Official Guide to Applying for a Restaurant Licence in Hong Kong
Jul 23,2026 
By Tappo Team 
Reviewed by: Tappo Team Last checked: 23 July 2026
Source and scope: This page links to current public FEHD resources for general orientation. It is not legal advice, a premises assessment, a form-completion guide or a licence-application service. Confirm the position for your own menu, activities and premises with FEHD or a qualified professional.
In short
For a Hong Kong restaurant-licence application, start with FEHD’s current licensing guide, its restaurant-licence guide and the official food-business licence form page. These resources help you find the right official materials; they do not replace an individual decision about your premises or proposed business.
- Best for: finding the current official starting points.
- Ask first: FEHD or a qualified professional if you need an individual decision about a licence, menu, cooking activity or premises.
Start with FEHD’s licensing guide
FEHD’s Guide to Application for Licences is the current official navigation page for food-business licence materials. Under restaurant licences, it lists the restaurant-licence guide, quick-reference material, application-related forms and other official resources.
Use it as the starting page rather than relying on an old checklist or a consultant summary. The page may change as FEHD updates its materials, so open the current version again when you are ready to act.
Read the official restaurant-licence guide
FEHD publishes A Guide to Restaurant Licences. Read the current guide alongside the information for your proposed business and keep a note of questions that require an individual answer.
This article does not turn the guide into a step-by-step form tutorial. It is safer to use the original official material for the detail, then ask FEHD or a qualified professional where the guidance needs to be applied to a particular location or operation.
Find the official food-business licence form page
FEHD’s Food Business Licence form page provides the Application for Food Business Licence as a PDF form and an e-Form entry point, and it links back to the licensing guide.
The right route for an individual application depends on the actual case. This page therefore points you to the official form page rather than telling you which route to use or how to complete individual fields.
Have these facts ready before seeking an individual answer
Before contacting FEHD or a qualified professional, put the practical facts in one place. This is not an eligibility checklist. It helps you describe the proposed business accurately and identify what still needs confirmation.
| Prepare | Why it helps |
|---|---|
| Your proposed menu and cooking approach | It gives context to questions about the actual operation. |
| Your proposed premises and layout context | It avoids treating a general article as a premises conclusion. |
| Questions that are still unresolved | It helps you ask for the clarification you need instead of assuming an answer. |
Need to compare General and Light Refreshment licences?
This article is about the official application-resource route, not a comparison of licence types. For FEHD’s published distinction between the two terms, read General vs Light Refreshment Restaurant Licence in Hong Kong. That page is still general orientation, not an individual decision.
Plan operating tools after the licence direction is confirmed
Licence questions and operating tools should be kept separate. Once you have an official or professional direction, you can start mapping your menu, order flow, counter position and self-pickup process for operational planning. If you are comparing systems at that stage, Restaurant POS System Hong Kong is the appropriate next reading route.
Tappo can discuss POS planning around the restaurant workflow you have confirmed. Tappo does not provide legal advice, premises assessment or licence-application services.
FAQ
Can this page tell me which restaurant licence I should apply for?
No. It only points to current FEHD resources. Seek an individual answer from FEHD or a qualified professional using your own menu, activities and premises information.
Does this page show me how to complete the application?
No. Use FEHD’s current original materials for the official details. This page deliberately does not reproduce or interpret form fields.
When should I start planning POS and ordering tools?
You can collect workflow information early, but keep it separate from licence decisions. After the licence direction is confirmed, use your actual menu and order flow to test what your shop needs.
Next step
After you have confirmed the licensing direction for your business, you can message Tappo on WhatsApp with your menu and order-flow outline to discuss operational planning.
Responsibility boundary
This article is general information only. Tappo does not determine licence eligibility, assess premises or prepare, submit or approve licence applications. Use current FEHD materials and obtain individual advice where needed.
Licence direction confirmed? Plan the operating flow next.
Share your menu outline and order flow with Tappo to discuss operational planning around the workflow you have confirmed.