food Agency (SFA).
  • Stalls selling food items would need to obtain a Food Stall Licence from SFA, except for those under SFA exemptions.
  • NEA will assist stallholders to apply for their Food Stall Licence as part of tenancy administration for NEA-managed centres/markets. However, if you are a stallholder operating within centres/markets that have the tenancies managed by NEA-appointed Operators, you will need to submit a Food Stall Licence application to SFA.
Halal Certification
  • Halal Certification is regulated by the Majlis Ugama Islam Singapore (MUIS).
  • Under NEA's stall tenancy requirement, stalls selling halal cooked food operated by non-muslim must obtain Halal Certification.
Liquor Licence
  • Liquor Licence is regulated by the Singapore Police Force (SPF).
  • Under the Liquor Control (Supply and Consumption) Act 2015, any supply of liquor in Singapore will require a Liquor Licence issued by the Licensing Officer.
  • Stalls intending to sell beer are required to obtain a Class 2B Liquor Licence.
Tobacco Retail Licence
  • Tobacco Retail Licence is regulated by the Health Science Authority (HSA).
  • Stalls selling tobacco retail products must ensure that their sale of tobacco products are in compliance with the relevant laws.
  • Stalls intending to sell tobacco products are required to obtain a Tobacco Retail Licence.

After signing the Tenancy Agreement, please visit our One-Stop Information and Service Centre (OSISC) located at HDB Hub (East Wing), #26-01, 480 Lorong 6 Toa Payoh Singapore 310480, to perform the following activities:

  • Collect your stall keys.
  • Submit your completed GIRO application form.

Before you commence your stall operations, you should ensure that you:

  • Arrange an appointment with the Place Manager for a joint inspection of the stall.
  • Open a utility account for electricity, water, and gas.
  • Apply to NEA for approval to carry out Additions & Alterations (A&A) to renovate the stall, or if you are doing electrical extension or rewiring works. 
  • Purchase fire insurance to protect your stall contents.
  • Complete all preparations required for business operations.
  • If you are hiring hawker assistant(s) or including a joint operator, you are required to register with NEA through Hawkers Online.

Useful resources: