Tamarind, fresh

Fresh tamarind, edible fruit

FSSAI CLEARANCE

HSN 0810 90 20 (Tamarind, fresh) 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) policy controls apply, including the prohibition on import under Duty-Free Import Authorisation for spices listed in Appendix 4J. Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) overlay governs e-Sanchit document verification and the rectifiable-labelling regime at port.

What this is

HSN code

0810 90 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 exporter
Specimen 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
Obtain a current FSSAI Import Licence and ensure the Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS), Phytosanitary Certificate (document code 851000), and FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) are all uploaded in e-Sanchit before filing the bill of entry. Customs out-of-charge will not be granted until each of these three documents is verified in e-Sanchit.
CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022 · General Note 4(D), Schedule I, ITC (HS) 2022
2
Route the consignment exclusively through one of the designated food-import entry points notified under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Arrival at a non-designated port renders the consignment liable to detention regardless of whether all PGA documents are in order.
General Note 4(D) of Schedule I, ITC (HS) 2022 · CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus dated 08-02-2023
3
Do not attempt import under a Duty-Free Import Authorisation (DFIA). Tamarind, as a spice under Appendix 4J of the ITC (HS), is subject to a pre-import condition and is ineligible for DFIA irrespective of the intended end use. Any such attempt will be rejected at the bill-of-entry stage.
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 tamarind under a Duty-Free Import Authorisation on the basis that the end use is industrial or manufacturing — DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025 closes that route entirely for all spices listed in Appendix 4J, tamarind included, because the pre-import condition is absolute. Separately, labelling deficiencies that fall outside the permitted rectification categories under FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020 cannot be corrected at the port and will result in re-export or destruction, not a compliance notice.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0810 90 20 require BIS certification?

No. Fresh tamarind is not within the BIS Quality Control Order regime; no BIS QCO covers fresh edible fruit. Import is governed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with DGFT policy controls and CBIC e-Sanchit document verification applying as overlays.

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

Three documents are mandatory: the Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS), the Phytosanitary Certificate (document code 851000), and the FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001), per CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023.

Can labelling deficiencies be corrected at the port of import?

Only the specific categories permitted under FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020 and CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus may be rectified at customs bonded warehouses by affixing a single non-detachable sticker before inspection; deficiencies outside those categories cannot be rectified at port and may result in re-export.

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