Vitamin A and their derivatives

Vitamin A and derivatives, provitamins for pharmaceutical or food use

FSSAI CLEARANCE · NDPS CLEARANCE

HSN 2936 21 00 (Vitamin A and their derivatives) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence requirements under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, where the product is imported as a food ingredient or nutraceutical, and to Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) import-certificate controls under Chapter VII-A of the NDPS Rules, 1985 where the substance falls within a scheduled category. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) ITC (HS) policy condition 2 of Chapter 29 and Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) Circular 23/2023-Cus mandatory Chapter 29 qualifiers apply as additional clearance requirements.

What this is

HSN code

2936 21 00

Chapter

29 · Organic chemicals

Primary regulator

FSSAI · Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (food/nutraceutical imports); NDPS · NDPS Rules, 1985, Chapter VII-A (scheduled substances)

Customs documentation

Import Licence from FSSAI
Import certificate from NDPS
Registration certificate from CDSCO

Applicable Partner Government Agencies

FSSAIFSSAI·Food Safety and Standards Authority of India

NDPSNDPS·Narcotics Control Bureau

Procedural directions for customs clearance are issued by: Directorate General of Foreign Trade, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs.

Compliance steps

1
Before filing the bill of entry, ensure the following mandatory documents are uploaded in e-Sanchit: Certificate of Analysis (drug) [0010dc], Batch Release Certificate [0030dc], Label of Consignment [0110dc], Specimen Copy of Label [0110FS], Registration Certificate (Drugs) [101dc1], FSSAI Import Licence [911001], and Import Licence for Drugs [9111dc]. The proper officer will verify each document code before granting out-of-charge.
CBIC e-Sanchit OOC verification requirement per CCR; document codes 0010dc, 0030dc, 0110dc, 0110FS, 101dc1, 911001, 9111dc
2
Where the substance is scheduled under the NDPS Act, obtain an import certificate under Rule 53 of the NDPS Rules, 1985 for imports for medical and scientific purposes under Chapter VII-A of those Rules. Imports falling outside the medical-and-scientific-purpose category are governed by Appendix-I to the ITC (HS) Schedule under ITC (HS) policy condition 2 of Chapter 29.
ITC (HS) policy condition 2 of Chapter 29 · Rule 53, NDPS Rules, 1985 · Chapter VII-A, NDPS Rules, 1985
3
Include the mandatory additional qualifiers in the import declaration for Chapter 29 commodities as stipulated in paragraphs 4.1 and 4.2 of CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus, effective 15 October 2023. Confirm compliance with General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of ITC (HS) 2022 for food-import entry points where FSSAI-regulated consignments are routed.
CBIC Circular 23/2023-Cus dated 30-09-2023, paras 4.1 and 4.2 · General Note 4(D), Schedule I, ITC (HS) 2022 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is treating the FSSAI Import Licence and the drug-registration documents as mutually exclusive tracks — importing either as a food ingredient or as a pharmaceutical — when the consignment may simultaneously trigger both regimes depending on the declared end-use and the substance's scheduled status. A mismatch between the declared use on the bill of entry and the documents uploaded in e-Sanchit routinely results in consignment detention pending NOC from both PGAs; the CBIC Chapter 29 mandatory qualifiers under Circular 23/2023-Cus are an additional, independent obligation that applies regardless of which PGA track governs the consignment.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 2936 21 00 require BIS certification?

No, Vitamin A and its derivatives are not within any 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 for food and nutraceutical uses, and by NDPS import-certificate controls under Rule 53 of the NDPS Rules, 1985 where the substance is scheduled.

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

The mandatory uploads are: Certificate of Analysis (drug) [0010dc], Batch Release Certificate [0030dc], Label of Consignment [0110dc], Specimen Copy of Label [0110FS], Registration Certificate (Drugs) [101dc1], FSSAI Import Licence [911001], and Import Licence for Drugs [9111dc] — all must be present before out-of-charge is granted.

When does the NDPS import-certificate requirement apply, and what governs imports outside that category?

The NDPS import certificate under Rule 53 of the NDPS Rules, 1985 applies to imports for medical and scientific purposes under Chapter VII-A; all other imports of scheduled substances are governed by Appendix-I to the ITC (HS) Schedule under ITC (HS) policy condition 2 of Chapter 29.

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