Of seed quality

Cumin, coriander, fennel and caraway seeds of seed quality

FSSAI CLEARANCE · PPQS CLEARANCE

HSN 0909 31 21 (cumin, coriander, fennel and caraway seeds of seed quality, neither crushed nor ground) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and to a Plant Quarantine Import Permit from Plant Protection, Quarantine and Storage (PPQS) under the Plant Quarantine (Regulation of Imports into India) Order, 2003. The tariff line is Restricted under the ITC (HS) import policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), with import for sowing permitted only against a valid PPQS import permit and without a separate licence for that purpose. Consignments must enter through designated food-import ports under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022, and all spices in this family are ineligible for import under the Duty Free Import Authorisation scheme per DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025.

What this is

HSN code

0909 31 21

Chapter

09 · Coffee, tea, mate and spices

Primary regulator

FSSAI · Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (high-risk food / spices 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 a valid FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) before filing the bill of entry and upload it in e-Sanchit along with the Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) and the Food Grade Certificate (document code 6570FS). No out-of-charge will be granted until these documents are verified in e-Sanchit by the proper officer.
CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 · FSSAI order dated 18-11-2022 under F.No.Import/TFM/Apex/2022-FSSAI
2
Upload the Phytosanitary Certificate (document code 851000) issued by the competent authority of the exporting country in e-Sanchit. For imports specifically for sowing, secure an Import Permit from PPQS under the Plant Quarantine (Regulation of Imports into India) Order, 2003 — a separate licence is not required for sowing-purpose imports but the Import Permit is mandatory.
Plant Quarantine (Regulation of Imports into India) Order, 2003 · ITC (HS) Restricted-import policy condition, Chapter 09
3
Route the consignment through a designated food-import port compliant with General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Note that all spices, including those under this HSN, are listed in Appendix 4J and are subject to a pre-import condition; import under the Duty Free Import Authorisation scheme is not permissible under any circumstances irrespective of intended end use.
General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of ITC (HS) 2022 · 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 spices under a Duty Free Import Authorisation, on the assumption that end-use as a raw material qualifies the product for the DFIA benefit. DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025 explicitly forecloses this: all spices fall under Appendix 4J with a pre-import condition, rendering DFIA ineligible irrespective of end use. Consignments presented under DFIA are liable to Restricted-import enforcement, short-levy demand, and detention pending regularisation.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0909 31 21 require BIS certification?

No, whole seeds of seed quality in this spice family 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 a concurrent Plant Quarantine Import Permit from PPQS and the ITC (HS) Restricted-import policy administered by DGFT.

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

Four documents must be uploaded: FSSAI Import Licence (911001), Specimen Copy of Label (0110FS), Food Grade Certificate (6570FS), and Phytosanitary Certificate (851000). The proper officer will not grant out-of-charge until all four are verified in e-Sanchit.

Can seeds imported under this HSN be brought in as sowing material without a full FSSAI Import Licence?

Import for sowing is permitted without a separate FSSAI licence, but only against a valid Import Permit granted under the Plant Quarantine (Regulation of Imports into India) Order, 2003; the phytosanitary and port-restriction requirements remain applicable regardless of sowing intent.

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