Of seed quality

Cumin, coriander, fennel and allied spice seeds of seed quality

FSSAI CLEARANCE · PPQS CLEARANCE

HSN 0909 61 21 (Of seed quality) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and to Plant Protection, Quarantine and Storage (PPQS) import permit under the Plant Quarantine (Regulation of Imports into India) Order, 2003. The tariff line is Restricted under the ITC (HS) policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), with import for sowing permitted without a licence subject to a valid PPQS import permit, and all spices under Appendix 4J are ineligible for import under Duty Free Import Authorisation per DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025.

What this is

HSN code

0909 61 21

Chapter

09 · Coffee, tea, mate and spices

Primary regulator

FSSAI · Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006; PPQS · Plant Quarantine (Regulation of Imports into India) Order, 2003

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) and ensure the Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) and Food Grade Certificate (document code 6570FS) are uploaded in e-Sanchit before filing the bill of entry. For sowing consignments, import is permitted without an FSSAI licence subject to a current PPQS import permit in lieu.
Plant Quarantine (Regulation of Imports into India) Order, 2003 · ITC (HS) Restricted import policy · FSSAI Import Licence code 911001
2
Upload the Phytosanitary Certificate (document code 851000) issued by the competent authority of the exporting country in e-Sanchit before out-of-charge. Route the consignment exclusively through one of the designated food-import entry points in compliance with General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022.
Plant Quarantine (Regulation of Imports into India) Order, 2003 · General Note 4(D) of Schedule I, ITC (HS) 2022 · CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023
3
Confirm that the import is not being claimed under any Duty Free Import Authorisation scheme. DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025 dated 22-09-2025 clarifies that all spices fall under Appendix 4J and are subject to a pre-import condition, rendering DFIA-based import impermissible regardless of intended end use. Rectifiable labelling deficiencies may be corrected at the customs bonded warehouse per CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs dated 28-06-2022 before visual inspection.
DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025 dated 22-09-2025 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs dated 28-06-2022 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023

A word of counsel

The most consequential trap on this tariff line is the DFIA exclusion: importers who have historically used Duty Free Import Authorisations for spice inputs must note that DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025 dated 22-09-2025 forecloses that route entirely for all spices under Appendix 4J — no end-use exception applies. A consignment arriving against a DFIA for this HSN will be treated as an unauthorised Restricted-import, triggering detention and potential confiscation, irrespective of whether the FSSAI and PPQS clearances are otherwise current.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0909 61 21 require BIS certification?

No, neither crushed nor ground spice seeds of seed quality fall outside 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, and by Plant Protection, Quarantine and Storage under the Plant Quarantine (Regulation of Imports into India) Order, 2003, with an ITC (HS) Restricted-import overlay administered by DGFT.

Can this HSN be imported without an FSSAI licence if the purpose is sowing?

Yes, import for sowing is permitted without an FSSAI licence, but only against a valid import permit granted under the Plant Quarantine (Regulation of Imports into India) Order, 2003 issued by PPQS; the phytosanitary certificate and designated-port requirements continue to apply.

Are spices under this tariff line eligible for import under a Duty Free Import Authorisation?

No. DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025 dated 22-09-2025 explicitly clarifies that all spices fall under Appendix 4J and are subject to a pre-import condition, making their import under DFIA impermissible under any circumstances irrespective of intended end use.

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