Garlic

Fresh or chilled garlic, alliaceous vegetables

FSSAI CLEARANCE

HSN 0703 20 00 (Garlic) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence requirements under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with consignments restricted to designated food-import entry points under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) and Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) apply overlapping policy controls, including DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025 confirming garlic — as a spice under Appendix 4J — is ineligible for import under DFIA.

What this is

HSN code

0703 20 00

Chapter

07 · Edible vegetables and certain roots and tubers

Primary regulator

FSSAI · Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006

Customs documentation

Import Licence from FSSAI
Specimen copy of label from FSSAI
ITC (HS) entry-point declaration to CBIC

Applicable Partner Government Agencies

FSSAIFSSAI·Food Safety and Standards Authority of India

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

Compliance steps

1
Obtain the FSSAI Import Licence and upload it in e-Sanchit under document code 911001, along with a Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS), before filing the bill of entry. Customs out-of-charge will not be granted until both documents are verified in e-Sanchit by the proper officer.
CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs dated 28-06-2022 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 · FSSAI order dated 18-11-2022 under F.No.Import/TFM/Apex/2022-FSSAI
2
Route the consignment only through a designated food-import entry point in compliance with General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Labelling deficiencies permissible for rectification — including per-serve RDA contribution and expiry/best-before information — must be corrected at the customs bonded warehouse by affixing a single non-detachable sticker before visual inspection by the authorised officer.
General Note 4(D), ITC (HS) Schedule I, 2022 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs dated 28-06-2022 · FSSAI Letter 1828/Misc Matters/FSSAI/Imports-2021 dated 17-06-2022
3
Do not attempt import under a Duty-Free Import Authorisation (DFIA). Garlic falls under Appendix 4J as a spice and is subject to a pre-import condition; DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025 confirms spices are ineligible for DFIA import under any circumstances irrespective of intended end use.
DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025 dated 22-09-2025

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is attempting to import garlic under a DFIA or advance-authorisation route on the basis that it is an agricultural raw material. DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025 definitively forecloses this: all spices, including garlic, appear in Appendix 4J and carry a pre-import condition that bars DFIA use irrespective of end use. Consignments tendered under a DFIA are subject to detention, duty recovery, and DGFT enforcement action.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0703 20 00 require BIS certification?

No. Fresh garlic is not within the BIS Quality Control Order regime; no BIS QCO covers alliaceous vegetables. Import is governed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with DGFT and CBIC policy overlays including a designated-port restriction and DFIA ineligibility.

Which documents must be uploaded in e-Sanchit for garlic imports?

Two mandatory documents are required at the bill of entry: the FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and the Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS), per CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 and the FSSAI order dated 18-11-2022.

Can labelling defects on garlic consignments be rectified at the port?

Yes, limited labelling deficiencies — including per-serve RDA contribution and expiry/best-before date information — may be rectified at customs bonded warehouses before inspection, by affixing a single non-detachable sticker next to the principal display panel, provided the original label information is not altered, per CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs dated 28-06-2022.

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