Licence to serve food and alcohol
When do you need a licence to serve food and alcohol?
- If you want to open a food service establishment that serves alcohol, you must apply for both a licence to serve food and a licence to serve alcohol.
- If you already have a licence to serve food, you must apply for a licence to serve alcohol in addition.
- If you take over an existing food service establishment, you must apply for your own licence within 30 days after signing an agreement on transfer.
How to get a licence to serve food and alcohol
- A licence to serve food and alcohol is granted to the company that is going to run the establishment
- The Alcohol Act and the Food Services Act require that licence holders are of spotless repute
- The manager and his/her deputy must have passed the Alcohol Act knowledge test in order to apply for a licence to serve alcohol
- The general manager must be employed at the establishment if the owner of the establishment is not the general manager
- The general manager must have passed the Food Services Act knowledge test in order to apply for a licence to serve food
- The manager and his/her deputy must be over 20 years of age
- The manager and his/her deputy must be employed at the establishment or work there by virtue of their position as an owner
How to apply for a licence to serve food and alcohol
Use the electronic application form below. You will be asked to upload attachments along the way. The application form can be saved before submission, so that you can return to your application at a later time. It is not possible to submit an application without all the necessary attachments.
Attachments that must be submitted with an application for a licence to serve food and alcohol
- Description of the location of the establishment
- Certificate of registration from the Brønnøysund Register Centre (firmaattest)
- Confirmation that the manager at the establishment have passed the Food Services Act knowledge test
- Confirmation that the manager and his/her deputy at the establishment have passed the relevant Alcohol Act knowledge test
- Documents proving right of access to the premises, such as the lease or deed. In the event of subleased premises, proof of permission to sublet and the sublease contract must also be submitted
- The landowner's permission to serve outdoors
- Plan drawings of the premises' indoor and outdoor areas
- Limited liability companies must submit their shareholder register with the auditor's confirmation of ownership shares expressed in percentage
- Information about any beneficial owners, such as the owners behind the limited liability company, where the operating company is wholly or partly owned by other companies
- Sales contract or other documentary proof of the transfer, if you are applying for a licence after a change of ownership
- For boats: Passenger certificate for boats that can carry more than 12 passengers, certificate of nationality
(Log in, application in Norwegian)
How long does it take?
Applications for a licence to serve food are usually processed within 60 days. The processing time for a licence to serve alcohol is approximately three months. The applications are sent to the police, tax collection offices, the city district administration and the Norwegian Tax Administration for consultation. Processing may take longer if the consulted bodies spend a long time or have any objections to the application or if you make changes during the application process.
The answer is sent to your digital mailbox.