Is there a free food hygiene certificate? Free training or a paid course?
Last updated 13 October 2026
Lots of people hope there's a free official certificate. Here's what you can get for free, what's worth paying for, and how to tell the difference.
There's no free official Level 2 food hygiene certificate from the government or the Food Standards Agency. But you can get free official allergy training with a certificate, staff don't legally need a food hygiene certificate at all, and a paid Level 2 course costs from £12 including VAT.
If that's all you came to check, you can stop here. Read on for what's free, what to watch out for, and when paying is worth it.
Is there a free government food hygiene certificate?
No. Lots of people search for one, and it's easy to see why: the government sets the rules, so surely it offers the training? It doesn't, for food hygiene. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) doesn't run a Level 1, 2 or 3 food hygiene course, free or paid.
The reason is that the law doesn't require a certificate. The official guidance on GOV.UK says food handlers don't have to hold a food hygiene certificate, but businesses must be able to show their staff have the right skills and training for their role. Training on the job, self-study and relevant experience can all be part of the training the law asks for. A certificate is one easy way to show it (GOV.UK).
The free certificate you can get: official allergy training
What you can get free is official allergy training, with a certificate at the end.
Food Standards Scotland offers free Advanced Online Allergen Training, aimed at food businesses and focused on managing allergens in hospitality and catering. It's five short video sections followed by a quiz, and you can save your progress and come back to it later. Its pages don't say how long it takes or whether you get a certificate, so if you want a certificate for your training records, the Food Standards Agency course below gives one. It's written for Scotland, so check the rules for your own nation, but managing allergens in a kitchen works the same way wherever you are.
The Food Standards Agency also runs a free Food Allergy and Intolerance Training course, now back online after a rebuild. It has six modules and takes about three hours, and you get a certificate once you've passed all six module tests. It was written mainly for council officers, but anyone can use it, and one module covers managing allergens in a catering kitchen. The FSA points out that the certificate shows you completed the training; it isn't an accreditation or official approval.
For a pub or café, free allergy training is the best free training there is, and every member of staff who serves or prepares food could do it. Our guide to allergen training for your team sets out what each role needs to know.
Watch out for "free" Level 2 certificates
Some websites advertise a "free food hygiene course". Before anyone starts, check two things: whether the certificate itself is free or costs money to download, and who stands behind it. A course that's free to study but charges for the certificate at the end isn't free, and it's frustrating to find out after an hour of work. If the price isn't clear up front, move on.
What free training is out there?
Swipe sideways to see the whole table.
| Resource | Who it's from | What it's good for |
|---|---|---|
| GOV.UK food business guidance | The government | Understanding what the law expects of you |
| Safer Food, Better Business | Food Standards Agency, for England and Wales | A free pack of safe ways of working, a daily diary and a staff training record |
| CookSafe | Food Standards Scotland | Scotland's free food safety system for caterers |
| Safe Catering | Food Standards Agency in Northern Ireland | Northern Ireland's free system, including a staff training record |
| Free online allergen training | The Food Standards Agency and Food Standards Scotland | Every member of staff who serves or prepares food. The FSA course takes about three hours, with a certificate once you pass all six module tests |
| Training on the job | You and your experienced staff | Showing people exactly how things are done in your kitchen |
Free or paid: what's the difference?
Swipe sideways to see the whole table.
| Free training | Paid online course | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | ✓Nothing | From £12 including VAT for a Level 2 course (checked 13 October 2026) |
| A certificate | ✗Usually not. The FSA's free allergy training is an exception | ✓Yes |
| A test to check learning | ✗Usually not | ✓Yes |
| A ready-made record | ✗You keep it yourself | ✓Yes |
| Covers a full Level 2 course | ?Depends what you use | ✓Yes |
| Fits your own kitchen exactly | ✓Yes, if you train on the job | ✗No, it's general |
When free training is enough
Free can work well if you run a small team and work alongside them every day, if the role is low risk, like a server who only carries plates, or if you're giving someone a refresher on a topic they already know. The key is to write down what training you gave, who to, and when.
When a paid course is worth it
Paying makes sense when you need clear evidence quickly, when an employer, contract or insurer asks for certificates, when you take on lots of new staff, or when people work with higher-risk food like raw meat. It's also worth it when you don't have time to train everyone yourself. At around £10 to £20 a person, a course can save you hours.
The best of both
Most good kitchens don't choose one or the other. They use an online course to teach the general knowledge, add free official allergy training, then train people on the job in "how we do things here". The course gives you a certificate and the basics. Your own training makes sure it happens in your kitchen. Our guides to training a new starter and making online training work show you how.
A money-saving tip
Some local councils sell CIEH online courses to businesses in their area, sometimes for less than you'd pay elsewhere. It's worth having a quick look at your council's website before you buy.
If you do decide to pay, our course comparisons and guide to course costs will help you pick. And if you're wondering whether you need a certificate at all, read our guide to whether a certificate is legally required.
Questions people often ask
Will an inspector accept free training?
Inspectors look at whether training suits the job and whether you can show it happened, not what it cost. Free training with a clear record can be fine. Free training with no record is hard to prove.
Is a Level 2 food hygiene certificate free for my staff?
Not usually. There's no free official version, so most businesses pay for an online course, from about £10 + VAT a person. Some employers cover the cost; it's worth asking if you're the one doing the course.
Is a free allergy certificate the same as a Level 2 food hygiene certificate?
No. It covers allergens only. It's a valuable extra, but it doesn't replace general food hygiene training for someone who prepares food.
Sources we used
- GOV.UK, running a food business: allergies
- Food Standards Scotland, Advanced Online Allergen Training (checked 13 October 2026)
- Food Standards Agency, Food Allergy and Intolerance Training (checked 13 October 2026)
- Food Safety UK, Level 2 Food Safety and Hygiene for Catering (price)
- GOV.UK, running a food business: staff training, illness and hygiene
- Food Standards Agency, Safer Food, Better Business
- Food Standards Agency, Safe Catering SC6 hygiene training record (Northern Ireland)
- Breckland Council, online food safety training (an example of a council selling CIEH courses)