From the municipal licence to food registration, fire report and alcohol certificate: the full list with cost and timeline.
11 min read · Updated 2026-09-05
Licensing is a chain: company → tax plate → chamber registration → municipal licence → food registration → social security → fiscal register. If one link is missing the rest wait. Total time is 3-6 weeks for a takeover unit and 6-10 weeks for a licensed (alcohol) venue.
Issued by the district municipality. Cafes, patisseries and restaurants are "sanitary establishments" and are issued quickly on declaration if the file is complete; licensed bars and live-music venues are "public rest and entertainment venues", need a police opinion and take 3-8 weeks. The file includes title deed/lease, tax plate, chamber certificate, occupancy permit, fire report, a master craftsman certificate (or an employed master) and, where needed, co-owner consent. Cost ₺5-40k.
A unit registered as residential cannot become a restaurant or cafe without the unanimous consent of the building's owners (Condominium Law art. 24). This is the most common failure after signing a lease. If the chimney or ventilation duct runs through common areas, consent may be needed even for a shop unit.
From the provincial Ministry of Agriculture directorate, free, 1-4 weeks. Must be obtained before the first sale. Then hygiene prerequisites, traceability via supplier invoices, 14-allergen declaration on the menu and staff hygiene training apply.
Extinguishers (class F in the kitchen), emergency exits and lighting, a hood and grease-duct cleaning contract, chimney compliance, gas detector and solenoid valve are inspected. 1-3 weeks; equipment ₺10-60k.
Every food-handling employee needs a lifetime hygiene certificate from a public education centre. Restaurants and bakery/patisserie production are classed "hazardous": an OHS specialist and workplace doctor (₺1.5-5k/month via a provider) are mandatory; cafes are "low hazard" but still need a risk assessment and emergency plan.
Workplace registration on the day the first employee starts; employee entry one day before. Every sale needs a receipt: a new-generation fiscal POS (₺8-25k) or an e-Arşiv exemption. Platform orders need receipts too.
The address must be inside the municipal council's "licensed zone"; a 100 m door-to-door rule from schools, dormitories and places of worship applies. The licence gets an "alcohol" annotation plus an annual certificate from the Tobacco and Alcohol Department (₺8-35k). No advertising or promotions; ID checks. Ask the municipality before signing the lease.
Playing music requires licences from MESAM/MSG, MÜ-YAP and MÜYORBİR (₺5-40k/year); a Spotify subscription is not a commercial licence. Live music needs a separate municipal permit and an acoustic report.
Outdoor tables need an annual occupation permit (₺500-3,000/m²), signage an advertising tax. Unauthorised tables are removed by municipal police.
| Item | Cost | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Company + tax + chamber | ₺5-50k | 1 week |
| Municipal licence | ₺5-40k | 1-8 weeks |
| Food registration | 0 | 1-4 weeks |
| Fire + equipment | ₺10-65k | 1-3 weeks |
| Hygiene + OHS | ₺5-15k | 1-2 weeks |
| Fiscal POS + e-invoice | ₺10-40k | 1-2 weeks |
| Alcohol certificate | ₺8-35k/year | +3-6 weeks |
Chapter 13 of the FIZIB report produces the checklist filtered for your concept.
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