FSSAI License Fee in 2026: What a Restaurant Actually Pays

FSSAI fees are charged per year, and for most restaurants the amount is small: ₹100 a year for Basic Registration, ₹2,000 a year for a State Licence, and ₹7,500 a year for a Central Licence. Which one you pay depends on your annual turnover, and since 1 April 2026 the limits are much higher than many guides still say, so most restaurants now fall in the ₹100 tier.

Many pages quote the State Licence as "₹2,000 to ₹5,000". That's a range across all business types. For a restaurant, FSSAI's fee schedule puts it at ₹2,000.

Key takeaways

• Basic Registration costs ₹100 a year and now covers turnover up to ₹1.5 crore.
• A State Licence for a restaurant, cafe, caterer or canteen costs ₹2,000 a year. Hotels rated three star and above pay ₹5,000.
• A Central Licence, for turnover above ₹50 crore, costs ₹7,500 a year.
• Licences no longer need renewal, but the fee is still annual. You can pay several years at once.
• Fees aren't refundable, and an unpaid annual fee now suspends a licence automatically.

The fee table

These come from Schedule 3 of the FSS (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011, headed "Registration / License fee per annum in rupees", as printed in FSSAI's compendium of the licensing regulations.

The March 2026 amendment to the licensing regulations changed validity and turnover limits, but it didn't amend this fee schedule. When you apply on FoSCoS, the portal shows the fee for your category before you pay.

Which category you're in

From 1 April 2026, FSSAI decides your category by annual turnover. Its order of 13 March 2026 says the new thresholds supersede all earlier turnover thresholds or criteria for categorising food businesses, including the old production-capacity limits for manufacturers:

The registration limit used to be ₹12 lakh, so a restaurant turning over ₹40 lakh, which needed a State Licence at ₹2,000 a year until March, now needs only Basic Registration at ₹100. If you're in that position, FSSAI's FAQ says the move happens automatically on FoSCoS based on your self-declaration, with no modification fee, the same licence number, and the State Licence fee you've already paid adjusted against the registration fee.

Per year, with no renewal

Licences and registrations no longer expire. Since the March 2026 amendment they stay valid unless suspended, cancelled or surrendered. But the fee is still annual. FSSAI's FAQ says businesses "have the option to select fee for any number of years at once", and that the fee "can be paid at any time of the year".

That choice matters now. Under the same amendment, a business that fails to pay its annual fee has its licence or registration "deemed suspended", and must stop trading until it pays, with any penalty. Paying five years of Basic Registration costs ₹500; five years of a restaurant's State Licence, ₹10,000. Either is cheap insurance against an accidental suspension. We cover the rules in FSSAI license renewal in 2026.

Other fees worth knowing

No refunds. Schedule 3 says fees "shall not be refundable under any circumstances", and the 2026 amendment repeats that no fee is refunded when you surrender a licence.

Duplicate certificate: 10 percent. If your certificate is lost or damaged, a duplicate costs 10 percent of the applicable licence fee, so ₹200 for a restaurant's State Licence.

Agents charge extra. The figures above are FSSAI's fees. Consultants and agents who apply on your behalf add their own charges, which are often larger than the fee itself. Basic Registration needs only ID proof, a photograph, address proof and a list of what you'll sell, and you can apply directly on FSSAI's FoSCoS portal.

What it costs for common food businesses

Street vendors are a special case: since the March 2026 amendment, those registered under the Street Vendors Act are deemed registered under FSSAI, which we explain in how to start a tea stall business. For the other permits a new kitchen needs, see our licence guide.

FAQ

What is the FSSAI license fee for a restaurant?

It depends on turnover. Up to ₹1.5 crore a year, a restaurant needs Basic Registration at ₹100 a year. Between ₹1.5 crore and ₹50 crore, it needs a State Licence, which costs ₹2,000 a year for food service businesses. Above ₹50 crore, a Central Licence costs ₹7,500 a year.

How much is the FSSAI registration fee?

₹100 a year, under Schedule 3 of FSSAI's licensing regulations. Since 1 April 2026, Basic Registration covers food businesses with annual turnover up to ₹1.5 crore. You can pay for several years at once on FoSCoS, which protects you from the automatic suspension that now follows an unpaid fee.

What is the FSSAI State Licence fee?

₹2,000 a year for food service providers, including restaurants, canteens, caterers and banquet halls with catering, and for any other food business not listed separately. Hotels rated three star and above pay ₹5,000, and manufacturers pay ₹3,000 or ₹5,000 depending on production capacity.

Is the FSSAI fee paid every year?

Yes. Licences no longer need renewal, but the fee is still annual. FSSAI's FAQ says you can pay it for any number of years at once and at any time of the year. If the annual fee goes unpaid, the licence or registration is deemed suspended until you pay with any penalty.

Is the FSSAI fee refundable?

No. FSSAI's fee schedule says fees are not refundable under any circumstances, and the 2026 amendment confirms no refund is given when you surrender a licence. A duplicate certificate, if you lose the original, costs 10 percent of the applicable licence fee.

What to do next

Check your last year's turnover against the new limits, log in to FoSCoS, and confirm your category and fee. If you've dropped from a State Licence to Basic Registration, check the migration has happened, then pay a few years ahead so an unpaid fee can't suspend you.