Certificate of conformity for hospitality or catering businesses

Do you wish to open a restaurant, a brasserie, a snack bar or a wine bar? Then you probably already know that you will need certain authorisations. Before you can start operating your business, you will have to obtain a certificate of conformity for hospitality or catering businesses (“attestation de conformité Horeca”) from the commune in which you wish to set up your new venture. 

The procedure

The (future) manager of the business must make the application at the relevant local commune. Most of the time, the form is available either at the commune, online, by appointment, or even by email. The procedure applies to any business selling edible products ready for consumption on the premises. The application, including all the requested documents alongside the request form, must be complete in order to obtain the relevant authorisations in good time.

Fees may apply to this procedure, please enquire at the relevant office of the communal authority. 

Documents you will need to provide

A range of documents, which may be different from one commune to another, must accompany the application for the Foodservice and catering certificate: 

- articles of incorporation 

- ID document, address, email, mobile phone number 

- commercial lease

- land use designation certificate (attestation d’affectation urbanistique) or proof of submission at the urban planning service in case of a change of land use or refurbishment 

-  report from the Brussels Fire Brigade (SIAMU, firefighting and emergency medical assistance service)

- report without remarks from the commune’s hygiene service

- strict civil liability insurance contract 

- waste removal and sorting contract 

- opening hours

- proof of registration with AFSCA, Agence fédérale pour la sécurité de la chaîne alimentaire (FASFC, Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain)

- certificate of moral standing for the sale of alcohol.