Of seed quality

Coriander, cumin and caraway seeds of seed quality, neither crushed nor ground

FSSAI CLEARANCE · PPQS CLEARANCE

HSN 0909 21 10 (coriander, cumin and caraway seeds of seed quality) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence requirements under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and concurrent Plant Protection, Quarantine and Storage (PPQS) phytosanitary clearance under the Plant Quarantine (Regulation of Imports into India) Order, 2003. The tariff line is Restricted under the ITC (HS) policy, with import for sowing permitted without a licence only against a PPQS import permit; all spices under Appendix 4J are ineligible for import under DFIA per DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025.

What this is

HSN code

0909 21 10

Chapter

09 · Coffee, tea, mate and spices

Primary regulator

FSSAI · Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (high-risk food / spice import regime)

Customs documentation

Import Licence from FSSAI
Phytosanitary Certificate from PPQS
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 the FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) before filing the bill of entry, and ensure the consignment arrives only through one of the designated food-import ports per General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Upload the FSSAI Import Licence, Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS), and Food Grade Certificate (document code 6570FS) in e-Sanchit before out-of-charge.
General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of ITC (HS) 2022 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs dated 28-06-2022
2
Obtain a Phytosanitary Certificate from the competent authority of the exporting country (document code 851000) and upload it in e-Sanchit. For consignments imported for sowing, the PPQS import permit issued under the Plant Quarantine (Regulation of Imports into India) Order, 2003 substitutes the standard FSSAI licence requirement, but the phytosanitary clearance remains mandatory.
Plant Quarantine (Regulation of Imports into India) Order, 2003 · ITC (HS) Restricted import policy, Chapter 09
3
Do not attempt import under a Duty-Free Import Authorisation (DFIA). All spices fall under Appendix 4J and are subject to a pre-import condition; import under DFIA is not permissible under any circumstances irrespective of intended end use.
DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025 dated 22-09-2025

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is filing a DFIA-backed import on the assumption that seed-quality status or an end-use declaration creates an exemption from the Appendix 4J pre-import condition. DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025 closes that route categorically — all spices under Appendix 4J are ineligible for DFIA regardless of intended end use, and consignments presented on a DFIA basis are liable to Restricted-policy enforcement, including detention and re-export at the importer's cost. Rectifiable labelling provisions under CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus apply to labelling deficiencies only and do not cure a missing FSSAI Import Licence or absent PPQS phytosanitary clearance.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0909 21 10 require BIS certification?

No, seed-quality coriander, cumin and caraway seeds are 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 concurrent Plant Protection, Quarantine and Storage phytosanitary clearance under the Plant Quarantine (Regulation of Imports into India) Order, 2003.

Which e-Sanchit document codes are mandatory for this tariff line?

Four documents must be uploaded in e-Sanchit before out-of-charge: Specimen Copy of Label (0110FS), Food Grade Certificate (6570FS), Phytosanitary Certificate (851000), and FSSAI Import Licence (911001), as specified in the CCR for PGA-facilitated bills.

Can seeds imported for sowing bypass the FSSAI Import Licence requirement?

Yes, but only partially — import for sowing is permitted without an FSSAI licence where a valid PPQS import permit has been granted under the Plant Quarantine (Regulation of Imports into India) Order, 2003; the phytosanitary certificate and designated-port requirements remain in force regardless.

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