Other

Whole cumin, caraway and coriander seeds, neither crushed nor ground

FSSAI CLEARANCE

HSN 0909 31 19 (whole spice seeds, neither crushed nor ground) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence requirements under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, including the FSSAI foreign-food import regime and port-of-entry restrictions. The tariff line is also subject to ITC (HS) policy condition 1 of Chapter 9 administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), which classifies all spices under Appendix 4J with a pre-import condition, rendering import under DFIA ineligible under DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025.

What this is

HSN code

0909 31 19

Chapter

09 · Coffee, tea, mate and spices

Primary regulator

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

Customs documentation

Import Licence from FSSAI
Food Grade Certificate from FSSAI
Phyto Sanitary 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 a valid FSSAI Import Licence before filing the bill of entry and ensure the following mandatory documents are uploaded in e-Sanchit prior to out-of-charge: FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001), Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS), Food Grade Certificate (document code 6570FS), and Phyto Sanitary Certificate (document code 851000).
CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022 · ITC (HS) policy condition 1 of Chapter 9
2
Route the consignment only through one of the designated food-import entry points compliant with General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Confirm that labelling satisfies FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020; rectifiable labelling deficiencies — including per-serve percentage RDA contribution and expiry date — may be corrected at customs-bonded warehouses before inspection by affixing a single non-detachable sticker without altering the original label.
CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022 · FSSAI order dated 18-11-2022 · FSSAI Letter 1828/Misc Matters/FSSAI/Imports-2021 dated 17-06-2022
3
Do not seek to import this tariff line under a Duty Free Import Authorisation (DFIA). All spices fall under Appendix 4J of the ITC (HS) and are subject to a pre-import condition; DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025 explicitly clarifies that spices are ineligible for import under DFIA 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 attempting to import spice seeds under a Duty Free Import Authorisation on the assumption that an export-linked end-use justifies the exemption. DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025 forecloses this route entirely — all spices are listed in Appendix 4J with a pre-import condition and no end-use carve-out exists. A consignment presented under DFIA will be detained, and the DFIA itself will not provide a lawful basis for customs out-of-charge, triggering demurrage and potential confiscation proceedings.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0909 31 19 require BIS certification?

No, whole spice seeds under this tariff line are not covered by any BIS Quality Control Order. Import is governed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with ITC (HS) policy condition 1 of Chapter 9 administered by DGFT.

Which e-Sanchit document codes are mandatory for this tariff line at the bill of entry?

Four documents must be uploaded in e-Sanchit before out-of-charge: FSSAI Import Licence (911001), Specimen Copy of Label (0110FS), Food Grade Certificate (6570FS), and Phyto Sanitary Certificate (851000), per CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023.

Can labelling deficiencies be corrected after the consignment arrives at port?

Yes, but only for the categories of rectifiable deficiencies permitted under CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus — such as per-serve RDA percentages and expiry date — and correction must be made at a customs-bonded warehouse by affixing a single non-detachable sticker before the authorised officer's inspection; missing PGA clearance documents are not rectifiable under this dispensation.

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