FSSAI License for Cloud Kitchens: What You Need Before Going Live

The licence follows your turnover and premises, not the fact that you only deliver. From 1 April 2026:

Most single-brand and first-year kitchens fall within basic registration. Registrations and licences now have perpetual validity, with an annual fee. The FSSAI fees guide explains the 2026 changes.

• The licence is for the premises. Five virtual brands cooked in one kitchen can run under that kitchen's single registration or licence, provided the food categories are covered.
• Every kitchen location needs its own registration or licence. Opening in a second city means a second application.
• Shared or rented kitchens (kitchen-as-a-service spaces): each operator needs its own FSSAI registration for the space it uses. Don't rely on the landlord's licence.
• List all food categories you prepare (meals, bakery, beverages, sweets). Selling packaged products under your brand may need a separate category or a manufacturer licence.

• Photo and ID proof of the proprietor, partners or directors
• Proof of possession of the kitchen: rent agreement with the owner's NOC, or ownership documents
• Constitution proof: partnership deed, LLP or company incorporation documents, if not a proprietorship
• List of food categories and, for a licence, the kitchen layout plan and equipment list
• Water test report from a recognised lab, where your category needs one
• Food safety management plan and a nominated person, for a licence

Apply on the FoSCoS portal. Basic registration is now granted instantly without a pre-inspection, but inspections can follow, and risk-based inspections are the main check under the new system.

Aggregators won't activate your listing without a valid FSSAI number. Expect to provide:

• The FSSAI registration or licence number, which must be displayed on the menu or listing
• PAN and a bank account in the business name
• GST registration, which platforms generally insist on. For restaurant services sold through an aggregator, the platform collects and pays the 5% GST under section 9(5) of the CGST Act, but you still file your own returns for any other supplies.
• Menu with prices, and sometimes the kitchen's shop and establishment registration

Need GST first? Here are the documents required for GST registration.

• Shop and establishment registration under your state's law
• Trade or health licence from the municipal corporation, which some cities require for kitchens
• Fire safety NOC, depending on the city, building and gas load
• Trademark for each brand name. Virtual brands get copied fast, so search and file in class 43 early (see trademark public search).
• Professional tax, ESIC and EPF once you hire staff and cross the limits. Start with our guide to ESIC registration for employers.

Mistakes that cause trouble later: registering a home address while actually cooking in a rented kitchen; listing "meals" but also selling bottled sauces or cakes; adding a second kitchen under the first one's number; letting the annual fee lapse; and not moving to a State licence when turnover crosses ₹1.5 crore. Each of these can lead to delisting by the platform or a notice after an inspection, and they are easy to avoid if you check your registration once a year against what you actually do.

Day-to-day hygiene matters as much as paperwork: medical fitness records for food handlers, pest control, clean water, labelled storage and a trained food safety supervisor where your licence requires one. TaxQue's FSSAI licence service handles the application and checks that your categories match what you actually cook.