Before you start: know which of the three you need
The form you fill depends on the tier, and the tier depends on your annual turnover and your kind of business. Under FSSAI's kind-of-business table in force from 1 April 2026:
- Registration (Form A): turnover up to ₹1.5 crore. ₹100 a year.
- State Licence (Form B): ₹1.5 crore to ₹50 crore. ₹5,000 a year.
- Central Licence (Form B): above ₹50 crore. ₹7,500 a year.
Some businesses skip the turnover test. Importers, exporters, e-commerce food businesses and health-supplement or nutraceutical manufacturers need a Central Licence at any size. Caterers cannot use Registration at all. And one licence covers one premises, so a second kitchen or factory is a second application.
If you're unsure, run the free licence finder first or read FSSAI licence types. Choosing the wrong tier is the most expensive mistake on this page.
Step by step on FoSCoS
- Open the real portal. Type foscos.fssai.gov.in yourself. FSSAI has warned about look-alike websites that collect licence fees.
- Create your account. Sign up with your own mobile number and email. Keep the login. It's the account that will hold your licence for as long as you trade.
- Choose your State, premises and kind of business. FoSCoS publishes a definition of each kind of business on its home page. Form B lets you tick more than one activity for the same premises.
- Fill Form A or Form B. Form A is the short one. Form B asks for more, including every kind of business carried on at the premises.
- Upload documents. The list for each kind of business is on the FoSCoS home page under "Documents Required". FSSAI's FAQ says every document must be self-attested by the proprietor or authorised signatory. See our documents checklist.
- Pay the government fee online. You pay FSSAI directly. Nobody else should collect it.
- Note the application reference number. You'll use it to track the application and, later, to log in.
What "instant registration" means since 2026
The FSS (Licensing and Registration) Amendment Regulations, gazetted on 10 March 2026, provide for instant registration on FoSCoS where the application is complete (regulation 2.1.1(4)). Before that, FSSAI's FAQ gave the registering authority 7 days to issue a certificate, or 30 days where it chose to inspect first.
Instant doesn't mean unchecked. The certificate records the kind of business you chose. If you chose wrongly, you hold the wrong registration, and that can count as trading without the right one. Registered premises can still be inspected, and FSSAI expects that at least once a year (regulation 2.1.1(6)).
Street vendors registered under the Street Vendors Act 2014 are deemed registered and pay no fee, but the hygiene rules still apply to them.
What happens after you apply for a licence
A State or Central Licence is not instant. FSSAI's FAQ says a licence has to be issued within 60 days of a complete application. Along the way:
- Alerts. You get SMS and email alerts at several stages, and you can check progress with "Track Application Status" on FoSCoS.
- Queries. If the officer needs more, the application comes back to your dashboard for editing. You have 30 days to reply. The FAQ is blunt: no reply in time and the application is auto-rejected.
- Inspection. The authority may inspect the premises before it decides. Have your documents, display board space and hygiene basics ready. See the inspection checklist.
FSSAI's 2022 FAQ also says certificates are auto-generated if the authority doesn't respond in time. Treat that as the FAQ's statement, not a plan. A reply to every query is still the fastest route.
Why applications get rejected or stuck
FSSAI's FAQ names two grounds: the information asked for wasn't given within 30 days, or the officer is satisfied the application isn't tenable. The second usually traces back to one of these:
- A kind of business that doesn't describe the business (a caterer on Registration, for example).
- The wrong tier for the turnover or activity.
- Documents that aren't self-attested, don't match each other, or don't match the premises address.
- A query left unanswered, or answered without the document asked for.
A rejection isn't a bar. You can apply again once the gap is fixed, and we can look at the officer's remarks with you.
After the certificate: what the licence expects of you
Since 10 March 2026, licences and registrations don't expire and there is no renewal. But a licence is deemed suspended if the annual fee goes unpaid or a required return isn't filed. No notice is sent. So from day one:
- Put the annual fee on your calendar. FSSAI hasn't said when it falls due; we count from the anniversary of grant.
- Licensed manufacturers and importers file Form D-1 by 31 May. See the annual return guide.
- Show the Food Safety Display Board and your 14-digit number at the premises. FSSAI's FAQ also says the number must go on bills and cash memos.
Our free Stay Licensed checklist covers the rest.
Do it yourself, or get help?
If you run a small shop, know your kind of business and turn over less than ₹1.5 crore, a ₹100 Registration is something you can do yourself. That's the honest answer.
Help earns its fee where the tier is unclear, where there are several activities or premises, or where a query needs a careful answer. Our fees are fixed: Registration ₹4,500, State Licence ₹12,500, Central Licence ₹19,500, plus GST. We file on your own FoSCoS login, and you pay the government fee straight to FSSAI. See pricing or book a free 10-minute check.