2026 New Regulations for Pet-Friendly Restaurants in Hong Kong

Under Section 10B of the Food Business Regulation (Cap. 132X of the Laws of Hong Kong), dogs are generally prohibited from being present in food business premises, except in certain circumstances, such as guide dogs and dogs performing statutory duties (for example, police dogs). According to this regulation:

1. no person may bring a dog into food business premises; and

2. no person engaged in the food business may knowingly permit or allow a dog to remain in food business premises.

   
   

Offenders are liable to a maximum penalty of a Level 3 fine (HK$10,000), imprisonment for 3 months, and an additional daily fine of HK$300.

However, in 2026 the government proposed to amend Section 31B of the Food Business Regulation, empowering the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene to grant permission, subject to certain statutory requirements, for dogs to enter and remain in food business premises (except fighting dogs or dogs known to be dangerous).

Key points of the first-phase licensing arrangement for restaurants allowing dogs

• Effective date: Implemented from 8 May 2026

• Eligibility: In the first phase, only restaurants with an area of more than 20 square meters may apply. (The authorities explained that if a restaurant is too small, dogs may obstruct main passageways, affect staff movement and food service, and increase the risk of staff accidentally stepping on them. Therefore, a minimum area requirement of 20 square meters has been set for the first phase.)

• Quota: The first phase will be limited to no more than 1,000 places

• Application fee: Successful applicants must pay HK$140 to amend their licence and add an endorsement permitting dogs

• Allocation method: If the number of applications exceeds the quota, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) will allocate places by lot drawing, and the results will be announced at the same time

• Ineligible categories: Hotpot restaurants and barbecue restaurants (including teppanyaki and Korean barbecue) are not eligible to apply

• Handling of violations: If a restaurant commits 3 violations within 12 months, the relevant permission will be revoked, and it may not reapply for one year

• Reason for no priority arrangement: The government considers that factors such as outdoor seating or location in a pet-friendly shopping mall are not necessarily related to the circumstances of individual restaurants. Granting priority on that basis would be unfair, so no priority arrangement will be made in order to keep the system fair and simple

• Apart from the above restrictions, all properly licensed food premises (including holders of a General Restaurant Licence, a Light Refreshment Restaurant Licence, and a Marine Restaurant Licence) may apply to allow dogs to enter.

• Restaurants wishing to apply to admit dogs may submit applications electronically via the FEHD webpage www.fehd.gov.hk/tc_chi/licensing/dog_restaurants/index.html during the period from 18 May to 8 June.

May 2026

Dr. Anthony Lai and Mr. Herbert Kwoon