Starting a hospitality business in Maastricht

Who can you turn to?

Maastricht Business Team

If you want to start a hospitality business in Maastricht or if you are looking for a suitable location, please, read this information first. If you still have questions, contact the Maastricht Business Team. 

Hospitality director 

The hospitality director (regievoerder) is there for all questions from and about the hospitality industry in Maastricht. In the following situations you can contact the hospitality director of the municipality of Maastricht directly at 14 043 or horeca [at] maastricht.nl:

• You would like to know more about one of the permits.
• In principle, you can only start a catering business in Maastricht in premises that have a catering destination. In exceptional cases, the municipality cooperates in allowing catering in a building where it is not allowed. You have found a building that seems suitable to you to start your catering establishment and you want to know more about the exceptions.

The regulations

As an entrepreneur in the hospitality business, you are subject to

• national laws and
• local regulations established by the municipality of Maastricht

The national laws at a glance

1. Omgevingswet (Ow) - Environment Act: omgevingsplan - environment plan
   The hospitality business you want to start must comply with the guidelines as laid down in the zoningplan. If you have property in mind and you would like to know whether you can start a hospitality business there, check the zoningplan of the property at www.ruimtelijkeplannen.nl or contact the municipality at 14 043. 
2. Omgevingswet (Ow) - Environment Act : refurbishment or historic building
   If you are going to refurbish an existing hospitality property or start work in a historic building you will have to take into account the Omgevingswet voor de monumentenactiviteit - the Environment Act for heritage building activities. This act regulates the environmental permit, a single permit for housing, heritage buildings, spatial planning, nature and the environment. If you want to know whether your plan is feasible or not, it is advisable to first submit  a request in principle than immediately applying for an environmental permit.
3. Dutch Alcohol Act: licence to serve alcohol
   If you are going to serve your guests wine, beer or liquor, the Alcohol Act will apply. Needles to say, a hospitality business must be permitted in your property in accordance with the zoningplan. On our page Alcohol Act licence (Alcoholwetvergunning - in Dutch only) you can read exactly what you need to do to obtain a licence.

The municipal regulations: licences and hospitality policy document

Depending on the kind of hospitality business you want to run, you will need a number of licences in Maastricht:

1. Operating licence: no alcohol, still regulations
   If you do wish to serve alcohol, but only soft drinks, coffee and tea or fresh smoothies, you will still need a licence. We call this an operating licence (Exploitatievergunning - in Dutch only). For example, a snack bar, a lunchroom or an association canteen need such an operating licence. You also need an operating licence if you are going to sell food from a vending machine or if you want to start a take-away business.
2. Terrace and pavement café licence: exploiting outdoor opportunities
   We understand that a terrace can be attractive for your hospitality business. For this you will need a terrace licence, (Terrasvergunning - in Dutch only) even if the terrace is on your own property. A terrace affects the appearance of the public space, which is why as a municipality we are very alert to its affect. For this reason, you are not automatically entitled to a terrace. It is permitted only in places where the municipality finds it appropriate. A terrace always has to be tailored to the situation. If you want to set up a terrace on public space, you have to pay taxes to the municipality. This is a municipal levy (Precariobelasting - in Dutch only) for encroachments on public land.
3. Gambling machine licence: slot machines
   We want to keep a grip on the number of gambling machines in the city. If you would like to install, for example, a slot machine in your bar, you must apply for a gambling licence (Gokautomatenvergunning - in Dutch only). 

Shop premises hospitality

If you have a shop and want to offer your customers a cup of coffee or a snack while they shop in your establishment, that's no problem. There are, however, a number of conditions. The most important are listed below:

• you may only use a small part of your store for this purpose
• your business must continue to look like a shop
• you may not advertise this part of the business

For more information, check the dropdown menu at the bottom of this page or contact the hospitality industry case manager.

Notification of use: fireproof

A building where many people come together must be fireproof. In Maastricht, this is of great importance. If more than 50 people can be present in your building at any given time, you must submit a notification of use (Brandveilig gebruik gebouwen - in Dutch only) to the municipality before you open your hospitality business. A notification of use indicates that the building is fireproof and safe.