Other cheese

Other cheese, imported dairy cheese varieties

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0406 90 00 (Other cheese) 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 a high-risk dairy product. Animal Quarantine and Certification Services (AQCS) Sanitary Import Permit and veterinary health certificate clearance apply concurrently, and consignments are permitted only through 79 designated food-import ports effective 1 March 2023. Imports of milk and milk-based products from China are prohibited under DGFT Notification 01/2015-20 dated 23-04-2019 pending laboratory upgrade for melamine testing.

What this is

HSN code

0406 90 00

Chapter

04 · Dairy produce; birds' eggs; natural honey; edible products of animal origin

Primary regulator

FSSAI · Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (high-risk food regime)

Customs documentation

Import Licence from FSSAI
Sanitary Import Permit from AQCS
Veterinary Health Certificate from AQCS

Applicable Partner Government Agencies

FSSAIFSSAI·Food Safety and Standards Authority of India

AQCSAQCS·Animal Quarantine and Certification Services

Procedural directions for customs clearance are issued by: Directorate General of Foreign Trade, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs.

Compliance steps

1
Confirm that the foreign manufacturing facility is registered with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the mandatory high-risk-food registration regime for milk and milk products. Upload the FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and the Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) in e-Sanchit before filing the bill of entry.
CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus dated 14-11-2022 · FSSAI order dated 10-10-2022
2
Upload the veterinary health certificate issued by the exporting country (document code 853AQ1) and the laboratory report or Certificate of Analysis (document code 001AQ1) in e-Sanchit. Quote the e-Sanchit IRN of the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit (document code 911DF1) and the Health Certificate (document code 6360AQ) on the bill of entry to obtain the AQCS NOC.
CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus dated 28-11-2022 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 · FSSAI order dated 18-11-2022 under F.No.Import/TFM/Apex/2022-FSSAI
3
Route 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, and confirm that the origin is not China — imports of milk and milk-based products from China remain prohibited under DGFT Notification 01/2015-20. Ensure compliance with rectifiable-labelling requirements per CBIC Instruction 29/2023-Cus dated 12-12-2023.
CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus dated 08-02-2023 · DGFT Notification 01/2015-20 dated 23-04-2019 · CBIC Instruction 29/2023-Cus dated 12-12-2023

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is uploading the FSSAI Import Licence while omitting one or more of the three AQCS document codes — 853AQ1 (veterinary health certificate), 001AQ1 (lab report/COA), and 911DF1 (Sanitary Import Permit IRN) — each of which is independently mandatory and must be uploaded in e-Sanchit before customs out-of-charge. A consignment with complete FSSAI clearance but a missing AQCS document is detained at the designated port and cannot be released until all three codes are verified; demurrage and ground rent accrue from the date of arrival.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0406 90 00 require BIS certification?

No, cheese and other dairy products are not within the BIS Quality Control Order regime. Import is governed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with a concurrent Animal Quarantine and Certification Services Sanitary Import Permit requirement and restriction to 79 designated food-import ports.

Are cheese imports from China permitted under this tariff line?

No. Imports of milk and milk-based products from China are prohibited under DGFT Notification 01/2015-20 dated 23-04-2019 until port-of-entry laboratories are certified as capable of testing for melamine; a consignment of Chinese origin will be refused out-of-charge and is liable to re-export.

What happens if the foreign cheese manufacturer is not registered with FSSAI at the time of import?

The consignment will be detained at the designated port and out-of-charge refused, as the FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) cannot be issued for an unregistered facility; the importer faces detention, demurrage, and potential confiscation if the defect is not rectified within the prescribed period.

Last verified against gazette notifications: 2026-05-16. Source: FSSAI / AQCS / DGFT / CBIC / Indian Customs CUSDATA.