Other

Whole spice seeds (anise, fennel, coriander, cumin, caraway)

FSSAI CLEARANCE

HSN 0909 61 49 (whole spice seeds, neither crushed nor ground) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence and food-safety clearance under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, read with the FSS (Import) Regulations, 2017. The tariff line also carries ITC (HS) policy condition 1 of Chapter 09 administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), and consignments must enter through designated food-import ports under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Spices under this heading fall under Appendix 4J and are ineligible for import under Duty-Free Import Authorisation under any circumstances per DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025.

What this is

HSN code

0909 61 49

Chapter

09 · Coffee, tea, mate and spices

Primary regulator

FSSAI · Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and FSS (Import) Regulations, 2017

Customs documentation

Import Licence from FSSAI
Food Grade Certificate from FSSAI
Phytosanitary 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 current FSSAI Import Licence and ensure the following documents are uploaded in e-Sanchit before filing the bill of entry: Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS), Food Grade Certificate (document code 6570FS), Phytosanitary Certificate (document code 851000), and FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001). Out-of-charge will not be granted until all four documents are verified in e-Sanchit.
CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022 · FSSAI order dated 18-11-2022 under F.No.Import/TFM/APEX/2022-FSSAI
2
Route the consignment only through a designated food-import port listed in the ITC (HS) 2022 General Note 4(D) annexure. Comply with ITC (HS) policy condition 1 of Chapter 09; consignments arriving at a non-designated port are liable to detention pending re-routing or re-export.
General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of ITC (HS) 2022 · ITC (HS) policy condition 1 of Chapter 09
3
Confirm that the import is not being claimed under a Duty-Free Import Authorisation (DFIA). All spices are listed under Appendix 4J and are subject to a pre-import condition, making DFIA-based import impermissible irrespective of intended end use. Any labelling deficiency eligible for rectification must be remedied at the customs-bonded warehouse using a single non-detachable sticker before inspection by the authorised officer.
DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025 dated 22-09-2025 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022 · FSSAI Letter 1828/Misc Matters/FSSAI/Imports-2021 dated 17-06-2022

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 basis that they are inputs for further processing. DGFT Policy Circular 05/2025 is categorical: all spices appear in Appendix 4J with a pre-import condition, and DFIA is impermissible under any circumstances regardless of end use. Consignments presented with a DFIA claim face outright rejection at the bill-of-entry stage, not merely a documentation deficiency amenable to rectification.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0909 61 49 require BIS certification?

No, whole spice seeds are not within the BIS Quality Control Order regime; no BIS QCO covers this product family. Import is governed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with an ITC (HS) policy condition overlay administered by DGFT.

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); out-of-charge is withheld until all four are verified per CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus.

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

Yes, but only for the specific labelling particulars listed in CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus — such as per-serve RDA contribution and expiry date — which must be rectified at the 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.