Opening a bar, restaurant or food business

Terms used

• Declaración responsable — The declaración responsable is a signed statement to the town hall that your premises meet the rules, letting you open without waiting for approval.
• Licencia de obras — The licencia de obras is the town hall's permit for building works on the premises.
• APPCC — The APPCC is the food safety self-control system every food business must run, based on spotting and controlling hygiene risks.
• Manipulador de alimentos — The manipulador de alimentos certificate is proof of food hygiene training for staff who handle food, required or recognised in some regions.
• Aforo — The aforo is the maximum number of people allowed in the premises at once.

Key rules

• Health registration: Notify your regional health authority before opening and keep your registration number.
• Music: Amplified music puts you in a stricter category with an acoustic study and tighter hours.
• Terrace: A terrace on public land needs its own town hall authorisation.
• Staff training: You are responsible for training everyone who handles food.
• Timing: Do not set an opening date until the town hall confirms its processing times.

Which licence you need

You need permission from the town hall before you open. Which kind depends on your region and town. Many councils accept a declaración responsable for low-impact premises. Larger or higher-impact premises need a full activity licence. If you need building works, you also need a licencia de obras first.

Both routes require a certificate from a technician (an architect or engineer) confirming the premises comply. Ask your town hall which route applies to your premises and whether it has its own local rules.

Music changes your category

Music decides how strict the rules are.

• Background music only: standard category.
• Amplified music, a music bar or a disco: a higher category. It brings stricter soundproofing, an acoustic study and tighter opening hours, set by regional entertainment law.

Decide on your music plan before you design the project. Changing category later can mean new works and a new application.

Terraces

A terrace on public land needs its own authorisation from the town hall (autorización de ocupación de vía pública). Expect an annual fee, limits on the area and set hours. Your main licence does not cover it.

Health registration

Register the business with your regional health authority before you open. Bars and restaurants are normally registered in regional registers rather than the national one, often by a simple notification, usually by form or online. You then receive a registration number, and health services can inspect you. Forms and steps differ by region, and in some regions the town hall handles part of it.

Food safety and staff training

• Set up a self-control system called APPCC. It must fit your size. It covers cleaning, pest control, traceability, allergens, water and temperature control.
• Train every person who handles food in food hygiene, suited to their work. You, as the employer, are responsible for this training.
• There is no fixed national course. Some regions still require or recognise a manipulador de alimentos certificate, so ask your region.
• Give allergen information for any food that is not prepacked.
• Keep your records ready for inspection.

Fire, ventilation, noise and access

Your technician will design for these. Expect:

• Fire: extinguishers, emergency lighting, signage, and detection and alarms depending on size and risk. The kitchen needs fire-resistant separation and extraction ducts.
• Ventilation: kitchen smoke extraction with a roof outlet and grease filters.
• Noise: sound insulation and limits on emissions, with an acoustic study. This is stricter for amplified music.
• Access: step-free entry and an adapted toilet.
• Capacity (aforo) and toilets, set by your size.

Local rules add details. Smoking and alcohol rules are separate from all of this.

How long it takes

Plan on roughly three to nine months overall. It can pass a year in slow cities or complex cases. A declaración responsable can take effect immediately, while a full licence can take several months. Works licences range from a few weeks to several months. Ask the town hall for its real processing times before you set an opening date. The timeline below shows the order of steps.

Choosing between options

Which licence route and music category fits your bar or restaurant?

• Declaración responsable: Fits a low-impact bar or restaurant where your town allows a declaration; you file it with a technician's certificate that the premises comply.

• Full activity licence: Fits when your town or regional law requires it for your type of premises; it takes longer, but you get the council's approval before you open.

• Background music only: Fits a standard bar or restaurant with no amplified sound; it keeps you in the standard category with lighter soundproofing.

• Amplified music or a music bar: Fits if you want live or amplified music; you need an acoustic study, stricter soundproofing and may face tighter opening hours.

Your town's ordinance and regional law decide the licence route, and your music plan decides the category.

Timeline and deadlines

• Find premises and check the zoning allows a bar or restaurant: first, taking a few weeks

• Have an architect or engineer prepare the technical project: a few weeks

• Carry out the building works: weeks to months

• Pass the final inspection, notify the opening and complete the health registration: a few weeks at the end

• Plan the whole project: often three to nine months, and over a year in slow cities or complex cases

Timings vary by town and premises. Check the actual processing times with your town hall.

Checklist

• Notify your regional health authority of the activity before you open, and keep your registration number.

• Train every person who handles food in food hygiene, and ask your region whether it requires a manipulador de alimentos certificate.

• Provide allergen information for food that is not prepacked.

• Keep your self-control records ready for inspection.

• Install the fire equipment your size and risk need: extinguishers, emergency lighting, signage, detection and alarms.

• Ask the technician for a certificate confirming the premises comply once works are finished.

• Ask the council for its actual processing times before you set an opening date.

Frequently asked questions

Does my bar need to be in the national food register?

No, a bar or restaurant is generally entered in your region's food register, not the national one. You notify the regional health authority before opening, often online, and you get a registration number. Some regions let the council handle part of it.

Do my staff need a food handler certificate?

Not always, because Spain no longer sets one national food handler course. You as the employer must make sure staff are trained in food hygiene for their work.

Do I need a separate permit for a terrace?

Yes, a terrace on public land needs its own municipal authorisation, separate from the bar licence. It comes with an annual fee, area limits and set hours, so ask your town hall before you plan the seating.

What changes if I want to play amplified music?

Amplified music puts your bar in a higher category than background music.