Green tea in bulk

Bulk unpackaged green tea, not fermented

FSSAI CLEARANCE · PPQS CLEARANCE

HSN 0902 20 20 (Green tea in bulk) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence and food-safety clearance under the Food Safety and Standards (Import) Regulations, 2017, along with Plant Protection, Quarantine and Storage (PPQS) phytosanitary oversight. The tariff line is subject to ITC (HS) policy condition 1 of Chapter 9 administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), and imports of tea from Nepal additionally require a licence under the Tea (Distribution and Export) Control Order, 2005 and a clearance certificate from the Tea Council.

What this is

HSN code

0902 20 20

Chapter

09 · Coffee, tea, mate and spices

Primary regulator

FSSAI · Food Safety and Standards (Import) Regulations, 2017

Customs documentation

Import Licence from FSSAI
Clearance certificate from FSSAI
Food grade certificate from FSSAI

Applicable Partner Government Agencies

FSSAIFSSAI·Food Safety and Standards Authority of India

PPQSPPQS·Plant Quarantine and Phytosanitary regime

Procedural directions for customs clearance are issued by: Directorate General of Foreign Trade, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs.

Compliance steps

1
Obtain an FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) before filing the bill of entry, and ensure the specimen copy of the label (document code 0110FS) and the food grade certificate (document code 6570FS) are uploaded in e-Sanchit. The ITC (HS) policy condition 1 of Chapter 9 must also be satisfied at customs clearance.
Food Safety and Standards (Import) Regulations, 2017 · ITC (HS) policy condition 1, Chapter 9 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs dated 28-06-2022
2
For tea imported from Nepal, additionally obtain a licence under the Tea (Distribution and Export) Control Order, 2005 and a clearance certificate issued by the Tea Council (document code 911TB1), and ensure the mandatory sanitary and phytosanitary certificates are in place. Upload the Tea Board clearance certificate (911TB1) in e-Sanchit before customs out-of-charge.
Tea (Distribution and Export) Control Order, 2005 · CBIC Instruction 25/2021-Customs dated 24-11-2021 · FSS (Import) Regulations, 2017
3
Note the FSSAI sampling regime for tea from Nepal and Sri Lanka: the first three consignments are subject to 100% mandatory referral and testing; only upon three consecutive clean NOCs does the referral rate reduce to 5% for subsequent consignments. Route the consignment through a designated food-import port as required under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022.
FSSAI letter dated 23-04-2024 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 · General Note 4(D), ITC (HS) 2022

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is failing to obtain the Tea Council clearance certificate for Nepal-origin consignments, treating the FSSAI Import Licence as the sole required clearance. The Tea (Distribution and Export) Control Order, 2005 imposes a separate licensing obligation on the importer — and without the Tea Council certificate uploaded as document code 911TB1, customs out-of-charge will be denied even where the FSSAI and PPQS clearances are current. Importers transiting to the 5% sampling track from Nepal or Sri Lanka must retain documentary evidence of the three prior clean FSSAI NOCs.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0902 20 20 require BIS certification?

No, green tea in bulk is not subject to any BIS Quality Control Order. Import is governed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the Food Safety and Standards (Import) Regulations, 2017, with a concurrent PPQS phytosanitary requirement and ITC (HS) policy condition 1 of Chapter 9.

Which documents must be uploaded in e-Sanchit at the bill of entry for this tariff line?

The mandatory e-Sanchit uploads are: specimen copy of label (0110FS), food grade certificate (6570FS), FSSAI Import Licence (911001), and the Tea Board clearance certificate for tea imports (911TB1), all to be verified by the proper officer before out-of-charge.

Does the 100% FSSAI testing requirement for Nepal and Sri Lanka origin tea apply permanently?

No. Per the FSSAI letter dated 23 April 2024, mandatory 100% referral applies only to the first three consignments from Nepal and Sri Lanka; if all three receive clean NOCs, subsequent consignments are referred at 5% only.

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