Requirements and Procedure for the Outdoor Business Report for Cafe and Restaurant Terraces

Procedure

1. 1. Check the connection to the indoor business premises

   The outdoor business area must be directly connected to the business premises inside the building. If it is on a different floor, it must be possible to go directly up and down between the two. A detached space that can be reached only by going around the outside of the building is unlikely to be recognized as an outdoor business area.

2. 2. Check the right of use

   For a stand-alone building, prove ownership or a right of use such as a lease. For a condominium building (a building with sectional ownership), there must be an exclusive use right under the management bylaws, and common areas cannot be used as an outdoor business area. Also check whether the lease contract states the scope of terrace use.

3. 3. Preliminary review of conflicts with statutes

   The report cannot be filed if the space is public open space, required open space within the site, mandatory landscaping, an evacuation route, a road, or a mandatory parking space. Compare the building register and the site plan with the actual site and screen out the 'not allowed' items first. Local governments sometimes set their own standards for allowing outdoor business, so check the local standard as well.

4. 4. Meet the facility standards

   If the area is on the 2nd floor or higher, a railing of 1.2 m or more is required. Fixed structures are not allowed, only movable facilities, and fire-using equipment cannot be installed. For rest restaurants (hyuge eumsikjeom) and general restaurants (ilban eumsikjeom), disaster liability insurance becomes mandatory if the floor area of the business premises, indoor and outdoor combined, is 100 square meters or more.

5. 5. Report to the competent sanitation department

   Prepare the business report certificate, a drawing of the outdoor business area and the right-of-use documents, and file the report with the sanitation department of the competent city, county or district (si/gun/gu) office. If a request for supplementation is issued, respond with the drawing and site photos.

Required documents

• Report of changes to business report details (Enforcement Rule of the Food Sanitation Act, Annexed Form No. 41; within 7 days from the date of change)
• Existing business report certificate
• Drawing showing the location and area of the outdoor business area
• Right-of-use documents (proof of ownership, lease contract; for a condominium building, materials confirming the exclusive use right)
• Building register and site plan (to check for conflicts)
• Disaster liability insurance enrollment documents (if applicable)

Fees

A report that adds an outdoor business area is a report of change in the area of the business premises, and the government fee is 9,300 won for an in-person application and 8,300 won for an electronic application. Agency service for a business report starts from 300,000 won and varies depending on how much checking of condominium bylaws or review of conflicts with the Building Act and the Road Act is needed. We will advise after a consultation, based on the situation of the business premises.

See fees and official charges for this service →

Legal basis and review date

• Enforcement Decree of the Food Sanitation Act, Article 26
• Enforcement Rule of the Food Sanitation Act, Article 43
• Enforcement Rule of the Food Sanitation Act, Article 42
• Enforcement Rule of the Food Sanitation Act, attached Table 14
• Enforcement Decree of the Building Act, Article 40
• Framework Act on the Management of Disasters and Safety, Article 76-5
• Enforcement Decree of the Framework Act on the Management of Disasters and Safety, attached Table 3

Checked against the statutes on 2026-10-07

Statutes and public notices change, so each case needs to be checked individually. Statute titles are given in English for reference. The Korean statutes are the authoritative text.

Check these first

• A report is not possible for public open space, evacuation routes, mandatory parking spaces and the like. Check for conflicts before starting terrace construction.
• If you install structures such as a fixed deck or a roof first, you may have to remove them.

Frequently asked questions