Of reptiles (including snakes and turtles)

Fresh, chilled or frozen reptile meat (snakes, turtles)

FSSAI CLEARANCE · WCCB CLEARANCE

HSN 0208 50 00 (Of reptiles including snakes and turtles) 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, as a high-risk meat product. Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) CITES certification is a concurrent mandatory overlay for all reptile-derived products. Consignments are permitted only through the 79 designated food-import ports notified under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022.

What this is

HSN code

0208 50 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
CITES Certificate from WCCB
Health Certificate from AQCS

Applicable Partner Government Agencies

FSSAIFSSAI·Food Safety and Standards Authority of India

WCCBWCCB·Wildlife Crime Control Bureau

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

Compliance steps

1
Confirm the foreign manufacturing facility is registered with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the high-risk-food regime for meat and meat products. The FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and a Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) must be uploaded in e-Sanchit before the bill of entry is filed.
CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus dated 14-11-2022 · FSSAI order dated 10-10-2022
2
Obtain and upload a valid CITES Certificate (document code 626000) and Health Certificate (document code 6360AQ) in e-Sanchit. The CITES Certificate is required by the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau for all reptile species and must be issued by the competent authority of the exporting country prior to shipment.
CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus dated 08-02-2023 · ITC (HS) Policy Condition 2 of Chapter 2 of Schedule I
3
Route the consignment exclusively through one of the 79 designated food-import ports notified with effect from 01-03-2023. Ensure compliance with the FSSAI rectifiable-labelling regime under CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs dated 28-06-2022 and FSSAI clarification order dated 18-11-2022; labelling deficiencies must be resolved before out-of-charge.
CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus dated 08-02-2023 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Customs dated 28-06-2022 · FSSAI Letter 1828/Misc Matters/FSSAI/Imports-2021 dated 17-06-2022

A word of counsel

The predominant error on this tariff line is treating FSSAI clearance as the sole gate and overlooking the CITES Certificate — a legally independent instrument issued under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. A consignment arriving with a current FSSAI Import Licence but without a valid CITES Certificate is liable to detention and seizure regardless of food-safety compliance; the two clearances must be obtained in parallel, not sequentially, as the CITES instrument is issued by the exporting country's authority and cannot be remedied at the Indian port of entry.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0208 50 00 require BIS certification?

No, reptile 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 mandatory concurrent CITES Certificate overlay administered by the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau.

Which document codes must be uploaded in e-Sanchit for this tariff line?

The mandatory e-Sanchit uploads are: FSSAI Import Licence (911001), Specimen Copy of Label (0110FS), CITES Certificate (626000), and Health Certificate (6360AQ) — all must be present before customs out-of-charge per CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus dated 08-02-2023.

Is the import of reptile meat under this HSN restricted or free?

Import is categorised as Free under the ITC (HS) policy but is subject to Policy Condition 2 of Chapter 2 of Schedule I, which requires full FSSAI and CITES compliance and restricts entry to the 79 designated food-import ports notified from 01-03-2023.

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