Mandarins (including tangerines and satsumas)

Fresh or dried mandarins (tangerines, satsumas)

FSSAI CLEARANCE

HSN 0805 21 00 (Mandarins including tangerines and satsumas) 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. Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) ITC (HS) policy controls and Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) customs overlay apply as additional clearance requirements.

What this is

HSN code

0805 21 00

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 importer

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
Upload the FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001), the Phytosanitary Certificate (document code 851000), and the Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) in e-Sanchit before filing the bill of entry. The proper officer will verify these uploads prior to granting out-of-charge where the bill has not been routed through the PGA for NOC.
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 exclusively through one of the designated food-import entry points in compliance with General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Arrival at a non-designated port renders the consignment liable to detention pending re-routing or re-export.
General Note 4(D) of Schedule I, ITC (HS) 2022 · CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus dated 08-02-2023
3
Ensure labelling conforms to the FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020 before customs inspection. Where rectifiable labelling deficiencies exist — such as missing per-serve RDA contribution or expiry-date discrepancies — rectification must be carried out at customs-bonded warehouses by affixing a single non-detachable sticker without altering the original label, verified by the authorised officer.
CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022 · FSSAI Letter 1828/Misc Matters/FSSAI/Imports-2021 dated 17-06-2022 · FSSAI clarification order dated 18-11-2022

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is treating a valid FSSAI Import Licence as the sole clearance requirement and overlooking the Phytosanitary Certificate, which is a mandatory independent upload under document code 851000 in e-Sanchit. A consignment arriving with the FSSAI licence but without the Phytosanitary Certificate will be held at port, accumulating demurrage and ground rent, until all three mandatory document codes are verified. The rectifiable-labelling dispensation applies only to the specific deficiencies enumerated in CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus — it does not extend to a missing PGA clearance or an absent Phytosanitary Certificate.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0805 21 00 require BIS certification?

No. Fresh or dried mandarins fall outside the BIS Quality Control Order regime; no BIS QCO covers this product family. Import is governed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with mandatory FSSAI Import Licence, Phytosanitary Certificate, and designated food-import entry point compliance.

Which document codes must be uploaded in e-Sanchit for this tariff line?

Three document codes are mandatory: FSSAI Import Licence (911001), Phytosanitary Certificate (851000), and Specimen Copy of Label (0110FS); all must be uploaded in e-Sanchit before the proper officer grants out-of-charge.

Can labelling deficiencies be rectified at the port for mandarin imports?

Yes, but only for the specific deficiencies listed in CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus and the FSSAI clarification order dated 18 November 2022 — such as missing per-serve RDA contribution or expiry-date information — by affixing a single non-detachable sticker at a customs-bonded warehouse, verified by the authorised officer, without altering the original label.

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