In most major markets, including the EU, the UK and the US, you do not need a product-specific import licence for common culinary spices. You do need to be registered with customs, meet your country's food law and file the required import notifications.
Some herbs and botanicals are different. Plants used as medicines, food supplements or novel foods, and species protected under CITES, can need permits or approvals. Check with your national food authority before you order a new herb.
What you usually need
- EU and UK: an EORI number for customs, and registration of your food business with the local authority.
- US: the foreign facility registered with FDA, Prior Notice filed for each shipment, a customs bond for formal entries, and a Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP) in place for your suppliers, unless an exemption applies.
- Gulf and other markets: rules vary widely. Some require product or importer registration with a food authority. Ask your broker or the authority directly.
- Everywhere: a customs broker or forwarder who knows food imports.
When a herb needs more
- It is sold for a medicinal purpose, which may bring it under medicines law.
- It is used in food supplements, which have their own rules in many markets.
- It has no history of food use in your market, so it may count as a novel food in the EU or UK.
- It is a protected species listed under CITES, which needs export and sometimes import permits.
- It is a seed for sowing, which falls under plant health and seed rules, not food.
Licences on the Indian side
Your supplier needs its own Indian registrations: an IEC from DGFT, an FSSAI licence, and for spices the CRES from the Spices Board of India. Some products also need an APEDA registration. These are the exporter's responsibility, not yours. See the Spices Board CRES registration for what to ask for.
India can also restrict or ban exports of some products at times, which is a separate question covered in how export bans affect supply.
Before the first order
- Confirm the HS code and any controls attached to it.
- Check whether the product or origin is under increased official checks.
- Ask your broker which certificates must travel with the goods.
- Confirm your own registrations are active before the goods leave India, not when the ship arrives.
- Keep a written record of your checks, especially for FSVP in the US.
How we help
We check the supplier's IEC, FSSAI and Spices Board registrations before you order and collect the certificates your broker asks for. For herbs, we share the botanical name and plant part on the spec so your authority can assess it. Ask for a free sourcing review.