Registering a food business

Any business which prepares, sells or handles food must be registered with their local council.

This means, if you are planning to open a food business in Belfast, you must register it with us. It is against the law not to.

Registration is not the same as licensing and a registered business does not automatically have the right to trade.

There is no charge to register your premises and you do not have to re-register every year.

If you have premises in more than one council area, you must register with each council separately.

When should I register?

You must register your food business at least 28 days before it is due to open.

You must also register any changes you make to your business details at a later date.

How do I register?

Registration is very simple.

The Food Business registration form below only takes a few minutes to complete.

Download a Food Business registration form (Word - 40KB)

You must:

tick all the boxes which apply to your business
answer all the questions
give all the information requested
return the completed registration form to us, using the contact details on the form.

It is an offence to give information which you know to be false. You must tell us if there is:

any change of owner
any change in the type of business
any change of address at which moveable premises are kept.

What else do I need to know?

check to see if you need planning permission - if you do, contact the Planning Service who deal with all planning applications
draw up proposals for the design, layout and construction of your premises. They should include a sketch of the building, showing its layout and the location of any equipment, food and equipment sinks, wash handbasins and toilets.

send your proposals to us and amend them, if necessary, to include any comments we make
make sure that food handling staff are trained in food hygiene appropriate to their job. We run basic food hygiene courses and can also provide information about other organisations offering this service.

your premises will normally be inspected by a council officer to assess your compliance with the Food Hygiene Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006.