Apples

Fresh apples, edible fruit import

FSSAI CLEARANCE

HSN 0808 10 00 (Apples) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence requirements under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, including foreign-label compliance under the FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020. Import is prohibited where the CIF price is at or below ₹50 per kilogram under a Minimum Import Price (MIP) condition administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), with consignments restricted to designated food-import ports under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022.

What this is

HSN code

0808 10 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 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 import price exceeds ₹50 per kilogram before filing the bill of entry. Consignments at or below this threshold are prohibited under the MIP condition; the Bhutan-origin exemption is the only carve-out. Upload the FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) in e-Sanchit prior to out-of-charge.
DGFT Notification 5/2023 dated 08-05-2023 · ITC (HS) policy, HSN 08081000
2
Upload the Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) and Phytosanitary Certificate (document code 851000) in e-Sanchit at the bill of entry. Label information must comply with the FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020; permissible rectification of specified labelling deficiencies may be carried out at customs-bonded warehouses before inspection 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 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023
3
Route the consignment only through a designated food-import port under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Non-compliant entry through an undesignated port renders the consignment liable to detention pending re-routing or re-export.
General Note 4(D), Schedule I, ITC (HS) 2022 · CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus dated 08-02-2023

A word of counsel

The most frequent error on this tariff line is conflating the MIP prohibition with a mere duty trigger: a CIF value at or below ₹50 per kilogram renders the import prohibited outright — not subject to additional duty — meaning the consignment faces re-export or confiscation, not simply reassessment. Bhutan-origin shipments are the sole exemption, and importers must retain origin documentation sufficient to survive a customs scrutiny challenge, as misrepresentation of origin to circumvent the MIP attracts penalty under the Customs Act, 1962.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0808 10 00 require BIS certification?

No, fresh apples are not within the BIS Quality Control Order regime; no BIS QCO covers edible fresh fruit. 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 prohibition administered by DGFT under Notification 5/2023 dated 08-05-2023.

Which document codes are mandatory in e-Sanchit for fresh apple imports?

Three documents must be uploaded before out-of-charge: FSSAI Import Licence (911001), Specimen Copy of Label (0110FS), and Phytosanitary Certificate (851000), per the CCR mandate verified under CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023.

Can labelling deficiencies on imported apple consignments be rectified at the port?

Yes, but only within the scope of the FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020 and CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus: rectification must be carried out at a customs-bonded warehouse before visual inspection, using a single non-detachable sticker affixed next to the principal display panel without altering the original label.

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