Other

Other live animals (invertebrates, reptiles, amphibians, insects)

AQCS CLEARANCE · WCCB CLEARANCE

HSN 0106 90 00 (Other live animals) is subject to Animal Quarantine and Certification Services (AQCS) veterinary quarantine clearance and Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) CITES controls as the operative regulators at the bill-of-entry stage. The tariff line is Restricted under ITC (HS) policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) subject to Policy Condition No. 6 of Chapter 01. Imports of Drosophila melanogaster for R&D purposes may proceed as Free subject to Institutional Biosafety Committee approval under the Department of Biotechnology notification.

What this is

HSN code

0106 90 00

Chapter

01 · Live animals

Primary regulator

AQCS · ITC (HS) Restricted import policy, Chapter 01, Policy Condition No. 6

Customs documentation

Veterinary Quarantine Certificate from AQCS
CITES Certificate from WCCB
Veterinary Health Certificate from exporting country

Applicable Partner Government Agencies

AQCSAQCS·Animal Quarantine and Certification Services

WCCBWCCB·Wildlife Crime Control Bureau

Procedural directions for customs clearance are issued by: Directorate General of Foreign Trade.

Compliance steps

1
Obtain AQCS veterinary quarantine clearance before the consignment is presented at customs. Upload the Veterinary Quarantine Certificate (document code 629000) and the Veterinary Health Certificate issued by the exporting country (document code 853AQ1) in e-Sanchit before filing the bill of entry, per Circular No. 24/2022-Cus dated 28-11-2022, Annexure A (Sl. No. 1).
CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus dated 28-11-2022 · AQCS mandatory document codes 629000 and 853AQ1
2
Upload the CITES Certificate (document code 626000) in e-Sanchit for all species listed in the CITES Appendices. Where a Laboratory Report or Certificate of Analysis is required, upload it under document code 001AQ1 per Circular No. 24/2022-Cus dated 28-11-2022, Annexure A (Sl. No. 2).
CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus dated 28-11-2022 · WCCB CITES document code 626000 · AQCS document code 001AQ1
3
For imports of Drosophila melanogaster, confirm whether the consignment qualifies for the Free-import track under IBSC approval per Department of Biotechnology O.M. No. BT/BS/17/635/2015-PID dated 17-01-2020. If the consignment falls outside those simplified procedures, an Import Authorisation from DGFT is mandatory before shipment.
DGFT Notification 57/2015-20 dated 07-03-2022 · DBT O.M. BT/BS/17/635/2015-PID dated 17-01-2020

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is treating the AQCS quarantine clearance as the sole PGA obligation and overlooking the WCCB CITES Certificate, which is an independent mandatory upload in e-Sanchit regardless of whether the species appears common or commercially bred. Customs out-of-charge will be withheld if either document code 626000 or 629000 is absent, and detention of live animals accrues demurrage and welfare-related liability simultaneously. For Drosophila melanogaster specifically, the IBSC-approval route and the DGFT Import Authorisation route are mutually exclusive — confirm the applicable track before the consignment departs.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0106 90 00 require BIS certification?

No, live animals are entirely outside the BIS Quality Control Order regime. Import is governed by Animal Quarantine and Certification Services under ITC (HS) Policy Condition No. 6 of Chapter 01, with concurrent Wildlife Crime Control Bureau CITES controls and DGFT Restricted-import policy.

Are the CITES Certificate and Veterinary Quarantine Certificate both mandatory at the bill of entry?

Yes. Both document code 626000 (CITES Certificate) and document code 629000 (Veterinary Quarantine Certificate) must be uploaded in e-Sanchit before out-of-charge, per CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus dated 28-11-2022; the customs proper officer verifies both even on PGA-facilitated bills.

Can Drosophila melanogaster be imported without a DGFT Import Authorisation?

Only if the import is for R&D purposes and the importer holds Institutional Biosafety Committee approval under the Department of Biotechnology O.M. BT/BS/17/635/2015-PID dated 17-01-2020; consignments outside those simplified procedures require a DGFT Import Authorisation per DGFT Notification 57/2015-20 dated 07-03-2022.

Last verified against gazette notifications: 2026-05-16. Source: AQCS / WCCB / DGFT / Indian Customs CUSDATA.