Of seed quality

Whole cumin, coriander, fennel or caraway seeds of seed quality

FSSAI CLEARANCE · PPQS CLEARANCE

HSN 0909 61 31 (seeds of anise, badian, fennel, coriander, cumin or caraway of seed quality, neither crushed nor ground) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) import licensing under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and 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) import policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), with import for sowing permitted under a PPQS import permit in lieu of a licence. All spices under this heading fall within Appendix 4J and are ineligible for import under Duty Free Import Authorisation per DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025.

What this is

HSN code

0909 61 31

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) and ensure the foreign manufacturing or processing facility is registered with FSSAI for spice products before the bill of entry is filed. 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.
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
Obtain a Phytosanitary Certificate from the competent authority of the exporting country (document code 851000) and upload it in e-Sanchit. Where the seeds are imported for sowing, import is permitted without a licence but must be covered by an import permit granted under the Plant Quarantine (Regulation of Imports into India) Order, 2003.
Plant Quarantine (Regulation of Imports into India) Order, 2003 · ITC (HS) import policy, Chapter 09
3
Confirm the consignment enters through one of the designated food-import ports in compliance with General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Note that spices falling under Appendix 4J — including this tariff line — are subject to a pre-import condition and are not importable under Duty Free Import Authorisation (DFIA) under any circumstances regardless of end use.
General Note 4(D) of ITC (HS) 2022 · DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025 dated 22-09-2025

A word of counsel

The most consequential error on this tariff line is attempting import of these spice seeds under a Duty Free Import Authorisation. DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025 dated 22-09-2025 closes that route entirely: all spices under Appendix 4J carry a pre-import condition that bars DFIA use irrespective of intended end use, including manufacturing. An import attempt under DFIA will be treated as an unauthorised Restricted-import, exposing the consignment to detention and the importer to DGFT enforcement.

Need a regulatory steer on this product?

Speak to a regulatory counsel about your specific HSN, IS, and supplier situation.

Speak to an Expert

Frequently asked

Does HSN 0909 61 31 require BIS certification?

No, whole spice seeds of seed quality 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, alongside 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 at the bill of entry for this HSN?

Four documents must be uploaded: Specimen Copy of Label (0110FS), Food Grade Certificate (6570FS), Phytosanitary Certificate (851000), and FSSAI Import Licence (911001) — per the mandatory-document verification requirement for PGA-facilitated bills.

Can labelling deficiencies on imported spice consignments be rectified at the port?

Yes, but only for the categories specified in CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 and the FSSAI order dated 18-11-2022 — rectification must occur at a customs bonded warehouse before inspection, using a single non-detachable sticker affixed next to the principal display panel without altering the original label.

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