FSSAI Registration & Licence in 2026: Which One You Need, Fees and How to Apply

Selling food in India — from a pani puri cart to a cloud kitchen on Swiggy to a packaged-snacks unit — needs an FSSAI number before the first sale. The rules changed sharply in 2026: the turnover limits that decide whether you need a simple registration or a full licence were raised, and renewals were scrapped. This guide gives you the new limits, the exact fees, the documents, the FoSCoS steps and the situations that trip up home bakers, restaurants and online sellers.

Quick answer

FSSAI registration is the basic food-business permit for turnover up to ₹1.5 crore, costing ₹100/year on the official foscos.fssai.gov.in portal. Above that you need a state licence (up to ₹50 crore) or a central licence. Since 1 April 2026, registrations and licences no longer expire — you only keep paying the annual fee.

• Registration: turnover up to ₹1.5 crore — Form A, ₹100/year

• State licence: above ₹1.5 crore up to ₹50 crore — Form B, ₹2,000 – ₹5,000/year

• Central licence: above ₹50 crore, or importers, exporters, e-commerce, airports/seaports — ₹7,500/year

• Perpetual validity from 1 April 2026: no renewal; fee can be prepaid for several years

• Apply only on foscos.fssai.gov.in — look-alike sites charge for the same form

What FSSAI registration and an FSSAI licence actually are

The Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 says no one may make, store, distribute, sell or import food without a registration or licence from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) or the state food safety department. There is no "too small to register" category — FSSAI's latest FAQs are explicit that every business holds one or the other.

The paperwork comes in three tiers:

• Basic registration (Form A) — a 14-digit registration certificate for small operators. Issued by the registering authority in your district.
• State licence (Form B) — for mid-sized businesses, issued by the state Commissioner of Food Safety's designated officers.
• Central licence (Form B) — issued by FSSAI's regional offices for large businesses and for specific activities that cross state or national borders.

All three are applied for, paid for and tracked on one portal: FoSCoS (Food Safety Compliance System), which replaced the older FLRS site.

The 2026 limits: which category your business falls in

FSSAI's order of 13 March, issued after the Licensing and Registration Amendment Regulations were notified on 10 March, replaced every earlier turnover cut-off. The new limits apply from 1 April 2026.

FSSAI registration vs state licence vs central licence (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
Old limit (till 31 Mar 2026)	Up to ₹12 lakh	₹12 lakh – ₹20 crore	Above ₹20 crore
Application form	Form A	Form B	Form B
Fee per year	₹100/year	₹2,000 – ₹5,000/year	₹7,500/year
Issued by	District registering authority	State food safety department	FSSAI regional office
Validity	Perpetual (fee yearly)	Perpetual (fee yearly)	Perpetual (fee yearly)

Annual turnover

Basic registration

Up to ₹1.5 crore

State licence

Above ₹1.5 crore up to ₹50 crore

Central licence

Above ₹50 crore

Old limit (till 31 Mar 2026)

Basic registration

Up to ₹12 lakh

State licence

₹12 lakh – ₹20 crore

Central licence

Above ₹20 crore

Application form

Basic registration

Form A

State licence

Form B

Central licence

Form B

Fee per year

Basic registration

₹100/year

State licence

₹2,000 – ₹5,000/year

Central licence

₹7,500/year

Issued by

Basic registration

District registering authority

State licence

State food safety department

Central licence

FSSAI regional office

Validity

Basic registration

Perpetual (fee yearly)

State licence

Perpetual (fee yearly)

Central licence

Perpetual (fee yearly)

Activities that need a central licence whatever your turnover

Turnover isn't the only test. The FoSCoS "Kind of Business" schedule lists activities that go straight to a central licence:

• Importers of any food, ingredient or additive for commercial use
• Exporters — 100% EOUs, manufacturer-exporters and merchant-exporters
• E-commerce food business operators
• Food businesses on the premises of airports, seaports and central government agencies
• A head office declaration if you run food activities in two or more states

Certain products — proprietary foods, health supplements and nutraceuticals, non-specified foods, irradiated food — are also listed for central licensing with no capacity limit. If you import food, you'll also need an Import Export Code from DGFT before customs clearance.

Which one do you need? Common food businesses

The questions we hear most come from people starting small. Here is how the new limits play out.

Home bakers and tiffin services. A home kitchen selling cakes on Instagram or dabbas to offices is a food business. With turnover up to ₹1.5 crore you need only basic registration. Your home address is your premises; if it matches your Aadhaar address you don't need separate address proof.

Cloud kitchens. A delivery-only kitchen is registered under the restaurant / food-service kind of business at the kitchen's own address. Swiggy and Zomato require a valid FSSAI number before they activate a listing, and each kitchen location needs its own number.

Restaurants, cafés and caterers. Most neighbourhood restaurants now fit inside the registration tier. Once annual sales cross ₹1.5 crore you move to a state licence. Hotels follow the same turnover test, but large star-rated properties should check the hotel line in the FoSCoS schedule.

Street vendors. The 2026 amendment removed dual paperwork: vendors, hawkers, food carts and food trucks already registered under the Street Vendors Act, 2014 are deemed to be FSSAI-registered. They must still follow the hygiene rules in Schedule 4.

Packaged-food manufacturers. Turnover sets the tier, but dairy, meat, packaged drinking water, infant food and fish units still face product-specific testing and hygiene rules even if they now fall under registration.

FSSAI fees in 2026 — with worked examples

Fees are charged per year. What's new is that, with perpetual validity, you choose how many years to pay for at once, and you can pay at any time of year.

FSSAI fees and timelines (2026)

₹100/year

Basic registration fee

Form A

₹2,000 – ₹5,000/year

State licence fee

Depends on kind of business

₹7,500/year

Central licence fee

7 days

To grant registration or order inspection

60 days

To issue a state/central licence

Within the state licence band, the FoSCoS schedule charges ₹2,000 for most trading and food-service businesses (retailers, restaurants, caterers, wholesalers, distributors) and ₹3,000 or ₹5,000 for some manufacturing capacities and 3–4 star hotels. The portal calculates the exact amount once you choose your kind of business.

Example 1 — cloud kitchen, turnover ₹90 lakh. Under the old rules this kitchen needed a state licence at ₹2,000 a year. From 1 April 2026 it qualifies for basic registration at ₹100/year a year. Paying five years upfront costs ₹500.

Example 2 — restaurant, turnover ₹3 crore. It sits in the state licence band. At ₹2,000 a year, paying three years at once means one payment of ₹6,000 and no annual reminder to miss.

Example 3 — spice importer, turnover ₹40 lakh. Small turnover, but importing triggers a central licence: ₹7,500/year.

Government fees are the only mandatory cost. Consultants typically add a service charge — fine if you want help, but the form itself is short.

How to apply on FoSCoS: step by step

FSSAI registration online on FoSCoS

1. 1

   Open FoSCoS and start an application

   Go to foscos.fssai.gov.in and click Apply for License/Registration. Choose your state and read the note on kinds of business.

   Open FoSCoS
2. 2

   Pick your kind of business

   Select the group (e.g. Food Services → Restaurant, or Trade/Retail → Retailer) and the matching kind of business. Declare your expected annual turnover — this decides registration vs licence.

   Tip: Pick every activity you actually do (e.g. manufacturing + retail). Adding one later is a modification.

3. 3

   Fill Form A or Form B

   Enter business name, premises address, food categories, and proprietor/partner/director details. Licence applicants also give production capacity or turnover and food safety details.

4. 4

   Upload documents and pay

   Upload the documents below, choose the number of years and pay online.

5. 5

   Save the 17-digit reference number

   The receipt carries a reference number you use to track status from the FoSCoS home page and to answer any query raised by the officer.

6. 6

   Inspection (if ordered) and certificate

   For registration, the authority grants, rejects or orders an inspection within 7 days; licences are due within 60 days. Download the certificate from your FoSCoS login.

If the registering authority neither decides nor orders an inspection within the 7-day window — or orders one but doesn't decide within 30 days — the 2011 regulations let you start trading. You must still carry out any improvements the authority later asks for.

Documents required for FSSAI registration and licence

Basic registration is light. FoSCoS asks for just three things.

Documents to keep ready

0/8

• Basic registration: a recent photograph of the applicant
• Basic registration: government photo ID — Aadhaar, PAN, Voter ID etc.
• Basic registration: proof of the business address, only if it differs from the address on the photo ID
• Licence: proof of possession of premises — sale deed, rent agreement or electricity bill
• Licence: constitution document — partnership deed, LLP agreement or MoA/AoA, plus list of partners/directors with ID
• Licence: food safety management system (FSMS) plan
• Licence (manufacturers): layout plan of the unit, list of equipment and machinery, water test report from an accredited lab
• Licence (as applicable): NOC from the brand owner for relabellers, import-export code for importers

Share Print

The exact document set for a licence depends on the kind of business you select; FoSCoS shows the list before you upload. Scan in PDF and keep each file small — oversized uploads are the most common reason the form stalls.

Validity and "renewal" after the 2026 reforms

Until March 2026, certificates were issued for one to five years and you had to file a renewal before expiry, with late fees of ₹100 a day after the deadline. That system is gone for anything issued on or after 1 April 2026: FSSAI's FAQs confirm registrations and licences now stay valid unless suspended, cancelled or surrendered. Tatkal licences get the same perpetual validity.

What remains is the annual fee. Choose any number of years when you pay. If you stop paying, the amended regulations allow the authority to suspend your licence until the fee and a penalty are paid — so prepaying several years is the simplest protection.

Already hold a licence? FSSAI says existing businesses will be given time to migrate to the new categories on FoSCoS:

• Migration is automatic in the back end, based on your self-declaration
• No modification fee, no approval from the officer, and your number stays the same
• Fees already paid for a state licence are adjusted against the registration fee if you drop to the lower tier

Changes to your business — new address, new food category, new partner — still go through the normal modification process.

Ongoing compliance after you get your FSSAI number

Your FSSAI calendar

Day one

Display the registration/licence certificate and Food Safety Display Board at the premises

On every pack

Print the FSSAI logo and your 14-digit number on labels (packaged food)

Every year

Pay the annual fee (or prepay several years) on FoSCoS

31 May each year

Licensed manufacturers and importers file the annual return in Form D-1 — late fee ₹100 per day

Half-yearly

Licensed dairy manufacturers file Form D-2 within a month of each half-year

Any change

File a modification before changing address, products or ownership

Inspections now follow a computer-assisted risk model. It weighs your compliance history, surveillance samples, self-testing and third-party audits. Clean records mean fewer visits; repeat problems mean more. Since the second amendment of June 2026, manufacturers must keep separate daily records of production and raw-material use. Storage must follow first-in-first-out and first-expired-first-out.

Penalties and common mistakes

Section 63 of the Food Safety and Standards Act has provided for up to six months' imprisonment and a fine of up to ₹5 lakh for anyone who needs a licence and trades without one. Parliament passed the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2026 in April, which replaces several food-law prison terms with monetary penalties. Check the amended text on India Code before quoting a figure; the safer course is simply to register before you sell.

Mistakes that cause rejections or later trouble:

1. Choosing registration when your activity needs a central licence. An importer or online seller with ₹10 lakh turnover still needs a central licence.
2. One number for several kitchens. Each premises needs its own registration or licence.
3. Under-declaring turnover. If your turnover crosses ₹1.5 crore, migrate to a state licence — the declaration is yours to make.
4. Paying an agent site that looks official. The only portal is foscos.fssai.gov.in.
5. Missing the Form D-1 return. It applies to licensed manufacturers and importers, by 31 May.

Official links

• FoSCoS — apply, pay fee, track, download certificateOnly official portal
• FSSAI order on revised turnover thresholds (13 March 2026)
• FSSAI FAQs on the 2026 amendment (27 March 2026)
• Kind of Business eligibility and fee schedule
• Documents required for registration certificate
• Licensing & Registration Regulations, 2011 (compendium)

What to do next

Once your FSSAI number is in hand, register the business itself: Udyam registration is free and opens up MSME benefits, and GST registration becomes mandatory once you cross the GST threshold or sell through food aggregators. Then price your menu properly with the food cost calculator so the new, lower compliance cost actually shows up in your margin.

This is general information, not legal or tax advice — confirm on the official source or with a professional.

Frequently asked questions

Is FSSAI registration mandatory for a home baker in 2026?

Yes. Every food business, including a home kitchen selling cakes, tiffins or pickles, needs at least a basic registration. With turnover up to ₹1.5 crore a year you file Form A on FoSCoS and pay ₹100/year. Online platforms and most corporate buyers will also ask for your 14-digit FSSAI number before they list or pay you.

Do I need to renew my FSSAI licence every year?

No. Since 1 April 2026, FSSAI registrations and licences have perpetual validity — they stay valid until suspended, cancelled or surrendered. What continues is the annual fee. You can pay it for as many years as you like in one go, but missing it can lead to suspension until you pay with a penalty.

What is the difference between FSSAI registration and FSSAI licence?

Registration (Form A) is the light category for small food businesses with turnover up to ₹1.5 crore. A licence (Form B) is needed above that — a state licence up to ₹50 crore and a central licence above it, or for activities such as import, export, e-commerce and airport or seaport outlets regardless of turnover.

How long does FSSAI registration take?

The registering authority must grant, reject or order an inspection within 7 days of a complete application. If it orders an inspection, a decision is due within 30 days. If nothing happens in those windows, the regulations allow you to start trading. A state or central licence should be issued within 60 days.

My turnover fell below ₹1.5 crore. Do I have to apply again for registration?

No fresh application is needed. FSSAI's March 2026 FAQs say existing businesses move to the new category through FoSCoS on a self-declaration, with no modification fee, no approval step and no change of licence number. Any state licence fee you already paid is adjusted against the registration fee.

What is the penalty for running a food business without an FSSAI licence?

Section 63 of the Food Safety and Standards Act has provided for up to six months' imprisonment and a fine of up to ₹5 lakh for trading without a required licence. The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2026 rationalises several food-law penalties, so check the current text of Section 63 on India Code before relying on a figure.

Sources & verification

Figures on this page were checked against the sources below when it was last reviewed on 7 October 2026. Each rate and limit is stored once with its own official source and review date, and official update channels are monitored daily so changes are picked up. How we verify

1. 1.Order dated 13 March 2026 — Implementation of revised turnover threshold for food businesses — FSSAI · accessed 7 October 2026
2. 2.FAQs on FSS (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Amendment Regulations, 2026 (27 March 2026) — FSSAI · accessed 7 October 2026
3. 3.Kind of Business — criteria, licence/registration and fee per annum — FSSAI (FoSCoS) · accessed 7 October 2026
4. 4.How to apply for licence / registration certificate on FoSCoS — FSSAI (FoSCoS) · accessed 7 October 2026
5. 5.Documents required for Registration Certificate — FSSAI (FoSCoS) · accessed 7 October 2026
6. 6.Compendium — FSS (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011 — FSSAI · accessed 7 October 2026
7. 7.Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026: decriminalising minor offences in the health sector — PIB (Ministry of Health and Family Welfare) · accessed 7 October 2026
8. 8.Section 63, Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 — Indian Kanoon · accessed 7 October 2026
9. 9.FSSAI Amendment Regulations 2026: key reforms and FAQs — TaxTMI · accessed 7 October 2026