FSSAI registration for home kitchens in 2026: the new ₹1.5 crore limit

Yes, a home kitchen or tiffin service needs FSSAI registration, and since 1 Apr 2026 basic registration covers any food business with annual turnover up to ₹1.5 crore, up from ₹12 lakh. That means almost every home kitchen can register on FoSCoS for ₹100 a year instead of applying for a state licence.

Many pages that rank for this still quote the old ₹12 lakh limit and the old renewal cycle. This guide uses FSSAI's own order, its FAQ of 27 Mar 2026 and the current FoSCoS eligibility sheet. It covers which tier you fall in, how to apply, whether you still renew, and what has to go on your bills.

What is the FSSAI basic registration limit in 2026?

The limit is ₹1.5 crore of annual turnover. FSSAI set it in an order dated 13 Mar 2026, which took effect on 1 Apr 2026. The order was issued under the Licensing and Registration Amendment Regulations notified on 10 Mar 2026, which let the Food Authority set turnover thresholds itself. It also says it supersedes all earlier thresholds.

The old figures for a restaurant come from the earlier FoSCoS eligibility sheet. The new ones come from the order and the FoSCoS sheet updated on 1 Apr 2026. FSSAI's press release of 13 Mar 2026 says the change means simpler compliance for small businesses, with "elimination of pre-inspection, and instant registration".

Which FSSAI tier is a home kitchen or tiffin service in?

Almost certainly basic registration. Turnover here means your total food sales for the year, including orders that come through Swiggy or Zomato, not your profit.

A worked example. Say you run a tiffin service with 60 monthly subscribers at ₹3,000 each.

• Monthly sales: 60 × ₹3,000 = ₹1,80,000
• Annual sales: ₹1,80,000 × 12 = ₹21,60,000, or ₹21.6 lakh

Under the old rules that was over ₹12 lakh, so you needed a state licence. Today ₹21.6 lakh is about a seventh of the ₹1.5 crore limit, so registration is enough. You would need about 417 such subscribers before you crossed ₹1.5 crore.

The same applies to a cloud kitchen that only delivers. FSSAI's own definition of a restaurant on the eligibility sheet says "some offer only take-out and delivery", and the restaurant row allows registration up to ₹1.5 crore.

FSSAI turnover is not the same test as GST. The GST registration limit for a home kitchen works differently, especially for sales through apps; see GST registration for home kitchens on Swiggy and Zomato.

How do you apply for FSSAI registration for a home kitchen?

You apply online on FoSCoS, FSSAI's licensing portal. Registration uses Form A, which lists "home based canteens/dabba wallas" as one of the kinds of business.

1. Open foscos.fssai.gov.in and choose to apply for a licence or registration. Pick your state.
2. Choose your kind of business. A delivery kitchen will usually sit under Food Services; a packed-meal tiffin service matches "home based canteens/dabba wallas". If your turnover is up to ₹1.5 crore, the portal should point you to registration.
3. Create an account on the portal, then fill in Form A: your name, your kitchen's address, the foods you make, your expected turnover and your water source.
4. Upload the documents below and pay the fee online.
5. Keep the application reference number. Once approved, download the certificate. It carries your 14-digit FSSAI registration number.

The FoSCoS document list for registration is short:

• A photo of the applicant
• A government photo ID, such as Aadhaar, PAN or voter ID
• Proof of the business address, only if it is different from the address on your ID

For most home kitchens the kitchen is at the address on your Aadhaar, so the third item may not apply.

The fee for registration is ₹100 a year, as listed on the FoSCoS eligibility sheet. FSSAI's FAQ of 27 Mar 2026 says you can pay for any number of years at once, at any time of the year. Filing agents charge their own fees on top, but nothing in the form needs one.

Registration is separate from any permission your housing society or municipality may need for running a business from home. FSSAI does not deal with those.

Do you still need to renew FSSAI registration?

Not for a registration issued on or after 1 Apr 2026. The 2026 amendment introduced perpetual validity. FSSAI's FAQ says a registration or licence now stays valid "unless suspended, cancelled or surrendered", and food businesses "are not required to renew". Q12 of the same FAQ says any registration or licence issued on or after 1 Apr 2026 has perpetual validity.

Before this, a registration was valid for 1 to 5 years, as you chose, under regulation 2.1.7. Renewal was due at least 30 days before expiry, with a late fee of ₹100 a day after that.

If you registered or took a licence before 1 Apr 2026, FSSAI's FAQ says:

• The new thresholds apply to applications made on or after 1 Apr 2026. Existing businesses will get "sufficient time" to migrate through FoSCoS.
• Migration is automatic, based on your own declaration, and needs no approval.
• There is no fee for migrating and your number does not change.
• If you held a state licence and now qualify for registration, the fee you already paid is adjusted against the registration fee.

Do you need FSSAI registration to sell on Swiggy or Zomato?

Yes. FSSAI's advisory to e-commerce food businesses of 3 Dec 2024 says no e-commerce platform "shall list any food business operator [seller] on its platform without displaying their valid FSSAI License or Registration". So a food delivery app cannot put your kitchen live without your FSSAI number. Basic registration counts; you do not need a licence to list.

Does the FSSAI number have to be printed on your bills?

Yes. FSSAI's order of 8 Jun 2021 requires every food business to print its 14-digit licence or registration number on cash receipts, invoices, cash memos and bills. The only exemption is GST e-way bills and other system-generated government documents. FSSAI's reason: a customer who has your number can look you up on the Food Safety Connect app and file a complaint against the right business.

Most pages say this started on 1 Oct 2021. That was the original date, but a second order dated 30 Sep 2021, in the same PDF, put enforcement back to 1 Jan 2022. Either way, it has applied for nearly five years.

For a home kitchen this covers every bill you send, including a PDF you share on WhatsApp. The same applies to cash and UPI orders taken over the phone, not just app orders. If you send bills from your phone, see what else a valid bill needs in sending a GST bill on WhatsApp.

Pocket Journal for Food lets you save your FSSAI number once in your shop details. After that, it prints on every bill: on screen, on the bill image you share on WhatsApp and in the PDF. It only accepts a 14-digit number, so a typo is caught before it reaches a customer.

If you are also registered for GST, keep an eye on what the 57th GST Council proposed for small kitchens. None of it changes your FSSAI position.