Yogurt
Yogurt, fermented milk and cream products
HSN 0403 20 00 (Yogurt) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence and mandatory foreign-manufacturer registration under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, as yogurt falls within the high-risk milk-and-milk-products category. Animal Quarantine and Certification Services (AQCS) sanitary clearance applies concurrently, and consignments are permitted only through 79 designated food-import ports with effect from 1 March 2023. Import of milk and milk-based products from China is prohibited until port-laboratory melamine-testing capacity is certified.
- Import Licence from FSSAI
- Sanitary Import Permit from AQCS
- Veterinary Health Certificate from AQCS
Procedural directions for customs clearance are issued by: Directorate General of Foreign Trade, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs.
- 1Confirm the foreign manufacturing facility is registered with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the high-risk milk-and-milk-products regime. The FSSAI Import Licence must be uploaded in e-Sanchit before the bill of entry is filed; imports from unregistered facilities will be denied out-of-charge.CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus dated 14-11-2022 · FSSAI order dated 10-10-2022
- 2Upload in e-Sanchit: the Veterinary Health Certificate issued by the exporting country (document code 853AQ1), the Laboratory Report or Certificate of Analysis (document code 001AQ1), and the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit IRN (document code 911DF1). Quote the Sanitary Import Permit IRN on the bill of entry to obtain the AQCS NOC for the CTIs listed in Annexure A of Circular 24/2022-Cus.CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus dated 28-11-2022 · CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus dated 08-02-2023
- 3Route the consignment exclusively through one of the 79 designated food-import ports per General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Verify that the country of origin is not China; import of milk and milk-based products from China remains prohibited under DGFT Notification 01/2015-20 dated 23-04-2019 until port-laboratory melamine-testing capacity is confirmed.CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus dated 08-02-2023 · DGFT Notification 01/2015-20 dated 23-04-2019 · General Note 4(D) of ITC (HS) Schedule I 2022
The most common error on this tariff line is treating the FSSAI Import Licence as the only clearance document and arriving at port without the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit IRN (document code 911DF1) and the Veterinary Health Certificate (document code 853AQ1) pre-uploaded in e-Sanchit. Both AQCS documents are independently mandatory and must be in e-Sanchit before customs out-of-charge; a missing IRN results in consignment detention regardless of FSSAI licence status, accruing demurrage and ground rent until the deficiency is remedied.