Question 1

What facility conditions are required?

Accepted Answer

A dedicated production area separate from living spaces, proper sanitation facilities, and ventilation are required.

Question 2

Is HACCP certification required?

Accepted Answer

HACCP is mandatory for certain food categories (meat, fish, dairy, etc.) and strongly recommended for others.

Question 3

How long does registration take?

Accepted Answer

Approximately 2–3 weeks after document submission and facility inspection.

Question 4

If I rent a food factory and start manufacturing for the first time in Korea, do I need a permit or a registration?

Accepted Answer

The food manufacturing and processing business requires business registration, not a permit. Set up the facilities first, then apply for registration to the city mayor, county head or district head with jurisdiction over the business premises. You manufacture or process general food: Complete the 8 hours of advance hygiene training and health checks, set up the workshop to the facility standards, then submit the business registration application. You manufacture liquor: Register with the Minister of Food and Drug Safety rather than the city mayor, county head or district head. Documents: Business registration application, food hygiene training completion certificate, types of food to be manufactured or processed, water quality test report (if using groundwater) Timeline: Statutory: registration decision notified within 3 days of the application date / In practice, depends on facility preparation and the facility check schedule

Question 5

Do I also need food manufacturing business registration in Korea to make processed meat products or health functional foods?

Accepted Answer

If you hold a livestock product processing permit or a health functional food manufacturing business permit and run that business, you do not separately register as a food manufacturing and processing business. The governing laws and licensing methods differ, so confirm the product type first. You process livestock products: Consider a livestock product processing permit under the Livestock Products Sanitary Control Act (축산물 위생관리법). You manufacture health functional foods: Consider a health functional food manufacturing business permit under the Health Functional Foods Act (건강기능식품에 관한 법률). You only cut or dry agricultural products: Simple processing without food additives and with no hygiene risk is excluded from registration, but processing for sale to institutional food service facilities or as fresh convenience food requires registration. Documents: Description of the products to be manufactured, raw materials and processes Timeline: Once the applicable licence is determined, its processing period applies

Question 6

Can I take the hygiene training for food manufacturing business registration in Korea online?

Accepted Answer

The advance food hygiene training for prospective operators is 8 hours and must be taken in person, not as remote training. The completion certificate is an attachment to the registration application. You are a new operator before registration: Take the 8-hour in-person training and attach the completion certificate to the registration application. You are an already registered operator: Take 3 hours of food hygiene training every year. Documents: Food hygiene training completion certificate Timeline: Statutory: 8 hours of advance training, 3 hours every year after registration

Question 7

Our food factory is small and has no space for a testing room. Can we still register?

Accepted Answer

If you outsource self-quality testing to a designated self-quality testing and inspection body or similar, you do not need a testing room or testing equipment. You outsource self-quality testing: Apply for registration with the other facility standards met and no testing room, and keep testing records for 2 years. You want to test in-house: Set up a testing room capable of testing to the Standards and Specifications for Food. Documents: Business registration application, documents on outsourced self-quality testing Timeline: Statutory: registration decision notified within 3 days of the application date

Question 8

How long does food manufacturing business registration in Korea take? Can we start production as soon as we apply?

Accepted Answer

The registration authority must notify the decision within 3 days of the application date, but the certificate is issued after a facility check, so the actual time depends on facility preparation and the inspection schedule. Once registered, you must file an item manufacturing report when you produce. Neither a decision nor an extension notice is given within 3 days: Registration is deemed granted on the day after the period ends. The facility check finds that standards are not met: Improve the facilities and have them checked again. Documents: Business registration application, food hygiene training completion certificate, list of food types Timeline: Statutory: registration decision notified within 3 days / In practice, the facility check schedule is added

Question 9

For food manufacturing business registration in Korea, do we need to submit the building register or health certificate separately?

Accepted Answer

The land use plan confirmation, building register and health check results are confirmed by the registration authority through shared administrative information, so in principle you do not submit them. However, if you do not consent to the authority checking the health check results, attach a copy. You use groundwater or another source instead of tap water: Attach a water quality test report issued by a drinking water testing body. You use a shared kitchen: Attach the use contract stating the shared kitchen's location, area and other details. Documents: Business registration application, food hygiene training completion certificate, types of food or food additives to be manufactured or processed, water quality test report, shared kitchen use contract documents Timeline: Statutory: registration decision notified within 3 days of the application date

Question 10

Before looking into the cost of food manufacturing business registration in Korea, what preparation is needed?

Accepted Answer

Registration preparation centers on work area, water supply and storage facilities that meet the facility standards, 8 hours of advance hygiene training, and health checks. All three must be in place to pass the facility check and receive the certificate. The work area adjoins facilities used for other purposes: Separate it from facilities not used for food manufacturing and processing, and separate or partition the raw material room, manufacturing and processing room and packaging room. The interior wall and floor finishes do not meet the standards: Provide waterproof floors with drainage and water-resistant interior wall finishes up to 1.5 meters from the floor, among other measures. Documents: Food hygiene training completion certificate, facility layout, business registration application Timeline: Statutory: registration decision notified within 3 days / In practice, depends on the facility construction period

Question 11

If I sell side dishes I make in my shop and also supply them to other businesses, is an instant sale manufacturing and processing business report enough?

Accepted Answer

The food manufacturing and processing business requires registration, while the instant sale manufacturing and processing business (즉석판매제조가공업) requires a report, and the two differ in how they operate and whom they sell to. The business type depends on your sales channels and production scale, so confirm the product type and sales route first. You supply or distribute your products to other businesses: Consider food manufacturing and processing business registration. Processing for sale to institutional food service facilities also requires registration. You make products at your premises and sell them to consumers on the spot: Check whether an instant sale manufacturing and processing business report applies. Documents: Sales routes and product details, application or report form for the relevant business type Timeline: Registration is notified within 3 days of the application date; a report follows the procedure for that business type

Question 12

After food manufacturing business registration in Korea, do we need to file anything separately to launch a new product?

Accepted Answer

For a new product, submit an item manufacturing report to the registration authority before production starts or within 7 days after it starts. For contract manufacturing, the client files the report. It is a new product in the same food group: File the item manufacturing report with the manufacturing method description and the statement of reasons for the use-by date, among other documents. You added facilities for a new food group: Apply for change registration within 7 days of the change and file the item manufacturing report. You are changing an existing product's name, formulation ratio or use-by date: File an item manufacturing change report within the same deadline. Documents: Item manufacturing report, manufacturing method description, statement of reasons for the use-by date Timeline: Statutory: before production starts or within 7 days after it starts

Question 13

If we move our food factory to another location in Korea, by when must we file change registration?

Accepted Answer

If you change the business location, apply for change registration within 7 days of the change. If only the trade name or floor area of the premises changes, file a change report within the same period. You are relocating the business premises: Make sure the new premises meet the facility standards, then submit the change registration application. Only the operator's name, trade name or floor area of the premises changes: File a change report rather than change registration. Documents: Change registration application or change report, business registration certificate, proof of the change Timeline: Statutory: apply within 7 days of the change; the registration authority notifies processing within 3 days

Question 14

We took over an operating food factory in Korea. By when must we file the business operator status succession report?

Accepted Answer

The transferee, heir or merged corporation must submit a business operator status succession report to the registration authority within 1 month of succession. A party that acquires all business facilities through an auction, sale of seized property or the like also succeeds to the status. You acquired or inherited the business: File the status succession report; the registration authority notifies acceptance within 3 days. You acquired all business facilities through an auction or similar: You succeed to the status and the previous operator's registration loses effect, so proceed with the succession report. Documents: Business operator status succession report, proof of transfer, inheritance or merger, business registration certificate Timeline: Statutory: report within 1 month of succession, acceptance notified within 3 days

Question 15

If we hire an administrative agent for food manufacturing business registration in Korea, what exactly do they handle?

Accepted Answer

We handle determining whether registration applies, document-based review of the facility standard items, scheduling guidance for hygiene training and health checks, preparation of the business registration application and filing with the registration authority, handling the facility check and supplementation, and item manufacturing reports, change registration and status succession reports. We do not handle facility design or construction, hygiene or quality management consulting, or assessments of whether food ingredients comply. You are registering for the first time: We gather the attachments, file them with the registration authority, and respond to the facility check and supplementation requests. You are an already registered operator: We prepare and file item manufacturing reports, change registration and change reports, and status succession reports. Documents: Letter of authorization, business registration application and attachments Timeline: Statutory: registration decision notified within 3 days / In practice, depends on the readiness of the facilities

Food Manufacturing & Processing Business Registration

Food manufacturing business registration agent in Korea — services handled by YouSun Administrative Agency

Food Manufacturing and Processing Business Registration at a glance

Common situations