FSSAI licence apply FoSCoS basic state 2026

Any food business operator in India needs FSSAI registration or a licence. Apply only on FoSCoS at foscos.fssai.gov.in. From 1 April 2026 the turnover lines moved. Basic registration now goes up to Rs 1.5 crore. Ignore old blogs that still quote Rs 12 lakh.

On this page

• Basic vs State vs Central
• FoSCoS fees and validity
• Apply on FoSCoS
• Documents
• Agents and mistakes
• RTI if FoSCoS is stuck
• FAQ

FSSAI's 2026 amendment (Gazette 10 March 2026; implementation for new applications from 1 April 2026) raised the turnover thresholds. Use this table for new applications. Confirm the live eligibility tool on foscos.fssai.gov.in before you pay.

Older pages still say Basic below Rs 12 lakh, State to Rs 20 crore, Central above Rs 20 crore. Those slabs do not apply to new applications from 1 April 2026.

Turnover is not always the only test. Some activities still route to a Central licence on FoSCoS even when the rupee figure looks “State”. Importers, exporters, and certain multi-state or e-commerce operators should run the in-portal eligibility tool and follow that result. Do not fight the tool with a blog chart.

Who needs this at all: manufacturer, processor, packer, distributor, retailer, restaurant, caterer, transporter, and other food business operators. A kirana that sells packaged food, a cloud kitchen, and a home baker who sells to customers are food businesses. GSTIN does not replace FSSAI. Pair this page with how to apply for GST registration and shop establishment / Gumasta.

Official FoSCoS fee table (1-year row):

FoSCoS still shows a maximum term of 5 years on the fee table. FSSAI's 2026 amendment provides perpetual validity for new licences and registrations. Confirm the option FoSCoS offers you at checkout. Do not assume the old 1-to-5-year renew cycle if the screen now offers perpetual. Do not assume perpetual if the screen still sells a term.

Pay only what foscos.fssai.gov.in displays. A private “FSSAI package” on WhatsApp is not an FSSAI charge.

Verb-led steps

1. Open foscos.fssai.gov.in. Bookmark it. Type the address yourself.
2. Create a user login with mobile and email OTP.
3. Run the eligibility / category check. Choose Basic, State, or Central as the tool returns.
4. Fill Form A for registration or Form B for a State or Central licence.
5. Enter FBO type, premises address, products, and capacity as the form asks.
6. Upload the documents listed for that category.
7. Pay the fee shown. Save the application ID / ARN.
8. Track that ID on FoSCoS. Reply to a query on the same login.
9. When granted, print the registration or licence. Display the 14-digit FSSAI number on the premises board, on invoices, and on packs as the labelling rules require.

The designated officer may inspect State and Central premises. Basic registration is lighter. Do not invent a nationwide “7-day” or “30-day” clock. Read the acknowledgement on FoSCoS.

Offline consultants exist. They are private. The application still has to land on FoSCoS. You can file it yourself.

PAN of the proprietor or entity is used on the form. Get it first: how to apply for PAN. Many small FBOs also take Udyam MSME registration the same week. That is a different free portal.

The exact list follows FBO type on FoSCoS. Typical uploads, to confirm on the live form:

• Photo, ID, and address proof of the proprietor, partners, or directors.
• PAN of the business or proprietor.
• Proof of premises: electricity bill, rent / consent, or property paper.
• List of food products and, for manufacturers, process / capacity details.
• Water test report and pest-control record where the form asks (common for manufacturers).
• Municipal or pollution NOC where Central or the activity list demands it.
• Photograph of the premises.

Name spelling must match PAN and Aadhaar if the form links them. A rented kitchen without the owner's consent letter is a frequent query.

• Using an old Rs 12 lakh / Rs 20 crore blog. New applications from 1 April 2026 use Rs 1.5 crore and Rs 50 crore.
• Picking Central to “look big”. Higher category means higher fee and more inspection, not a faster grant.
• Picking Basic when FoSCoS routes you to a licence. The eligibility tool wins.
• One licence for two kitchens. Separate premises usually need separate registrations or licences, unless FoSCoS allows a listed structure for that FBO.
• Forgetting display. The 14-digit number on the board and on packs is not optional once you are live.
• Sharing OTP with an agent. File on FoSCoS yourself.

In an illustrative scenario, a home baker pays a WhatsApp agent for an “FSSAI package”. The PDF has a logo. The 14-digit number does not verify on FoSCoS. File again on the real portal. The Union registration fee is still Rs 100 for one year if you are in that category.

The application, the inspection note, and the officer's name are public information. Apply under RTI Act 2005 s.6(1) to the Public Information Officer of the State Food Safety Commissioner / Designated Officer who has the file. Central-licence files sit with the Central licensing authority named on FoSCoS. Use that office, not a random Delhi address.

The PIO must reply in 30 days under s.7(1). Silence is treated as refusal. File a first appeal under s.19(1). Fees: RTI fees by state.

Draft with the AI RTI Drafter. If the PIO is silent, use the First Appeal Builder. Background: The RTI Playbook.

Ask only these five lines:

1. Status of FoSCoS application / licence number _ dated _ in the name of _.
2. Name and designation of the designated officer holding the file, and from which date.
3. Copy of inspection report, query, and file notings, if any.
4. The pending deficiency, if any, and the date of the next action.
5. Category recorded (Basic / State / Central) and the fee receipt against this application ID.

Raise a FoSCoS grievance on the same login first and keep the ticket number with the RTI.

Other business papers often move in the same week: municipal trade licence and GST. Refunds after you are registered on GST are a different trail: GST refund status 2026.

Open foscos.fssai.gov.in, create a login, run eligibility, fill Form A or Form B, upload the listed papers, and pay the fee on that portal. Save the application ID.

For new applications: registration up to Rs 1.5 crore, State licence above Rs 1.5 crore to Rs 50 crore, Central licence above Rs 50 crore. Confirm on FoSCoS. Some activities still need Central regardless of the rupee line.

Basic registration is Form A for smaller turnover (now up to Rs 1.5 crore). A State licence is Form B for the middle band, with more documents and often inspection. Central is Form B above Rs 50 crore or where FoSCoS classifies the activity as Central.

FoSCoS: registration Rs 100 for one year; Central Rs 7,500 for one year; State fee via View on the portal (commonly in a Rs 2,000-5,000 band, confirm there). Term and perpetual options: see checkout.

If you are a food business operator selling food, you need registration or a licence in the matching category. Turnover from 1 April 2026 decides Basic vs licence. Run FoSCoS eligibility. Do not rely on a “below Rs 12 lakh is optional” post.

FSSAI's 2026 amendment provides perpetual validity for new licences and registrations. FoSCoS may still show a 1-to-5-year fee row. Confirm the option the portal offers you at checkout.

Answer every query on the login. Then file RTI under s.6(1) to the food-safety PIO who holds the file, and appeal under s.19(1) if there is no reply in 30 days.

• How to apply for GST registration
• Udyam MSME registration
• Shop establishment / Gumasta
• How to apply for a trade licence
• How to apply for PAN
• All how-to-apply guides
• AI RTI Drafter
• The RTI Playbook

• FoSCoS: https://foscos.fssai.gov.in
• FSSAI: https://www.fssai.gov.in
• RTI Act, 2005: s.6(1), s.7(1), s.19(1)
• RTI Act text on RTI Wiki

Reviewed for RTI Wiki by Dr. Shrawan Kumar Pathak.