
In order to
open a restaurant in Belgium, any local or foreign investor must receive several
permits and licenses that will attest the fact that the establishment respects the safety measures imposed by the
Belgium legislation;
our company formation specialists can provide you with assistance on this matter.
Foodstuffs permit in Belgium
According to the
Belgium legislation, all local or
foreign companies which have
operations in the food industry must
obtain a license from the
Foodstuffs Inspection Department, which belongs to the
Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (FASFC).
In order to receive this permit, you will need to submit an application to the Foodstuff Inspection Department; the Department will inspect the restaurant to check if the establishment meets the hygiene standards stipulated by the Belgium legislation.
When the FASFC will issue the permit, you will have to pay a certain fee, which is established according to the number of employees and the business activity; you can request specific information on this subject from our company formation representatives, who can guide you through this process.
The license attesting the right to operate in this field is available for three years; the investor is obliged to renew his or her license with three months before the expiration date of the permit issued by FASFC.
If you want to
invest in Belgium in this sector, our company formation experts are at you disposal. They can take care of the company registration process and they can also offer other business related services, such as
virtual offices in Belgium or trademark registration services.
Other types of restaurant licenses in Belgium
Any investor
setting up a business in the catering industry should have other permits, according to the activities he or she wants to develop in the establishment.
As such, any restaurant should receive the following licenses:
• business license – attesting the legal right to operate a catering activity in a certain place;
•
food handler’s permit – is showing that the
employees hired in the restaurant have a
food safety certification, which allows them to perform various activities such as handling, cooking or serving types of food products;
• alcohol permit – if you plan to serve alcohol within the space of your restaurant, you will also need a permit, allowing you to serve alcohol beverages by respecting certain conditions;
• music permit – in the situation in which you want to organize events in which you will need music (weddings, parties), you will also need a music permit; our company formation specialists can offer you detailed information on these types of permits.
VAT registration is required for entrepreneurs who start a restaurant, along with compliance with other tax regulations and filing obligations. A restaurant will need to
register for VAT in Belgium before its commences its activities, as these types of activities are VAT-taxable. There is no registration threshold minimum, and the process can be performed with our help, via an online portal. Once the restaurant is registered, its VAT ID will be activated, as this is lined with the company’s registration number.