The short answer
A café or restaurant in India needs an FSSAI food registration or licence, GST registration once turnover crosses the limit, a Shop and Establishment registration and a trade licence from your city. Depending on your building and city you may also need a fire safety certificate, a police eating-house licence and music licences. Only FSSAI and GST follow one national rule; the rest change by state and city.
Key takeaways
- Since 1 April 2026, a restaurant with turnover up to ₹1.5 crore needs only an FSSAI registration, at ₹100 a year, and it no longer needs renewing.
- GST registration starts once your all-India turnover crosses ₹20 lakh in a year (₹10 lakh in some special category states). Swiggy lists a GSTIN among the documents to keep ready.
- Trade licence, Shop and Establishment, fire safety and eating-house rules differ by state and city. Ask your municipal office for the full list before you sign the lease.
- 01The checklist
- 02FSSAI: which one you need, and what it costs
- 03GST: when you must register
- 04Shop and Establishment, trade licence and the rest
- 05If you play music
- 06Getting listed on Swiggy and Zomato
- 07Papers to keep ready
- 08You’re open. Now make them come back
- 09Checked, and not legal advice
The checklist
FSSAI registration or licence, from FSSAI on the FoSCoS portal. GST registration, from the GST portal, once you cross the limit. Shop and Establishment registration, from your state labour department. A trade licence (for food businesses often called a health trade licence), from your municipal corporation. A fire safety certificate, from the fire department, depending on your building, floor area and seating. A police eating-house licence and a signboard permission, only in some cities. Music licences, only if you play recorded music to customers. A liquor licence from the state excise department, only if you serve alcohol.
FSSAI: which one you need, and what it costs
FSSAI changed the limits from 1 April 2026. For restaurants, annual turnover up to ₹1.5 crore needs a Registration at ₹100 a year. Above ₹1.5 crore and up to ₹50 crore needs a State Licence at ₹5,000 a year. Above ₹50 crore needs a Central Licence at ₹7,500 a year. Until March 2026 the registration limit was ₹12 lakh, so many older guides are out of date. Apply on the FoSCoS portal and choose restaurant as the kind of business. Under the same reforms, registrations and licences no longer need to be renewed every few years.
GST: when you must register
Restaurants supply a service, so the services limit applies: you must register once your all-India turnover crosses ₹20 lakh in a year, or ₹10 lakh in some special category states. Some businesses must register even below the limit, so ask a CA about your case. We have left tax rates and the composition scheme out on purpose. They change, and your CA should work them out for you.
Shop and Establishment, trade licence and the rest
These come from your state and city, not one national rule, so the forms, fees and deadlines differ. Shop and Establishment registration covers working hours and staff. The trade licence lets you run this kind of business at this address. Whether you need a fire safety certificate depends on your building and layout, so ask the fire department before you finalise the kitchen and seating plan. Some cities also want a police eating-house licence or a signboard permission. The quickest way to get the full list is to ask your municipal office for your ward before you sign the lease.
If you play music
Playing recorded music to customers can need licences from the organisations that collect for music rights, such as IPRS and PPL. Ask them what applies to a café of your size before you open.
Getting listed on Swiggy and Zomato
Swiggy’s partner page asks you to keep these ready: a copy of your FSSAI licence, your menu, bank details, your GSTIN and a copy of your PAN card. Zomato’s partner sign-up asks for a similar set, so check its current list before you start. Keep the business name and address exactly the same on every document. A mismatch can hold up approval.
Papers to keep ready
Most of these forms ask for some mix of the same papers: the owner’s PAN and Aadhaar, the rent agreement or property papers, the landlord’s no-objection letter if you rent, a recent electricity bill for the address, a cancelled cheque, a kitchen and seating layout, and your menu with prices. Scan them once and keep them in one folder.
You’re open. Now make them come back
Licences let you open the door. What keeps a café going is the second and the third visit. From day one, ask for a phone number on the bill, with the customer’s permission, so you can see who comes back and who has gone quiet. Our playbooks on the second visit and on café win-back show what to do next.
Checked, and not legal advice
We checked the FSSAI and GST rules on this page against official sources on 24 October 2026 and review them every six months. Everything else changes by state and city. Confirm anything that affects your business with your municipal office or a CA before you act on it.
Sources
- FSSAI: order on revised turnover thresholds, 13 March 2026
- FSSAI: press release on 2026 reforms (higher limits, no renewals)
- FoSCoS: kind of business and fee table, updated 1 April 2026 (checked 24 October 2026)
- FoSCoS portal: apply for FSSAI registration or licence
- CBIC: GST FAQs (registration threshold)
- GST portal: new registration
- Swiggy Partner: documents to keep ready (checked 24 October 2026)
Put it to work.
See who’s due for this one in your own Reten.
Written by the Reten editorial team. General guidance, not legal advice: check consent and messaging rules for your business before you send.
