A marketplace asks for your FSSAI certificate, or the copy at your food premises has become unreadable. You can usually retrieve an issued licence or registration certificate through your own FoSCoS account . FSSAI's licensing FAQ says the certificate is sent to the applicant's registered email after issue and that the food business operator (FBO) can download another copy after signing in.
This guide covers the dashboard route, the official Send Mail option, common account problems and how to interpret a certificate issued under the 2026 validity rules. If you need to verify someone else's number, use the public FSSAI licence verification page ; access to another business's private account is neither necessary nor appropriate.
A submitted application or payment receipt is not the issued licence or registration certificate. Check the application's status before giving a document to a customer, bank or marketplace as proof of approval.
Before you sign in
Have your FoSCoS username or account identifier and password, access to the registered email or mobile number, and your licence, registration or application reference number for locating the correct record. The current FoSCoS sign-in page shows fields for username, password and captcha, together with a Forgot Username/Password route. Follow the prompts displayed on your account: the portal's login method has changed for some existing users.
Look in the registered email inbox first. FSSAI says an issued licence with a QR code is emailed to the nominated person's address, while an issued registration certificate goes to the email given in the application. Search for FoSCoS or FSSAI messages, check spam, and verify the sender and attachment before opening them. If you applied through a consultant, ask which email address and phone number were recorded on your application; keep account recovery under the business's control.
How to download your issued certificate
- Open the official FoSCoS portal and choose Login Food Businesses. Enter the current username, password and captcha.
- On the FBO dashboard, open Issued. FSSAI's FoSCoS guidance document identifies this tab as the list of issued licences and registrations. A portal manual screenshot shows separate Issued – License and Issued – Registration Certificate sections.
- Find the correct business and premises. Check its licence or registration number, issue date, application type, kind of business and status before saving a copy. If several premises appear, select the one requested by the recipient.
- Open the certificate or download action shown for that record and save the issued document. Button labels may differ by account and portal version. If a direct download action is unavailable, select Send Mail for that entry and check the registered email for the copy. FSSAI explicitly documents the Send Mail option for obtaining another copy.
- Open the file and check that the name, address, number, category and authorised activities are correct. Keep the file in a controlled business folder and share only the certificate needed for the request.
If the dashboard shows Submitted Applications rather than an Issued record, use the application status facility on FoSCoS. The authority may still be processing it or may have sent it back for a reply. The FSSAI licensing FAQ distinguishes tracking an application from downloading an issued certificate.
Using a phone
The same portal can be opened in a mobile browser. If an action column does not fit the screen, try landscape view or the browser's desktop-site option, then check the saved PDF in Downloads. This is a browser layout tip; the official portal remains the source of the document. Avoid entering FoSCoS credentials into unofficial certificate-download sites.
What if the certificate never reached your email?
FSSAI's FAQ says a licence is emailed to the nominated person named in the application, and a registration certificate to the applicant's email. First verify the address recorded in FoSCoS and inspect the spam folder. Then use Issued → Send Mail for the relevant entry. If the email details are outdated or the message still does not arrive, contact the FoSCoS helpdesk at the address or helpline shown on the portal and include the application reference. Do not post passwords or OTPs in an email to a consultant or helpdesk.
2026 validity: read the current record, not just an old PDF
FSSAI's 27 March 2026 amendment FAQs say an FSSAI licence or registration issued on or after 1 April 2026 has perpetual validity. Such an approval stays valid unless it is suspended, cancelled or surrendered. FBOs no longer need periodic renewal for these approvals, but must keep meeting applicable food safety and hygiene requirements. The FAQ also says FBOs may choose to pay fees for any number of years at once; perpetual validity does not remove applicable fee obligations.
An older certificate may still show a fixed validity period. Do not simply edit its date or assume every old PDF became a new approval. Review your current FoSCoS account and public status, and ask the competent authority for clarification if the old document and current record conflict. For a document issued after 1 April, a short expiry period is not expected under the stated FAQ; investigate a discrepancy with FoSCoS before circulating the PDF.
If the category changed in 2026
FSSAI revised the broad turnover thresholds for new applications from 1 April 2026: registration up to ₹1.5 crore; State licence above ₹1.5 crore and up to ₹50 crore; and Central licence above ₹50 crore. Other activity-specific criteria also matter. The FSSAI FAQ says existing FBOs would have time to migrate through FoSCoS. It also says threshold-driven migration does not change the licence number and carries no migration modification fee. Review the category shown in your current record and obtain an updated copy where one is made available; there is no need to invent a new number.
Common problems and the next step
| Problem | What to check first |
|---|---|
| Forgotten username or password | Use Forgot Username/Password on the official login page and follow its recovery prompts. |
| Registered email or mobile is inaccessible | Use the portal's contact-update or recovery guidance, or contact the FoSCoS helpdesk with proof of account ownership. |
| Only a submitted application appears | Track its status; download the certificate after the approval is actually issued. |
| Several certificates appear | Match the premises, kind of business, issue date and number to the requested document. |
| Download fails or PDF opens blank | Try Send Mail, a different browser, or the registered inbox; report a persistent portal problem to the helpdesk. |
| Name, premises or activity is wrong | Review the FoSCoS modification process. Correcting certificate details is different from getting another copy. |
| Status is suspended, cancelled or surrendered | Do not present an old PDF as a current authorisation. Check the authority's instructions and resolve the status. |
FSSAI says a change to details printed on a certificate is handled through a modification application. Fees depend on the type of change; consult FoSCoS fee information and the current portal before paying. A damaged printout or lost local PDF is a different problem: start with another account download or Send Mail copy.
Is downloading the same as asking for a formal duplicate?
The ordinary account download or Send Mail route gives you another copy of an already issued certificate. FoSCoS separately lists a Duplicate License/Certificate charge in its fee structure . Do not assume you owe a duplicate fee just because a PDF was deleted or a printout was lost; use the issued account copy first. If a particular authority explicitly requires a formal duplicate service, check the current fee and procedure in FoSCoS.
Keep the right certificate on hand
Store the latest official PDF and a backup with access limited to your business team. Check that the number and premises used on forms, listings and relevant packaging match your actual approval. FSSAI explains that displaying the licence or registration number at food premises is a mandatory requirement, alongside applicable Food Safety Display Board requirements. Packaging disclosures depend on the labelling and display rules for the product and operator; follow the applicable label rules rather than copying an unrelated premises number.
Official references
- FoSCoS portal and business login
- FSSAI licensing and registration FAQ, including emailed and downloadable certificates
- FoSCoS guidance: Issued dashboard and Send Mail
- FSSAI's 2026 amendment FAQs on validity, fees and migration
- FoSCoS current fee structure
Need help retrieving or correcting your record?
TaxQue can help review your FoSCoS record and the appropriate modification route. Contact TaxQue or email info@taxque.in.
This guide is general information as at 5 November 2026. Follow the status and instructions in your own FoSCoS account and current FSSAI directions.
