1What changed for the FSSAI licence in 2026?
The Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Amendment Regulations, 2026 were notified on 10 Mar 2026. Together with FSSAI’s order of 13 Mar 2026 on turnover limits, they changed four things a restaurant owner needs to know.
- Valid until cancelled. Registrations and licences now have perpetual validity: they stay valid unless they are suspended, cancelled or surrendered. FSSAI’s FAQ says businesses are not required to renew, and any registration or licence issued on or after 1 Apr 2026 carries perpetual validity.
- The annual fee stays. You still pay the yearly fee for your category. FoSCoS lets you pay for any number of years at once, at any time of the year. Treat the fee as the date that matters now: the amended regulations treat a licence with an unpaid fee as suspended.
- New turnover limits, from 1 Apr 2026. Registration now goes up to ₹1.5 crore a year (it was ₹12 lakh). A state licence covers turnover above ₹1.5 crore up to ₹50 crore (the upper limit was ₹20 crore). A central licence covers turnover above ₹50 crore. Existing businesses move to their new category through FoSCoS, on the turnover they declare, with no migration fee and no change of licence number. A state licence fee already paid is adjusted against the registration fee.
- Risk-based inspections. A computer-assisted risk model now plans inspections, weighing your compliance history, surveillance results, self-testing and third-party audits. A clean record means fewer visits. Repeated problems mean more.
Street food vendors registered under the Street Vendors Act, 2014 are now treated as registered with FSSAI, though they still follow the hygiene rules in Schedule 4.
2Which FSSAI category does your restaurant need?
| Category | Turnover a year | Government fee |
|---|---|---|
| Registration | Up to ₹1.5 crore | ₹100 a year |
| State licence | Above ₹1.5 crore, up to ₹50 crore | ₹2,000–5,000 a year |
| Central licence | Above ₹50 crore | ₹7,500 a year |
The turnover limits apply from 1 Apr 2026. All three categories now have perpetual validity, with the fee paid every year. The fees are FSSAI’s long-standing schedule, and the state licence fee depends on the kind of business; confirm the current figure on FoSCoS before you pay. Consultants charge their own fees on top, and for a straightforward restaurant the portal is workable without one.
Each premises needs its own registration or licence. A second outlet, or a cloud kitchen at a new address, is a new application. A franchise outlet applies for its own premises; the brand’s licence doesn’t cover it.
3What documents do you need?
FoSCoS shows the exact list for your category and your kind of business, so look at it before you start. For a restaurant it usually asks for:
- photo identity and address proof of the owner, the partners or the directors
- a recent photograph of the applicant
- proof that you occupy the premises: the rent agreement or the ownership papers
- the food categories you will handle (choose broadly; adding one later is a modification)
- for a licence, a layout plan of the kitchen, the list of equipment and a food safety management system plan
- a water test report from a recognised laboratory, where FoSCoS asks for one
- for a company or a partnership, the incorporation certificate or the partnership deed, and a letter authorising the person who applies
- a no-objection certificate from the local body, in states that ask for one
An application with a document missing comes back with a query, which you answer on the portal within the time it gives you.
4How do you apply on FoSCoS, step by step?
- Open foscos.fssai.gov.in and create an account.
- Choose to apply for a new licence or registration, and pick your state.
- Enter your kind of business (food service, restaurant), the premises and your expected turnover. The portal works out the category from the turnover.
- Choose your food categories, upload the documents and pay the fee online. Keep the application reference number.
- Track the status on the portal and answer any query in the time given. A licence can involve an inspection of the premises.
- Download the certificate when it is granted, and display it at the premises where guests can see it.
FSSAI describes registration under the new limits as instant, with no inspection before it is granted. A licence takes longer, because it can involve an inspection, so file it in the week you sign the lease, as the opening guide suggests.
5What do you still have to do once you hold it?
The licence no longer expires. These still matter:
- The annual fee, paid before it falls due. Paying several years ahead removes the date from your diary.
- The number on every bill. Since 1 Oct 2021, FSSAI has required the 14-digit licence or registration number on bills, invoices and cash memos.
- The display. The certificate, and the food safety display board FSSAI prescribes for your kind of business, at the premises.
- Modifications. New food categories or a change in your business details go through a modification on FoSCoS, which follows the same procedure as before. A new address means a new application.
- Hygiene. Schedule 4 of the licensing regulations sets the hygiene and sanitary rules, and they can be inspected at any time. Keep a folder an inspector can read: pest-control records, food handlers’ medical certificates, water tests and cleaning schedules. Licensed premises also need at least one food safety supervisor trained under FSSAI’s FoSTaC programme.
- An annual return, where it applies. Some licensed businesses, manufacturers and importers among them, file an annual return on FoSCoS. Check whether your kind of business is one of them.
6Where does CountStand fit?
CountStand prints your 14-digit FSSAI number beside your GSTIN on every bill. It won’t print a bill without one: it names the missing field and where to fix it. That is the part of the licence a guest, an inspector or a tax officer sees on paper.
The licence itself, its category and its annual fee stay with you. CountStand does not track licence dates or fees.
7FSSAI for cloud kitchens, home kitchens and second outlets
Cloud kitchens need registration or a licence for the kitchen premises, like any restaurant, and delivery apps check the number before listing. Home kitchens that sell food are food businesses too; under ₹1.5 crore of turnover, that means registration. A second outlet needs its own registration or licence for its own address. Caterers register the kitchen they cook in, with the food categories they cook. Franchisees apply for their own premises, whatever the brand holds.
8Questions owners ask
Registrations and licences issued on or after 1 Apr 2026 have perpetual validity: under the 2026 amendment they stay valid unless suspended, cancelled or surrendered. The annual fee still has to be paid, and you can pay several years at once. If an older licence still shows an expiry date, check its status on FoSCoS before that date.
It follows turnover. From 1 Apr 2026: registration up to ₹1.5 crore a year, a state licence above ₹1.5 crore up to ₹50 crore, and a central licence above ₹50 crore. Many single restaurants now fall under registration.
FSSAI’s long-standing fees are ₹100 a year for registration, ₹2,000 to ₹5,000 a year for a state licence depending on the kind of business, and ₹7,500 a year for a central licence. Confirm the current fee on FoSCoS before paying. Consultants charge separately.
Yes. The kitchen premises needs its own registration or licence based on its turnover, and delivery apps ask for the number before they list you. Having no dining room doesn’t change that.
Yes. Since 1 Oct 2021, FSSAI has required the 14-digit licence or registration number on bills, invoices and cash memos. CountStand prints it on every bill and won’t print one without it.
Running a food business that needs a licence without one is punishable under section 63 of the FSS Act, with up to six months in prison and a fine of up to ₹5 lakh. Delivery apps won’t list you either.