An FSSAI certificate is the registration or licence that a food business needs from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India before it manufactures, stores, distributes, sells, imports or exports food. There are three tiers: basic registration for businesses with turnover up to ₹1.5 crore, a State licence for turnover above ₹1.5 crore and up to ₹50 crore, and a Central licence for turnover above ₹50 crore and for certain activities, such as importing, whatever the turnover. All three are applied for online on FoSCoS.
The turnover bands changed on 1 April 2026, and licences issued from that date no longer expire. Many guides online still quote the old ₹12 lakh and ₹20 crore limits.
FSSAI full form and the law behind it
FSSAI stands for Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. It was set up under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and works under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The detailed rules are in the FSS (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011, as amended.
The two most recent changes are:
- Amendment Regulations, 2026 (gazette notification dated 10 March 2026). These brought in perpetual validity of licences and registrations, deemed registration for street food vendors, a risk-based inspection framework, and power for the Food Authority to revise turnover thresholds.
- FSSAI order dated 13 March 2026. This set the new turnover thresholds from 1 April 2026 and replaced all earlier turnover criteria.
FSSAI explained both changes in its FAQs dated 27 March 2026.
Who needs an FSSAI certificate
Any food business operator (FBO) needs one. That includes manufacturers, repackers, relabellers (brands that use contract manufacturers), storage and cold chain operators, transporters, wholesalers, distributors, retailers, restaurants, cloud kitchens, caterers, importers, exporters and e-commerce platforms. The licence is tied to the premises, so a business with several units needs a registration or licence for each one. A business operating in two or more States also needs a Central licence for its head office.
Section 63 of the FSS Act sets the penalty for running a food business without a required licence: imprisonment of up to six months and a fine of up to ₹5 lakh. FSSAI’s licensing FAQs add that making a product not endorsed on your licence also counts as doing business without a licence.
Registration vs State licence vs Central licence
The table uses the turnover bands from the 13 March 2026 order and the fees in FoSCoS’s Kind of Business eligibility sheet (updated 1 April 2026).
| Basic registration | State licence | Central licence | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual turnover | Up to ₹1.5 crore | Above ₹1.5 crore, up to ₹50 crore | Above ₹50 crore |
| Required regardless of turnover | – | All grain, cereal and pulses milling units | Importers, e-commerce, merchant exporters, manufacturer-exporters, 100% EOUs, proprietary food, health supplements and nutraceuticals, non-specified food, Ayurveda aahara, radiation processing, airport and seaport premises, Central Government agency premises, head offices of multi-State FBOs |
| Other category rules | – | Hotels up to 4-star; caterers and mid-day meal caterers up to ₹50 crore | Five-star hotels and above |
| Fee per year | ₹100 (₹0 for hawkers and Anganwadi centres) | ₹5,000 for most kinds of business | ₹7,500 |
| Application form | Form A | Form B | Form B |
| Issued by | State registering authority | State licensing authority | Central licensing authority (FSSAI) |
| Number starts with | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Validity | Perpetual if issued on or after 1 April 2026 | Same | Same |
A few points to note:
- Kind of Business comes first. FoSCoS decides your tier from the Kind of Business (KoB) you select as well as your turnover. Check the sheet for your KoB before you apply.
- Existing FBOs. FSSAI’s 2026 FAQs say existing FBOs will be given time to move to the new tiers on FoSCoS. The move is free, your licence number stays the same, and any State licence fee already paid is adjusted against the registration fee.
- Street vendors. Vendors registered under the Street Vendors Act, 2014 are now deemed to be registered under the FSS Act. They must still meet the hygiene requirements in Schedule 4.
Importers and import clearance
Every importer needs a Central licence under the Importer category, at the address on its Import Export Code (IEC). A State licence does not allow you to import. If you already hold one, FSSAI’s FAQs say you must apply for a Central licence under the Importer category.
The licence is only the first step. Each consignment also needs clearance through FSSAI’s Food Import Clearance System (FICS), which is linked to the Customs ICEGATE portal. After document scrutiny, visual inspection and sampling, FSSAI issues a No Objection Certificate. The importer’s FSSAI logo, licence number, name and address must also appear on the product label.
E-commerce food businesses
FSSAI’s FAQs say platforms that carry out food business activity under section 3(n) of the Act need a Central licence under the E-Commerce category, taken at the head office. A brand selling through its own website also needs an e-commerce licence. A platform that only lists FBOs does not need a licence, but it must list only FBOs that hold a valid licence or registration. Sellers on a marketplace still need their own registration or licence for their premises.
How to apply on FoSCoS, step by step
The steps follow FSSAI’s FoSCoS application guide:
- On foscos.fssai.gov.in, choose Apply for Licence/Registration.
- Select your State, then your Kind of Business. FoSCoS shows whether you need a registration, a State licence or a Central licence.
- Fill in Form A (registration) or Form B (licence), including food product categories, premises details and capacity or turnover.
- Upload the documents and pay the fee online for the number of years you choose.
- Note the 17-digit reference number on the receipt and use it to track the application on the FoSCoS homepage.
- Respond to any query within 30 days, or the application can be rejected.
- The authority may inspect the premises against Schedule 4 hygiene requirements.
The regulations set time limits. A registration must be granted or inspected within 7 days, and decided within 30 days if an inspection is ordered. A licence must be issued within 60 days of a complete application.
Documents
FoSCoS lists documents by Kind of Business. Annexure 2 of the regulations specifies the following for a State or Central licence application:
- Photo ID and address proof of the proprietor, partners or directors
- Proof of possession of the premises (sale deed, rent agreement or utility bill)
- Partnership deed or memorandum and articles of association
- Layout plan of the unit and a list of equipment with installed capacity (manufacturers)
- List of food categories to be made
- Water analysis report from a recognised laboratory, where water is an ingredient
- Nomination of the responsible person (Form IX), a Food Safety Management System plan, and a recall plan where applicable
- NOC from the manufacturer (relabellers), IEC (importers), and category-specific documents for milk, meat and packaged drinking water
Basic registration needs much less: Form A, photo ID and a self-declaration of compliance with Schedule 4 hygiene requirements.
The 14-digit number: labels, premises and bills
Every FSSAI licence and registration has a 14-digit number. A licence number starts with 1 and a registration number starts with 2. This number has to appear in several places:
- On the pack. Regulation 5(7) of the Labelling and Display Regulations, 2020 requires the FSSAI logo and “Lic. No.” followed by the number, in a colour that contrasts with the background. The brand owner’s number must appear. If the manufacturer, packer or marketer is a different business, its number must appear as well.
- At the premises. The same regulation requires every FBO to display its registration or licence number, or a Food Safety Display Board where one is specified, at a prominent place. The Licensing Regulations also require a true copy of the licence to be displayed at the premises.
- On bills. An FSSAI order of June 2021, in force from 1 January 2022, requires the number on receipts, invoices and cash memos.
Packaged goods also need Legal Metrology declarations such as net quantity and MRP. Importers and packers of pre-packaged commodities may need an LMPC registration in addition to the FSSAI licence.
How to check a licence and download the certificate
To verify any FBO: open FBO Search on FoSCoS, or use the Food Safety Connect app, and enter the 14-digit number. The certificate also carries a QR code that shows the details held in FSSAI’s database. FSSAI says this helps to identify fraudulent certificates.
To get your own certificate: FSSAI’s FAQs say the certificate is emailed after it is issued. A licence goes to the nominated person’s email address and a registration to the applicant’s. You can also log in to your FoSCoS account to see your issued licence or registration and print it. If the email does not arrive, check the email address on your application.
Renewal, annual fee and modifications
Before April 2026, licences were issued for one to five years, with late fees for renewals filed less than 30 days before expiry. Under the 2026 amendment, a licence or registration stays valid unless it is suspended, cancelled or surrendered, and FSSAI’s FAQs state that FBOs are not required to renew. Any licence issued on or after 1 April 2026 has perpetual validity. If you hold an older licence, check its status on FoSCoS.
You still pay the annual fee, and FSSAI allows you to pay for any number of years at once. Changes to details printed on the certificate (Form C), such as company name, Kind of Business or address within the district, need a modification application. The FoSCoS guidance gives the fee as ₹1,000 plus any difference in annual fee when you move up a tier.
Annual returns
Under regulation 2.1.13 and FSSAI’s April 2024 advisory, licensed manufacturers (including repackers and relabellers), importers and manufacturer-exporters must file an annual return in Form D-1 on FoSCoS by 31 May for the previous financial year. The late fee is ₹100 per day from 1 June, capped at five times the annual licence fee. A revised return can be filed free of charge until 31 May, and for a fee until 31 March of the following year. FSSAI’s FAQs say the requirement does not currently apply to distributors, wholesalers, retailers, storage, transport or food service businesses, or to petty FBOs with only a registration.
How Aaditech can help
Aaditech helps food importers and manufacturers identify the right Kind of Business and tier, prepare FoSCoS applications and documents, and align pack labels with FSSAI and Legal Metrology requirements. For packaged commodity declarations, see our LMPC registration service. See our FSSAI licence service or contact us to discuss your application.