Restaurant & Hospitality

Food premises that process foodstuffs of animal origin before retail sale must apply for approval as an establishment. This applies to processing of meat, fish, and dairy products, for example. The approval is granted by the local food control authority of the municipality where the establishment is located, based on an inspection.Exceptions include slaughterhouses and game-handling establishments, which are approved by the Finnish Food Authority (Ruokavirasto). Small-scale production in connection with retail does not require establishment approval but requires notification to the local food control authority.

Issued by: Municipal Food Control Authority

If you run a professional food business in Finland, you must notify the municipal food control authority at least four weeks before starting operations. The notification covers all premises where food is stored, sold, served or handled, including restaurants, shops, bakeries, food trucks, catering businesses and online food stores. You submit it through the Ilppa e-service or in writing to your municipality.

Issued by: Municipal food control authority / Finnish Food Authority

When establishing a campsite, a written notification must be made to the authority of the municipality where the campsite is located. The notification is made to the building and environment committee of the municipality, and must include necessary information about the operator, the campsite location, and the nature and scope of operations.The campsite operator must also notify of any significant changes to operations well in advance. The same notification obligation applies to operators established elsewhere in the European Economic Area who temporarily provide services in Finland.

Issued by: Municipal building and environment committee

Temporary accommodation means short-term accommodation in premises whose valid building permit does not allow overnight stays or accommodation. The holder of the temporary accommodation facility must submit an emergency plan (pelastussuunnitelma) to the rescue authority of the area in which the accommodation is provided.The rescue department supervises the preparation of emergency plans for temporary accommodation and carries out fire inspections at the site as needed. If the accommodation is related to a public event, this must be taken into account in the event's emergency plan.

Issued by: Regional rescue department