Split

Split areca nuts, dried or fresh

FSSAI CLEARANCE

HSN 0802 80 20 (Split areca nuts) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence requirements under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and is classified as Prohibited under the ITC (HS) import policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), with import permitted only when the CIF value is ₹351 or above per kilogram. Phytosanitary certification, designated food-import port compliance under General Note 4(D) of ITC (HS) Schedule I, and CBIC oversight apply as additional clearance requirements.

What this is

HSN code

0802 80 20

Chapter

08 · Edible fruit and nuts; peel of citrus fruit or melons

Primary regulator

FSSAI · Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006

Customs documentation

Import Licence from FSSAI
Phytosanitary Certificate from exporting country
Specimen copy of label from FSSAI

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
Verify that the CIF value of the consignment is ₹351 or above per kilogram before filing the bill of entry. Consignments below the Minimum Import Price are Prohibited under the ITC (HS) policy; the MIP condition does not apply to 100% Export Oriented Units and SEZ units provided no domestic tariff area sale occurs. Upload the FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) in e-Sanchit before customs out-of-charge.
S.O. 678(E) dated 14-02-2023 · DGFT Notification 57/2015-20 dated 14-02-2023
2
Ensure the Phytosanitary Certificate (document code 851000) issued by the competent authority of the exporting country is uploaded in e-Sanchit. Confirm compliance with General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022 for designated food-import entry points; consignments routed through non-designated ports are liable to detention.
CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022 · General Note 4(D), ITC (HS) Schedule I · FSSAI Letter 1828/Misc Matters/FSSAI/Imports-2021 dated 17-06-2022
3
Where split areca nuts are imported bearing an undervaluation risk or via SAPTA preferential-duty routing, note that DRI Alert 13/2013 dated 03-06-2013 flags undervaluation and diversion of areca/betel nut consignments meant for Nepal into India; customs officers apply enhanced scrutiny on declared CIF values and country-of-destination declarations.
DRI Alert 13/2013 dated 03-06-2013 · CBIC Instruction 27/2022-Cus dated 07-10-2022

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is applying the EOU/SEZ MIP exemption without documentary proof of the no-DTA-sale condition — customs at the port of import will treat any subsequent domestic diversion as a retrospective Prohibited-import breach, attracting confiscation and monetary penalty under the Customs Act, 1962. Additionally, importers frequently overlook the rectifiable-labelling regime: label defects are rectifiable under the FSSAI order dated 17-06-2022, but a missing FSSAI Import Licence or absent Phytosanitary Certificate is not a labelling defect and will result in consignment detention pending PGA NOC.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0802 80 20 require BIS certification?

No, split areca nuts fall outside the BIS Quality Control Order regime entirely. Import is governed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with a Minimum Import Price of ₹351 per kilogram operative under DGFT Notification 57/2015-20 and S.O. 678(E) dated 14-02-2023.

Which document codes must be uploaded in e-Sanchit for split areca nut imports?

Three documents are mandatory at the bill of entry: FSSAI Import Licence (code 911001), Specimen Copy of Label (code 0110FS), and Phytosanitary Certificate (code 851000); all must be uploaded in e-Sanchit before customs out-of-charge is granted.

What happens if the declared CIF value of the consignment is below ₹351 per kilogram?

The consignment is treated as a Prohibited import under the ITC (HS) policy, as the MIP condition is the operative gateway to free import status; undervalued consignments are liable to seizure, confiscation, and enhanced scrutiny in light of DRI Alert 13/2013 dated 03-06-2013.

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