Three Approvals, Not One

ApprovalCoversAuthority
Business opening and operation permitGeneral premises requirements — zoning, fire safety, noise/neighbor considerationsLocal municipality
Workplace food registration (işyeri gıda sicili)Food handling, storage, and safety standards specific to preparing and serving foodUnder Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry food-safety framework, processed at the provincial/district level
Hygiene certificateStaff health checks and premises hygiene standards required before and during operationLocal health authority, coordinated with municipal inspection

What Inspectors Actually Check

  • Kitchen layout separating raw and cooked food preparation areas, appropriate refrigeration, and pest control measures
  • Staff health certificates confirming food handlers meet health screening requirements before starting work
  • Waste management and grease disposal systems appropriate to the kitchen's scale
  • Fire suppression equipment appropriate to a commercial kitchen, which differs from general office/retail fire safety requirements

Alcohol License Is a Separate, Additional Approval

If you plan to serve alcohol, this requires its own separate license and is subject to additional zoning restrictions — for example, proximity limits to schools and places of worship apply in many municipalities. This is not automatically included in your standard food business permits and should be confirmed with your local municipality before finalizing a location, since a location that works for a dry restaurant may not qualify for an alcohol license.

Sequencing Matters

Apply for the municipal business permit and the food safety registration in parallel rather than sequentially where possible, since both require premises inspection and delaying one can push back your opening date unnecessarily. Confirm with your municipality and provincial agriculture directorate what documentation each requires before signing a lease, since some facility requirements (kitchen layout, ventilation) are far cheaper to build correctly the first time than to retrofit after a failed inspection.