FSSAI licence renewal is no longer required. Under the amendment regulations in force from 10 March 2026 a licence or registration stays valid unless it is suspended, cancelled or surrendered, and FSSAI’s FAQs of 27 March 2026 confirm that existing food businesses do not need to renew and are migrated on FoSCoS, with the same licence number. What still matters is the annual fee, the right tier under the turnover limits that changed on 1 April 2026, and any licence that lapsed before the change.
| Point | Until 9 March 2026 | From 10 March 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Validity | 1 to 5 years, as chosen and paid for | Valid unless suspended, cancelled or surrendered |
| Renewal | Apply at least 30 days before expiry on FoSCoS | Not required for existing food businesses (FSSAI FAQ, 27 March 2026) |
| Late renewal | ₹100 per day if filed within the last 30 days before expiry | No renewal, so no renewal late fee |
| Existing licences | Renewed on expiry | Migrated by FoSCoS on the basis of self-declarations; licence number unchanged |
| Annual fee | Paid for the validity period chosen | Still payable; can be paid any time of year and for several years at once |
| Changes in premises, category, capacity or constitution | Modification | Modification, under the existing procedure |
Sources: FSS (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Amendment Regulations, 2026, notified 10 March 2026; FSSAI order of 13 March 2026 on turnover limits; FSSAI FAQs of 27 March 2026.
| Category | Annual turnover from 1 April 2026 | Earlier limit |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Registration | Up to ₹1.5 crore | Up to ₹12 lakh |
| State licence | Above ₹1.5 crore and up to ₹50 crore | Above ₹12 lakh and up to ₹20 crore |
| Central licence | Above ₹50 crore | Above ₹20 crore |
Activity can still require a State or Central licence whatever the turnover, so importers and some other categories stay on the Central tier. FSSAI has said there is no fee for a migration caused by the revised limits and no change in the licensing authority’s jurisdiction. Compare tiers in our State vs Central licence guide, or see FSSAI Basic Registration, State licence and Central licence.
| Your situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| Licence still live, certificate shows an expiry date | Check the FoSCoS record has migrated to perpetual validity; complete any self-declaration asked for; keep the annual fee paid |
| Turnover now in a different band | Let the migration move the category, or apply for a modification if FoSCoS does not; no migration fee |
| Premises, products, capacity or partners changed | File a modification, not a renewal |
| Licence expired before 10 March 2026 and was not renewed | Check its status on FoSCoS; if it has lapsed, a fresh application is usually needed, and you may not trade until it is granted |
| New business with no licence | Apply fresh; a licence issued on or after 1 April 2026 has perpetual validity |
Starting out? See FSSAI licence registration. Food businesses in West Bengal can see FSSAI renewal in Kolkata.
Pick the speed and depth that matches your need. Same quality, same CA team — only the timeline changes.
Timeline: 7 to 30 days
Timeline: 7 to 30 days
Timeline: Runs across the year
Government fee — paid by you at actuals
Government fees are paid by you at actuals and depend on your category. The annual fee is ₹100 a year for Basic Registration, roughly ₹2,000 to ₹5,000 a year for a State licence depending on the category, and ₹7,500 a year for a Central licence, and it can be paid several years in advance. FSSAI has said no fee applies to a migration caused by the revised turnover limits, and a higher fee already paid is adjusted against the new category. Late-renewal charges belonged to the pre-2026 regime and matter now only for a licence that lapsed before the change. We compute the figure for your case and tell you before anything is filed.
Every price above is a professional fee, excluding GST and government charges. 50% upfront, 50% on delivery.
All fees and charges listed are indicative only and do not constitute a binding offer. Final amounts may vary depending on the volume of work and the complexity involved.
From FoSCoS rather than from the certificate in the folder. Check that the record has migrated to perpetual validity and that the category matches the new turnover limits. A licence that lapsed before 10 March 2026 is a different job, and we establish which case you are in first.
For manufacturers and importers this comes first. Outstanding returns block a post-expiry renewal outright, and under the new framework an unfiled return deems the licence suspended.
A change of premises, of constitution, of directors or partners, or of the food categories handled is a modification, not a renewal. Filing a straight renewal over changed facts creates a licence that does not describe your business.
The turnover bands changed on 1 April 2026, and activity can put you on the Central tier whatever your turnover. A licence at the wrong tier does not authorise what you actually do.
Largely the original set, refreshed. Where the premises or the constitution has changed, more.
The migration self-declaration or the annual fee where the licence is live, a modification where facts have changed, or a fresh application where a licence lapsed before the change. FSSAI allows the annual fee to be paid at any time of year and for several years at once.
Queries are common and the clock does not stop while one is outstanding, which is the main reason to file early rather than at the deadline.
Packaging, invoices, aggregator vendor records, marketplace listings and your own compliance file. Then the annual fee and return dates go on a schedule so this is a calendar entry next time.
Tell us your requirement, a CA will call you in 30 minutes.
A certificate with an expiry date and one without are two different jobs. Most guidance still describes the old cycle as though it were the only one, and filing on the wrong assumption wastes the part of the window that matters.
For manufacturers and importers an unfiled Form D1 blocks a post-expiry renewal outright and, under the new framework, deems the licence suspended. It is the first thing we look at, not the last.
You may not conduct food business while a licence is expired or deemed suspended, and business conducted then is an offence under Section 63 of the FSS Act. That is what a lapse actually costs, not the fee.
Packaging, invoices and platform vendor records keep working. Past 180 days from expiry the number is gone and a fresh application issues a new one, which is the expensive version.
A licence attaches to a premises, so eleven outlets means eleven licences, eleven annual fees and eleven return positions. The failure is never the filing. It is that nobody owned the schedule.
The turnover bands moved on 1 April 2026 and activity still drives the Central tier independently. A renewal is the moment to fix a tier that no longer matches the business.
