Crushed or ground

Crushed or ground vanilla (spice, ground form)

FSSAI CLEARANCE

HSN 0905 20 00 (Crushed or ground vanilla) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with import permitted only through designated food-import ports under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) policy condition 1 of Chapter 09 applies, and vanilla — as a spice falling under Appendix 4J — is ineligible for import under Duty-Free Import Authorisation (DFIA) under any circumstances.

What this is

HSN code

0905 20 00

Chapter

09 · Coffee, tea, mate and spices

Primary regulator

FSSAI · Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006

Customs documentation

Import Licence from FSSAI
Food Grade Certificate from FSSAI
Phytosanitary Certificate from exporter

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 the FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) before shipment and upload it in e-Sanchit along with the Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS), Food Grade Certificate (document code 6570FS), and Phytosanitary Certificate (document code 851000). Customs out-of-charge will not be granted until all four documents are verified in e-Sanchit.
ITC (HS) policy condition 1 of Chapter 09 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022
2
Route the consignment exclusively through one of the 79 designated food-import ports notified under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Arrival at a non-designated port renders the consignment non-compliant with the FSSAI import entry-point regime and liable to detention.
General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of ITC (HS) 2022 · CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus dated 08-02-2023
3
Do not import crushed or ground vanilla under a Duty-Free Import Authorisation. All spices — including vanilla — fall under Appendix 4J and are subject to a pre-import condition, making DFIA ineligible irrespective of the intended end use.
DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025 dated 22-09-2025

A word of counsel

The single most common error on this tariff line is attempting to import vanilla or other spices under a Duty-Free Import Authorisation to reduce landed cost. DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025 dated 22-09-2025 explicitly closes this route: all spices are listed under Appendix 4J with a pre-import condition, and DFIA use is prohibited irrespective of end use. Consignments imported in breach of this condition are treated as an unauthorised restricted-import and are liable to confiscation and monetary penalty under the Customs Act, 1962.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0905 20 00 require BIS certification?

No, crushed or ground vanilla is not within the BIS Quality Control Order regime. Import is governed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with FSSAI Import Licence, food-grade certification, and phytosanitary clearance required at the bill of entry.

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

Four documents are mandatory: Specimen Copy of Label (0110FS), Food Grade Certificate (6570FS), Phytosanitary Certificate (851000), and FSSAI Import Licence (911001), all to be uploaded before customs out-of-charge per CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023.

Can vanilla be imported under a Duty-Free Import Authorisation for use in food manufacturing?

No. DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025 dated 22-09-2025 confirms that all spices, including vanilla, fall under Appendix 4J with a pre-import condition, and DFIA import is not permissible under any circumstances irrespective of the intended end use.

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