Indian dehydrated onion and garlic can be imported into Poland under EU food law, with the State Sanitary Inspection (Państwowa Inspekcja Sanitarna, often called Sanepid) responsible for official controls on imported food of non-animal origin. Shipments are usually stopped by test results, mainly ethylene oxide, pesticide residues above EU limits, or salmonella, rather than by Polish-specific rules.
For the shared EU framework, start with importing dehydrated onion, garlic and seeds into the EU. This guide covers the Polish details.
What is EU-wide and what is Polish
Pesticide maximum residue levels, the ethylene oxide ban, microbiological criteria, the EU lists of food under increased official checks, and the TARIC customs tariff are the same in Poland as in the rest of the EU.
Three things are Polish. First, the inspector: at the border, sanitary checks on food are carried out by border sanitary and epidemiological stations, such as the one in Gdynia that covers the ports of Gdynia and Gdańsk, and inland by local sanitary stations under the Chief Sanitary Inspector. Second, customs: the National Revenue Administration (KAS) clears the goods. Third, language: food sold in Poland must be labelled in Polish.
- EU-wide: limits, increased-check lists, TARIC tariff, EU labelling regulation.
- Polish: the border sanitary station at your port, KAS customs, Polish-language labels.
Lab tests that matter
Test every lot for pesticide residues against EU limits, ethylene oxide and 2-chloroethanol, salmonella, total plate count, and moisture. The full list is in tests to order for spices going to the EU. Irradiated ingredients must be labelled under EU rules, so get written confirmation of the treatment used. Many Polish buyers supply meat processors, whose own customers expect low microbial counts, so agree microbiology limits in the contract, not after arrival.
Documents
The pack is the standard EU one. See the document pack your broker will ask for.
- Commercial invoice and packing list with matching lot numbers.
- Bill of lading.
- Certificate of origin, plus a REX statement on origin if you claim a GSP preference.
- Laboratory reports per lot, and any official certificate needed if the product is on an increased-check list at the time of shipment.
- A phytosanitary certificate only if required for your commodity code, which is uncommon for processed dried onion. See do dehydrated vegetables need a phytosanitary certificate.
Duty
Poland applies the EU common customs tariff. Find your code in TARIC and check whether a GSP preference applies to India for that line. We do not quote rates. The India-EU free trade agreement was concluded in January 2026, but at the time of writing it has not been signed or entered into force. Check its status before agreeing prices for 2027 deliveries.
What Polish buyers use
Poland has a large meat and sausage industry, makers of dry soups, sauces and seasoning mixes, and a growing ready-meal sector. That points to powder and granules for seasoning and meat products, and minced or chopped onion for soups and blends. Some Polish companies also repack and re-export to neighbouring markets, so ask early which countries the goods will finally reach.
Ports and the route from India
Gdańsk, with its deepwater Baltic Hub terminal, and Gdynia are Poland's main container ports. Indian cargo usually arrives after transhipment, either on a mainline vessel that calls in the Baltic or on a feeder from Hamburg, Bremerhaven or Rotterdam. Some importers clear in Hamburg or Rotterdam and bring goods in by truck or rail. From Mundra, Pipavav or Nhava Sheva, allow roughly five to eight weeks including transhipment, and check current schedules.
Cities
Warsaw is an inland market supplied by rail and road from the coast, and the guide covers distribution from central Poland.
Gdańsk is where most containers land, and the guide covers the port and its sanitary checks.
How Creston helps
We find and audit Indian plants, have each lot tested at an NABL-accredited laboratory to EU limits, supervise loading and check documents before shipment, for one written fee agreed in advance. You buy directly from the plant. Read about our dehydrated onion and dehydrated garlic, or book a free sourcing review.