Get nationally-recognised as a food handler in just one day with the WSQ Food Safety Course Level 1 — the mandatory food hygiene certification required by the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) for everyone working in a licensed food establishment. From restaurants and hawker stalls to catering companies and food manufacturers, this entry-level WSQ course gives you the skills and the official Statement of Attainment you need to start handling food legally and confidently in Singapore.
8:30am – 4:30pm + 1.5hr assessment
No background required
Choose your preferred language
5 min walk from Jurong East MRT station
For SG Citizens aged 40+ · after SSG subsidy.
Registration takes less than 3 minutes
✅ 1-day course, certified the next day
✅ Nationally-recognised WSQ certification
✅ SkillsFuture Credit, PSEA & NTUC UTAP accepted
✅ Convenient and accessible location
Course overview
The WSQ Food Safety Course Level 1 is the official entry-level food hygiene qualification required by the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) for all food handlers in Singapore. Since 1 July 2023, every food handler in both retail and non-retail food establishments must attain and maintain a valid WSQ Food Safety Course Level 1 certification before they can legally handle food.
Completed in just one day with training and assessment combined, the course is built around the core competencies every food handler needs on the job: good personal hygiene and safe ingredient handling, cleanliness and food safety risk control, and safe food handling and storage practices. Once you pass the assessment, you’ll be qualified to work as a food handler in restaurants, hawker centres, catering companies, food manufacturers, and food processing plants — and your certification stays valid for 5 years.
The Singapore Food Agency requires all food handlers — including part-time, casual, and contract staff — to be WSQ Food Safety certified before they can work in any licensed food establishment. Without this certificate, you are not legally permitted to handle food commercially in Singapore
Who this course is for
Whether you’re entering the F&B industry, starting your own food business, or required to renew compliance certification by your employer, this course is structured for fast certification with minimal disruption to your schedule
Required certification before you can legally handle food in Singapore
Hawker, café, catering, or home-based food business operators
Moving into hospitality, catering, or food production roles
Employers fulfilling SFA mandatory training requirements
Learning outcomes
This course aligns with the WSQ Food Safety Level 1 competency framework. You’ll demonstrate practical understanding across three core areas:
Apply good personal hygiene practices in line with food safety and workplace hygiene standards, and select and use safe ingredients while preventing contamination and cross-contamination during food preparation.
Maintain cleanliness of equipment and premises through effective housekeeping, pest prevention, and the identification and control of common food safety hazards in food handling environments.
Handle food safely, including high-risk and ready-to-eat foods, and store food correctly using proper temperature control and basic stock rotation methods.
Full Curriculum
All modules are delivered in a single day, with classroom learning followed by a 1.5-hour written assessment. Click each module to see what’s covered.
Course Pre-requisites
This course is open to all working-age adults. You’ll need basic English or Chinese literacy and numeracy at workplace level 1 to follow the materials and complete the assessment.
Read, write, and speak basic English or Mandarin at workplace literacy level 1
Manipulate numbers at workplace numeracy level 1 (basic arithmetic)
Open to all working-age adults regardless of background or experience
Singaporeans, PRs, and Foreigners welcome
Course Fees
The SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) subsidy covers up to 70% of the course fee for eligible learners. Singapore Citizens aged 40 and above receive the highest subsidy tier (the Mid-Career Enhanced Subsidy), while Singapore Citizens and PRs aged 21 and above receive the baseline funding
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Profile
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Funding Tier
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Singapore Citizen aged 40 and above, or employer-sponsored (SME)
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Baseline 50% + Mid-Career Enhanced Subsidy 20% = 70% funding
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Singapore Citizen, PR, or LTVP+ Holder aged 21 and above
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Baseline 50% funding
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Foreigners / Others
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Funding not applicable
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Course
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Full Course Fee
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🌟 Nett Fee: SG Citizens 40+
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🌟 Nett Fee: SG Citizens Below 40 & PR
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FSL1
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$163.50
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$58.50
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$88.50
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Fees inclusive of 9% GST. Offset the nett fee further with SkillsFuture Credit, PSEA or UTAP where applicable.
SkillsFuture Credit is a government top-up given to every Singapore Citizen aged 25 and above to pay for approved skills courses. All Singaporeans aged 25 and above receive a $500 opening SkillsFuture Credit, and Singaporeans aged 40 and above receive an additional $4,000 Mid-Career SkillsFuture Credit. You can use your SkillsFuture Credit to offset the remaining fee after the SSG subsidy — often reducing what you pay out of pocket to as little as zero. Credits are applied after the SSG subsidy, and our team will guide you through the claim when you register. You can check your balance anytime at myskillsfuture.gov.sg.
Beyond SkillsFuture Credit, you may be able to offset fees using your PSEA (Post-Secondary Education Account) funds, or NTUC UTAP if you’re a union member. These can be combined with the SSG subsidy to further lower your cost.
Check nett fees after SSG funding for each course.
Next course intakes
The WSQ Food Safety Course Level 1 runs over a single day, with both training and the assessment completed on the same day. We hold multiple intakes per month at our Jurong East branch, with weekday and weekend options, in English and Mandarin. Download the full schedule for the next few months below.
All upcoming intake dates, locations, and language options for the next few months.
What you'll earn
On successfully passing the assessment, you’ll receive a WSQ Statement of Attainment issued by SkillsFuture Singapore — the official nationally-recognised qualification for food handlers in Singapore. Your certification stays valid for 5 years, after which a refresher course keeps you compliant.
Student reviews
The trainer was patient and explained everything clearly Chinese. I needed the cert urgently to start my new job at a hawker stall and got it in one day. Highly recommend Acuity.
Used my SkillsFuture credit so it cost me nothing. The course was engaging and covered everything I needed for my home-based bakery business.
Frequently asked questions
The WSQ Food Safety Course Level 1 is a nationally-recognised, one-day food hygiene certification approved by SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) and required by the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) for anyone working in a licensed food establishment in Singapore. It covers personal hygiene, safe ingredient handling, cleanliness and pest control, and food storage, and ends with an assessment on the same day.
Yes. Since 1 July 2023, all food handlers in both retail and non-retail food establishments are required by the SFA to attain and maintain a valid WSQ Food Safety Course Level 1 certification before they can legally handle food. This applies to full-time, part-time, casual, and contract staff.
The course runs for 1 day — typically 8:30am to 4:30pm — followed by a 1.5-hour written assessment. It covers four modules: personal hygiene, safe ingredient handling, cleanliness & pest control, and food storage & temperature control.
The full course fee is $163.50 (inclusive of 9% GST). After SSG funding, eligible SG Citizens aged 40 and above pay from $58.50, and SG Citizens and PRs aged 21–39 pay from $88.50. You can offset remaining fees with SkillsFuture Credit, PSEA, or NTUC UTAP.
All Singaporeans aged 25 and above can use SkillsFuture Credit to offset remaining fees after the SSG subsidy. After registering, our admissions team will guide you through the SFC claim process. Check your balance at myskillsfuture.gov.sg.
Yes. The WSQ Statement of Attainment is issued by SkillsFuture Singapore and recognised by all licensed food establishments, employers, and during SFA inspections and licensing across Singapore.
Your WSQ Food Safety Level 1 certification is valid for 5 years. To continue handling food after that, you'll need to complete the WSQ Food Safety Course Level 1 (Refresher) at the 5-year and 10-year marks to stay compliant with SFA regulations.
Yes — we run dedicated Mandarin-language intakes regularly. The Chinese version covers the same WSQ syllabus and produces the same nationally-recognised certificate. See the WSQ Food Safety Course Level 1 (Chinese) page for details.
If you don't pass on the first attempt, you may take one re-assessment at a nominal fee. Our trainers provide a focused review session before the re-assessment.
Click "Register Now" on this page to complete the online registration form — it takes less than 3 minutes. Our team will confirm your intake date and send payment instructions by email within 1 business day.
Join food handlers who chose Acuity Academy for their WSQ Food Safety Course Level 1. From $58.50 after SSG subsidy. Registration takes 3 minutes.
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