S. No.

Purpose / Requirement

Compliance Requirement

Form / Record

1.

Personal Consumption

Food brought for personal use is exempt from these Regulations, provided its value does not exceed the limit prescribed by Customs from time to time.

Form-7 declaration

2.

Personal-use Declaration

Person carrying food for personal consumption must submit the prescribed declaration.

Form-7

3.

Export / Re-export

Food imported for export, including rejected or re-imported food intended for re-export, need not ordinarily be referred by Customs to the Food Authority, subject to applicable instructions.

Relevant import/export documents

4.

Captive Use – 100% Export

Manufacturers/processors may import food, ingredients or additives for captive use or production of value-added products meant for 100% export.

Form-8

5.

Sister Concern / Wholly Owned Subsidiary

Food, ingredients or additives may be imported for use by sister concerns or wholly owned subsidiaries for 100% export production, subject to a defined relationship agreement.

Form-8 + relationship agreement

6.

End-use Declaration

Importer must declare to Customs, at the time of filing the Bill of Entry, that the imported food will be used exclusively for 100% export/re-export and will not be supplied for domestic consumption.

Form-8 + Bill of Entry

7.

Trading Entities

The captive-use facility is not available to trading entities that do not import the products for their own captive use, due to end-use traceability concerns.

Verify eligibility

8.

Diplomatic / Consular Imports

Clearance of food imports covered by the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, 1963 shall be dealt with in accordance with the applicable provisions, including Article 50.

Applicable diplomatic/consular documentation

9.

Research & Development

R&D imports may be cleared where the importer is a licensed Food Importer.

FSSAI licence

10.

R&D Declaration

Importer must declare that the imported food will be used only for R&D purposes.

Form-9

11.

Restriction on R&D Food

R&D imports must not be released into the domestic market and must not be used for test marketing or market research.

End-use records

12.

Exhibition Imports

Exhibitor must comply with applicable Customs requirements and make the prescribed declaration.

Form-10

13.

Food for Tasting at Exhibition

Where imported food is proposed to be used for tasting, importer must submit a Registration/License/Food Safety Certificate issued by the competent authority of the country of origin.

Certificate from country of origin

14.

Prohibited Food

Food prohibited for import by DGFT or specified by the Food Authority cannot be imported for exhibition or tasting.

Verify DGFT/FSSAI restrictions

15.

Exhibition Labelling

Every food product displayed for exhibition must carry a non-detachable additional label/sticker stating: “For Exhibition purpose only” and “Not for sale.”

Additional label/sticker

16.

Affixing Label

Additional exhibition label may be affixed in the customs-bonded warehouse, if it was not affixed earlier.

Label verification

17.

Exhibition Inventory

Importing exhibitor must maintain bills of material covering imported exhibition items, items consumed/destroyed for tasting, and items intended for re-export.

Bills of material / inventory

18.

Submission to Authorised Officer

Exhibition inventory/details must be produced before the Authorised Officer whenever demanded.

Bills of material

19.

Tasting Display

A placard must be prominently displayed at the exhibition stating “For Tasting Only.”

Exhibition placard

20.

Opened Food after Tasting

Unconsumed portions of food opened for tasting must be destroyed after the exhibition in accordance with the prescribed procedure.

Destruction record

21.

Unopened Food

Unopened and unconsumed food must be securely packed and re-exported to the country of origin.

Re-export documents + intimation

22.

Sportspersons' Consumption

Food imports exclusively intended for consumption by sportspersons of the exporting country may be permitted by the Food Authority.

Food Authority clearance

23.

Quantity Restriction – Sporting Events

Quantity imported must not exceed the bona fide requirement for captive use/consumption during the delegation's stay or the event, whichever is earlier.

Quantity/end-use records

24.

Balance Food – Sporting Events

Unconsumed food must be re-exported to the country of origin by an authorised member of the delegation, with intimation to the Authorised Officer.

Re-export records

25.

Declaration – Sporting Events

Importer must submit the prescribed declaration for clearance.

Form-11

26.

Contravention

Contravention of prescribed conditions may result in loss of concessions/facilities in future, in addition to consequences under the FSS Act, Rules and Regulations.

Compliance record

27.

Disaster / Emergency – Gratis Imports

Where food is received free of charge from another country during a disaster/emergency, its quality and safety must be ensured through a safety certificate issued by the competent authority/agency of the donor country.

Safety certificate