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China License Qualification Certificate
Food Circulation Permit
Food Circulation Permit
As the market economy becomes more and more standardized, the legal system and food circulation supervision system become more and more complete. In order to fully implement food safety management, anyone who buys or sells food or provides catering services must comply with local laws and regulations. and regulatory requirements, apply for relevant filings or apply for a license.
I.Brief description of food business license
- To engage legally in the food or catering-related industry, it’s not sufficient to only register the company and obtain a business license. One also needs to obtain a food business operation permit. A food business operation permit refers to a legal document issued by the local food management authority (such as the China Food and Drug Administration) to entities engaged in the sale of food and catering services. This permit is granted after a review and approval process and serves as the statutory certificate from the national health authority allowing the production and operation of food.
- The food business operation permit is primarily used to regulate activities related to food business operations, enhance supervision and management of food business activities, and ensure food safety. Anyone engaged in the sale of food and catering services should obtain the relevant food business operation permit in accordance with local regulations. Additionally, the food business operation permit follows the principle of “one place, one certificate,” meaning that a food business operator conducting food business activities at a specific location should obtain one food business operation permit.
II.Which companies need to apply for food business license?
Here are several enterprises that need to apply for food business licenses:
- 1.Enterprises applying for food business license must have fixed business premises, various enterprises engaged in wholesale or retail activities of pre-packaged food, bulk food (including non-staple food), individual industrial and commercial households, farmers’ professional cooperatives, etc. need to apply.
- 2.If the branch of the enterprise is engaged in food business, the application for the mainland food certificate of each branch should be applied separately.
- 3.If the same food business operator is engaged in food business activities at two or more locations, it shall apply separately according to the needs of different locations.
- 4.Enterprises in other industries that want to sell pre-packaged food or bulk food need to apply for a food business license.
- 5.A shop with a restaurant in the front and a kitchen in the back that sells processed food need to apply for a Food business license.
- 6.Food producers and catering service providers need to apply for food certificates if the outlets they establish specially sales to sell self-produced processed foods.
III. Overview of food business licenses in various countries
- China Food Business License
- Enterprises engaged in wholesale or retail activities of prepackaged food and bulk food must apply for food registration in accordance with regulations. Those who sell other types of food, such as alcohol or catering service operators, must apply for a food business license.
Before the reform of the food safety supervision system, segmented supervision was implemented. Operators engaged in food circulation and catering services were issued “Food Circulation License” and “Catering Service License” by the industrial and commercial department and the Food and Drug Administration respectively; after the reform, Food safety is subject to centralized and unified supervision, and the food circulation license and catering service license are integrated into the “Food Business License” to achieve ‘two licenses in one’, which has been activated simultaneously in China since January 1, 2016.
China’s commercial system reform implements the “three certificates in one” system for enterprise registration. In the past, certificates and licenses were issued by the three departments of industry and commerce, quality inspection, and taxation. Since the approval agencies merged and reviewed, now the application for registration of the three food certificates for new enterprises no longer requires lengthy approval. time, greatly reducing the time required to apply for the three food certificates in China.
According to the newly revised “Food Safety Law of the People’s Republic of China” in 2021, those engaged in food production, food sales, and catering services must obtain licenses in accordance with the law. However, no license is required for the sale of edible agricultural products and the sale of prepackaged foods only. Those who only sell pre-packaged food only need to register with the food safety supervision and administration department of the local people’s government.
- China Application for Customs In-China Registration Code
As of January 1, 2022, imported food for sale in China must undergo registration and obtain the in-China registration code from the overseas production enterprise, as per Customs Order No. 248 issued in 2021.
China now mandates the inclusion of this in-China registration code on both inner and outer packaging of imported food, comprising a 4-character uppercase letter followed by a 14-digit number, known as the 18-digit registration number.
Importers must ensure compliance by filling and labeling both inner and outer packaging when importing through customs.
For food items falling within the eighteen categories, overseas production enterprises are advised to register with the General Administration of Customs through the competent authorities of their respective countries (regions).
- Food business license application procedure
1. The application for food business license must be applied by a legal entity.
2. Space signs for storage/shopfront/ restaurants and layout in accordance with fire safety guidelines.
3. Approval by the government approving unit on-site verification, if non-compliance is required to carry out improvement work until the approval unit approved. Apply to the food unit for the issuance of a food business license.
4. After obtaining the license, you can start selling food or opening restaurants.
- Taiwan food business login
- According to the food business registration regulations, businesses engaged in food sales or catering related businesses must complete information registration and obtain a registration number before they can operate.
- Vietnam food hygiene and safety license
- Any business engaged in food trading, wholesale, or food and beverage-related commercial activities in Vietnam is required to obtain a Vietnam Food Safety and Hygiene License from the relevant authorities. This government-issued certificate verifies that the company complies with food safety and hygiene standards throughout all stages of food production, processing, packaging, storage, and sales, allowing it to operate legally.
Depending on the nature of the business, the license is categorized into the following types:
Food Production and Processing License: For businesses involved in manufacturing, processing, and packaging food products.
Food Trading and Distribution License: Applicable to enterprises engaged in food import/export, wholesale, retail, storage, and transportation.
Food Service License: For establishments providing on-site dining services, such as restaurants, beverage shops, and fast food outlets. - Different types of licenses are issued by different authorities, such as the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Industry and Trade, or the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, depending on the specific business activities. The validity period for a Vietnam Food Safety and Hygiene License is typically three years.
- Philippines Food License to Operate (LTO)
- The Philippines Food License to Operate (LTO) is an official authorization issued by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the Philippines. It is required for companies engaged in food manufacturing, importing, distributing, wholesaling, or retailing. Holding an LTO indicates that the company complies with basic standards for food safety and quality management, and it is one of the essential requirements for operating legally in the country.
Based on the type of food business, the LTO is categorized into the following five main types:
- Manufacturer.
- Trader.
- Distributor / Importer / Exporter.
- Wholesaler.
- Retailer.
- According to the Philippines FDA regulations, the initial validity of the LTO is 2 years. Renewal must be applied for at least 90 days before expiration. Once renewed, the LTO will be valid for 5 years.
- Japan Food Safety License
- The Japan Food Safety License is a business permit issued by local governments in accordance with the Food Sanitation Act. Any company engaged in food production, manufacturing, sales, or restaurant operations in Japan must apply for and obtain the appropriate license from the local authority before starting operations.
- According to the regulations, there are currently 34 categories of businesses that require a license. Common examples include:
- Restaurant operations.
- Confectionery manufacturing.
- Refrigerated and frozen food storage.
- Beverage manufacturing.
- Dairy product manufacturing.
- Under the Food Sanitation Act of Japan, the validity period of a food safety license ranges from a minimum of 5 years to a maximum of 8 years. It is recommended to apply for renewal at the local health center 1 to 2 months before the license expires. The renewed license will be valid for the same duration.
- With many years of business experience, InterArea professionally handles all kinds of Chinese license applications and has a lot of practical experience in handling licenses.
- InterArea provides a one-stop service for Chinese company registration and has professionals to provide three food licenses or other related consultations for food import and export. Investors can truly target local businesses, allowing investors to invest with confidence and focus on business market development.
Food Distrubution License:
Frequently Asked Questions Q&A
Q1. If the business location needs to be changed, is it necessary to reapply for a food business license?
- A: According to Article 27 of China’s Administrative Measures for Food Business Licensing, “If the business location changes, the food business license must be reapplied for.” Therefore, after the change, a modification application must be submitted to the original issuing authority. Failure to apply for the change as required may be considered unlicensed operation, potentially resulting in fines or license revocation.
Q2. What is the validity period of food business licenses in different countries?
- A: According to China’s Administrative Measures for Food Business Licensing, “The issuance date of the food business license is the date of the licensing decision, and the validity period is five years.” In Taiwan, food business registration does not have an expiration date, but food businesses must submit annual declarations to confirm the registration details. In Japan, the validity period of food safety licenses ranges from five to eight years, depending primarily on the durability and robustness of the store’s facilities and equipment.
A: According to Article 27 of China’s Administrative Measures for Food Business Licensing, “If the business location changes, the food business license must be reapplied for.” Therefore, after the change, a modification application must be submitted to the original issuing authority. Failure to apply for the change as required may be considered unlicensed operation, potentially resulting in fines or license revocation.
A: According to China’s Administrative Measures for Food Business Licensing, “The issuance date of the food business license is the date of the licensing decision, and the validity period is five years.” In Taiwan, food business registration does not have an expiration date, but food businesses must submit annual declarations to confirm the registration details. In Japan, the validity period of food safety licenses ranges from five to eight years, depending primarily on the durability and robustness of the store’s facilities and equipment.
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为便利资金流以及银行账户的开立，一般建议需要有当地的居民或是合伙人作为公司股东，以利前期的申请作业。
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新加坡银行准许外国公司或是外国人在新加坡开立银行账户。
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不同的银行有自己的条件与规则，因此根据您的情况研究您的选择非常重要，若有进一步需要可随时与汇佳经理联系 +886-2-2557-5607。
若台灣稅務居民於海外持有境外低稅負國家之公司股權50%以上，或具有實質控制能力，當年度盈餘超過NT700萬元者，須配合申報個人CFC。
對於CFC制度，我們所要了解的是如何”延緩課稅盈餘效益化”？如何”合法基礎上資金自主自由”？如何”加強各式各國資源端口分配”?
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日本政府准許外資在日本成立有限公司，對於投資項目也沒有特別的限制。
不過因為日本公司的註冊資金要求實際注資到位，因此股東資金如何到位的金流走向是投資者最常遇到的困難。
為便利資金流以及銀行帳戶的開立，一般建議需要有當地的居民或是合夥人作為公司股東，以利前期的申請作業。
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新加坡銀行准許外國公司或是外國人在新加坡開立銀行帳戶。
個人帳戶：通常上來說，銀行會要求個人存入要求的基本存款，並且需要證明其資金來源。
公司帳戶：外國公司開立的新加坡離岸帳戶，銀行會要求需要提供足夠的國外業務資料以及公司經營證明，確保帳戶使用者的業務真實性。閱讀更多>>
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