If you're researching an FSSAI license for exporters, here's the detail most generic guidance gets wrong: it's required regardless of your annual turnover. If your business exports food products from India, you need a Central FSSAI License — this is an activity-based requirement, not a revenue-based one. GBS Cochin handles the full process for exporters shipping out of Kochi's port.
Most FSSAI guidance online frames licensing purely by turnover — Basic Registration, State Licence, Central Licence, scaled to how much business you do. Exporters are a specific, deliberate exception to that rule. Under FSSAI's own Kind of Business eligibility criteria, 100% Export Oriented Units and exporter-manufacturers require a Central Licence no matter how small the business is. A first-time exporter shipping a modest container of spices from Kochi needs the same licence category as a large domestic manufacturer doing crores in turnover.
Kochi's port position makes this a genuinely common situation for Kerala food businesses — spice exporters, seafood processors, and general food product exporters routinely discover the turnover-based rules they've read online don't apply to them the moment export enters the picture. This isn't a one-size-fits-all national issue; it's a specific, recurring compliance gap for exactly the kind of business based in and around Kochi.
Getting this right matters beyond avoiding penalties — a valid Central Licence smooths customs clearance, reduces the risk of shipment holds or rejections at port, and signals credibility to overseas buyers who increasingly expect to see it before finalising a deal.
This is fixable, but it's worth sorting out before your next shipment, not after a customs or FSSAI query.
Get a Free Eligibility CheckAn FSSAI Central Licence covers your domestic food safety compliance, but international buyers and Indian export authorities typically expect more depending on what you're shipping:
We can advise on how these fit together with your FSSAI licensing so you're not caught out by a requirement you didn't know existed — and where useful, carry out a facility audit to confirm your premises meet FSSAI's infrastructure standards before you file, rather than finding out during inspection.
Central Licence holders generally file their FSSAI annual return (Form D1) once a year, by 31st May. Merchant exporters have the option to file their return on a quarterly basis instead through FoSCoS — a detail that's easy to miss if you're working from generic annual-return guidance rather than export-specific rules.
Yes. An FSSAI license for exporters is required regardless of turnover — this is one of the few activity-based exceptions to FSSAI's turnover-based licensing structure.
They're separate requirements. Import Export Code (IEC) is issued by DGFT and is foundational for any import/export business. FSSAI Central Licence is specifically about food safety compliance. Most food exporters need both.
No — under the 2026 perpetual validity rules, FSSAI licences no longer expire on a fixed term. You still need to pay the annual fee to keep it active; see our FSSAI license page for the full picture.
We can advise on how EIC health certificates and phytosanitary certificates fit alongside your FSSAI licensing, and coordinate the overall compliance picture for your export business.
Timelines depend on your documentation and product category. We can give you a realistic estimate once we understand your specific export business.
Let's make sure your FSSAI license for exporters matches what you're actually doing, not just your turnover.
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