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The food requirement is gone – what does that mean in practice?

Introduction. On June 1, 2026, the requirement to serve food in order to obtain a serving permit disappeared. It’s the biggest relaxation of the alcohol law in many years – but it doesn’t mean everything became free. Here’s what was actually removed, what remains and what it means for your business.

What changed

Through SFS 2026:511, Chapter 8, Section 15 of the Alcohol Act was repealed on June 1, 2026. The section was the one that linked alcohol serving with food serving, and with it the following requirements disappeared:

• Own kitchen adjacent to the dining room
• Cooked or otherwise prepared food
• Varied selection of dishes
• Appropriate number of seats for food service
• The special provisions on drink bars

At the same time, two other paragraphs were changed. In Chapter 8, Section 4, the requirement for a separate kitchen for catering operations was removed, and in Chapter 8, Section 8, the requirement for food service when serving beer disappeared.

What it means in practice

For those who already run a restaurant with a kitchen, nothing will change in practice. The relief applies to those who wanted to serve alcohol without running a food business, and that group was previously in principle excluded from permanent permits to the public.

This remains

The food requirement was just one of several requirements, and the others are unchanged. The test now rests more heavily on the person, finances, and location.

• Personal suitability according to Chapter 8, Section 12. No relevant crimes, normally within the last three years.
• Financial management. No unpaid taxes or outstanding debts.
• Financing. You must be able to show how the business was financed. This is currently the most common reason for rejection.
• The knowledge test in the Alcohol Act at the Public Health Agency.
• A defined serving area that you have at your disposal, according to Chapter 8, Section 14, and a premises that is suitable from a fire safety point of view according to Chapter 8, Section 16.
• A person responsible for serving food who is over 20 years of age and is on site during the entire serving time, according to Chapter 8, Section 18.
• Soft drinks in a satisfactory selection and quantity, according to Chapter 8, Section 22.

And above all: according to Chapter 8, Section 17, a permit may be refused if the service, due to the location of the place or other reasons, is likely to cause inconvenience in terms of order and sobriety, even if all other requirements are met. That section is unchanged, and it will probably become more important now that the food requirement no longer functions as an indirect screening.

If you serve food, the food regulations apply as usual.

A common misconception is that the change in the law affects food handling in general. It doesn’t. The Alcohol Act stopped requiring you to serve food – the food legislation applies just as before to whoever actually does it.

This means that the business must still be registered as a food establishment with the municipality, that the staff must have sufficient knowledge of food hygiene , and that you need routines based on HACCP. If you only serve drinks and snacks, the requirements are less extensive, but they do not disappear.

 What about temporary permits and catering?

The food requirement was removed for all permit types, not just permanent ones for the general public. This also applies to temporary serving permits and serving to closed groups.

For catering for private parties, the change is particularly noticeable: previously, a separate kitchen was required for food preparation, which excluded catering companies that work with rented production kitchens or only supply drinks and serving staff. However, the requirement to register the premises with the municipality for each individual occasion remains.

Warning – much information is not up to date

This is the practical trap right now. The legislative change is young, and much of what is written about serving permits still describes the food requirement as a valid right. This applies to municipal guidelines, application forms, information pages and third-party guides.

If you encounter a form or an administrator who refers to the requirement for your own kitchen or cooked food: refer to SFS 2026:511 and the repealed Chapter 8, Section 15. The Public Health Agency is working with updated regulations, knowledge tests and supervisory guidance, and the municipalities are updating their guidelines at different rates.

Were you rejected because of the food requirement?

If your application was rejected before 1 June 2026 solely or mainly because the premises lacked a kitchen or the food selection was deemed insufficient, the conditions are now different. A new application will be considered against the applicable law, not against the law that applied at the time.

That doesn’t mean automatic approval – the other requirements still apply, and if the rejection was also based on finances or suitability, those obstacles remain. But the food issue itself is out of the question.

Do you need help?

Whether your business can get a permit now depends on what it looks like, where it is located, and what the municipality’s guidelines say. A small detail can make the assessment different.

Krogarna has been an agent for serving permits since 2012. Call 010-139 19 90 or contact us and we will go through what the change in law means for you.

Frequently Asked Questions

When was the food requirement removed?

On June 1, 2026, through SFS 2026:511 which repealed Chapter 8, Section 15 of the Alcohol Act. The Riksdag made the decision in May 2026 following the government’s bill 2025/26:221.

Do you have to serve food to get a serving permit?

No. The requirement for prepared food, own kitchen, varied food selection and seating was removed on June 1, 2026. A bar without a kitchen can now be granted a permanent serving permit to the public, provided that other requirements are met.

Does this also apply to temporary serving permits?

Yes. The food requirement was removed for all permit types, including temporary permits for the public and permits for closed groups.

Do catering companies still need their own kitchen?

No. The requirement to have your own kitchen for preparing food for catering operations was removed at the same time, through the amendment to Chapter 8, Section 4. However, the requirement to notify the serving premises to the municipality for each individual occasion still applies.

What if I still serve food?

Food legislation remains unchanged. The operation must be registered as a food facility with the municipality, the staff must have sufficient knowledge of food hygiene and you need procedures based on the HACCP principles.

Will it be easier to get a serving permit now?

For those who lacked a kitchen, yes. For others, the test is the same. The requirements for personal and financial suitability, financing, knowledge tests and the suitability of the premises are unchanged, and the municipality can still refuse permission for reasons of order according to Chapter 8.