To open a coffee shop in Belgium, there is no single “coffee shop license”—you assemble a permit stack tailored to your commune. Register your company in the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises (KBO/BCE) and obtain a VAT number with FPS Finance, then secure the municipal operating permit (exploitatievergunning/permis d’exploitation) and fire-safety clearance from the brandweer/pompiers. File food-business registration or approval with the Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (FAVV/AFSCA) and implement a documented HACCP plan, allergen disclosure (EU 1169/2011), and pest control. If you’ll serve alcohol, request the beverage permit/notification (beer and wine) and confirm any hours or nuisance conditions. For fit-out, check change-of-use and terrace needs: urban planning permission for horeca use, a sign/awning permit, and—if noise, ventilation, or roasting create emissions—an environmental permit (omgevingsvergunning/permis d’environnement). Before opening, conclude a waste and grease-trap service contract, obtain SABAM and the Fair Remuneration licenses (Billijke Vergoeding/Remuneration Équitable) for music, and complete FTE onboarding: Dimona declarations, work regulations, prevention plan, and student or flexi-job contracts where applicable. Expect 4–12 weeks for approvals depending on works; sequence submissions early to parallelize reviews. Typical decision criteria: compliant floor plan (flows, sanitation, disabled WC where required), fire egress, noise management, and neighborhood impact.
