OTHER FERMENTED BEVERAGES (FOR EXAMPLE, CIDER, PERRY, MEAD, SAKE); MIXTURES OF FERMENTED BEVERAGES AND MIXTURES OF FERMENTED BEVERAGES AND NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT ELSEWHERE SPECIFIED OR INCLUDED

Other fermented beverages (cider, perry, mead, sake)

FSSAI CLEARANCE

HSN 2206 00 00 (other fermented beverages) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence and labelling compliance under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, including FSS (Import) Regulations, 2017 and FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020. Import is additionally governed by General Note 12 of the ITC (HS) Schedule, requiring compliance with state-government mandatory requirements for alcoholic beverages under Chapter 22, and is restricted to designated food-import entry points under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022.

What this is

HSN code

2206 00 00

Chapter

22 · Beverages, spirits and vinegar

Primary regulator

FSSAI · Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (food import and labelling regime)

Customs documentation

Import Licence from FSSAI
Specimen copy of label from FSSAI
Compliance documentation from State government

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 and ensure the Specimen Copy of Label is prepared in conformity with the FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020. Both documents — FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) — must be uploaded in e-Sanchit before the bill of entry is filed and out-of-charge is granted.
FSSAI Import Licence 911001 · document code 0110FS · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs dated 28-06-2022
2
Verify that the consignment enters only through one of the designated food-import entry points and that all state-government mandatory requirements for alcoholic beverages under Chapter 22 have been satisfied. Non-compliance with General Note 12 state-level conditions is an independent ground for detention, irrespective of FSSAI clearance.
General Note 12 of ITC (HS) Schedule · General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of ITC (HS) 2022
3
Confirm the validity status of the FSSAI NOC for alcoholic beverages bottled in origin and in bulk per the extended-validity scheme. Labelling deficiencies permissible for rectification at the customs bonded warehouse must be corrected by affixing a single non-detachable sticker on the principal display panel before visual inspection by the authorised officer.
CBIC Instruction 19/2025-Cus dated 20-06-2025 · FSSAI order F.No.TIC-b05/1/2021-Imports FSSAI dated 13-06-2025 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 · FSSAI Letter 1828/Misc Matters/FSSAI/Imports-2021 dated 17-06-2022

A word of counsel

The most frequent error on this tariff line is treating the FSSAI Import Licence as exhaustive of the clearance obligation and overlooking the state-government compliance layer imposed by General Note 12 of the ITC (HS) Schedule. Each state through which the consignment is imported or into which it is sold may impose its own excise permit, label registration, or import pass requirement, and failure to produce state-level documentation at the port can result in detention and ground rent accumulation even when the FSSAI NOC is current and properly uploaded.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 2206 00 00 require BIS certification?

No, other fermented beverages fall outside 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 additional state-government compliance overlay under General Note 12 of the ITC (HS) Schedule.

Has the validity of the FSSAI NOC for alcoholic beverages been extended, and how does it affect the bill of entry?

Yes. CBIC Instruction 19/2025-Cus dated 20-06-2025, read with FSSAI order dated 13-06-2025, provides for extension of the validity of the NOC for alcoholic beverages bottled in origin and in bulk; importers must confirm the current validity window before filing the bill of entry.

Which labelling deficiencies may be rectified at the port, and what method is permitted?

Per CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs and CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus, specified labelling information under the FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020 — including per-serve dietary contribution and expiry date — may be rectified at the customs bonded warehouse by affixing a single non-detachable sticker next to the principal display panel without altering the original label.

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