FSSAI Licence for Food Exporters

A food exporter must hold an FSSAI Central Licence, which is mandatory for all exporters regardless of turnover. A State Licence or Basic Registration will not do for export activity. You also need a valid Import Export Code (IEC). CAREALL confirms your product categories and files the Central Licence for you.

Yes. Exporting food requires two separate registrations: the FSSAI Central Licence and an Import Export Code (IEC) issued by the DGFT. The FSSAI licence covers food safety; the IEC authorises cross-border trade. CAREALL handles your FSSAI Central Licence and guides you on aligning it with your IEC details.

An FSSAI Central Licence no longer has a fixed one-to-five-year term. Once issued it stays valid indefinitely, as long as the annual fee is paid to keep it active; if the annual fee lapses the licence is deemed suspended and you cannot export until it is paid. Licences issued before April 2026 may still show an expiry date during the transition — we keep your annual fee paid so your licence stays active. CAREALL files the application, tracks it to issuance, and can manage the annual fee and any modifications to product categories or premises later on.