Onions

Dried onions, whole, cut, sliced or powdered

FSSAI CLEARANCE

HSN 0712 20 00 (Dried onions) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence requirements under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with consignments permitted only through 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) administers the import policy overlay, and the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) enforces rectifiable-labelling compliance at the port.

What this is

HSN code

0712 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 importer
Rectifiable-labelling 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 a current FSSAI Import Licence and upload it in e-Sanchit under document code 911001 before filing the bill of entry. A Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) must also be uploaded; customs out-of-charge will not be granted until both documents are verified in e-Sanchit.
FSSAI Import Licence document code 911001 · Specimen Copy of Label document code 0110FS · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs dated 28-06-2022
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. Consignments arriving at non-designated ports are liable to detention pending re-routing or re-export.
General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023
3
Address any labelling deficiencies — including per-serve percentage contribution to recommended dietary allowance and expiry/best-before date — by affixing a single non-detachable sticker next to the principal display panel at the customs bonded warehouse before inspection. Rectification must not alter the original label and must be verified by the authorised FSSAI officer.
CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs dated 28-06-2022 · FSSAI order dated 18-11-2022 under F.No.Import/TFM/Apex/2022-FSSAI · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is filing the bill of entry at a non-designated port in the belief that dried vegetables face less scrutiny than fresh produce. General Note 4(D) applies to dried food imports equally, and arrival at an undesignated entry point triggers detention regardless of whether the FSSAI Import Licence is current. Rectifiable-labelling dispensation covers only specific deficiencies enumerated in the CBIC Instruction and FSSAI order — a missing or expired FSSAI Import Licence is not rectifiable and results in consignment detention or re-export.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0712 20 00 require BIS certification?

No, dried onions fall outside the BIS Quality Control Order regime; no BIS QCO covers this product. Import is governed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with FSSAI Import Licence and designated-port requirements as the operative obligations.

Which documents must be uploaded in e-Sanchit before customs out-of-charge for this tariff line?

The FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and the Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) must both be uploaded in e-Sanchit; the proper officer verifies these before granting out-of-charge.

Can labelling deficiencies on dried onion imports be rectified at the port?

Yes, but only the specific deficiencies enumerated under CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs and the FSSAI order dated 18-11-2022 — such as per-serve RDA percentage and date of expiry alongside best-before date — may be rectified by affixing a non-detachable sticker at the customs bonded warehouse before authorised officer inspection.

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