Boneless

Frozen boneless meat of sheep or goats

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0204 43 00 (boneless frozen sheep or goat meat) is subject to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Import Licence and mandatory foreign-manufacturer registration under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. Animal Quarantine and Certification Services (AQCS) Sanitary Import Permit clearance applies concurrently, and consignments are restricted to 79 designated food-import ports effective 1 March 2023.

What this is

HSN code

0204 43 00

Chapter

02 · Meat and edible meat offal

Primary regulator

FSSAI · Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (high-risk meat regime)

Customs documentation

Import Licence from FSSAI
Sanitary Import Permit from AQCS
Veterinary Health Certificate from AQCS

Applicable Partner Government Agencies

FSSAIFSSAI·Food Safety and Standards Authority of India

AQCSAQCS·Animal Quarantine and Certification Services

Procedural directions for customs clearance are issued by: Directorate General of Foreign Trade, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs.

Compliance steps

1
Confirm that the foreign manufacturing facility is registered with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the high-risk meat-products regime before placing the export order. The FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and a Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) must be uploaded in e-Sanchit prior to filing the bill of entry.
CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus dated 14-11-2022 · FSSAI order dated 10-10-2022
2
Upload the Veterinary Health Certificate issued by the exporting country (document code 853AQ1) and the Laboratory Report or Certificate of Analysis (document code 001AQ1) in e-Sanchit. Quote the e-Sanchit IRN of the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit (document code 911DF1) and the AQCS Health Certificate (document code 6360AQ) on the bill of entry to obtain the AQCS NOC before out-of-charge.
CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus dated 28-11-2022 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023
3
Route the consignment only through one of the 79 designated food-import ports notified under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Consignments tendered at an undesignated port are liable to detention; confirm compliance with the FSSAI rectifiable-labelling regime under CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus before out-of-charge.
CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus dated 08-02-2023 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022 · General Note 4(D), ITC (HS) Schedule I, 2022

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is treating the FSSAI Import Licence as the sole clearance document and overlooking the distinct AQCS document bundle — the Veterinary Health Certificate (853AQ1), the Certificate of Analysis (001AQ1), and the Sanitary Import Permit (911DF1) — each of which must be uploaded separately in e-Sanchit with its own document code. A consignment arriving with a current FSSAI licence but an incomplete AQCS upload will be detained at the designated port pending rectification, and demurrage and ground rent accumulate from the date of arrival.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0204 43 00 require BIS certification?

No, boneless sheep and goat meat falls entirely outside the BIS Quality Control Order regime. Import is governed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with a concurrent Animal Quarantine and Certification Services clearance and the 79-designated-port restriction operative from 1 March 2023.

Which e-Sanchit document codes are mandatory for this tariff line?

Four document codes are required: FSSAI Import Licence (911001), Specimen Copy of Label (0110FS), Health Certificate (6360AQ), and AQCS Sanitary Import Permit (911DF1); plus the Veterinary Health Certificate (853AQ1) and Certificate of Analysis (001AQ1) per CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus Annexure A.

Is foreign-manufacturer registration with FSSAI mandatory even for established exporters?

Yes. Per CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus and the FSSAI order dated 10 October 2022, every foreign manufacturing facility exporting meat products to India must be registered with FSSAI, regardless of the exporter's prior trade history with India.

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