Carp (Cyprinus spp., Carassius spp., Ctenopharyngodon idellus,Hypophthalmichthys spp., Cirrhinus spp., Mylopharyngodon piceus, Catla catla, Labeo spp., Osteochilus hasselti, Leptobarbus hoeveni, Megalobrama spp.)

Live carp (Cyprinus, Carassius, Catla, Labeo species)

FSSAI CLEARANCE

HSN 0301 93 00 (Live carp) 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, with the tariff line classified as Restricted under the ITC (HS) import policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT). Consignments are permitted only through the 79 designated food-import ports notified with effect from 1 March 2023.

What this is

HSN code

0301 93 00

Chapter

03 · Fish and crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic invertebrates

Primary regulator

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

Customs documentation

Import Licence from FSSAI
Health Certificate from exporting country
Specimen copy of label from FSSAI

Applicable Partner Government Agencies

FSSAIFSSAI·Food Safety and Standards Authority of India

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 facility exporting live carp is registered with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the high-risk-food foreign-manufacturer registration regime. Upload the FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) in e-Sanchit before filing the bill of entry; out-of-charge will not be granted without this upload.
CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus dated 14-11-2022 · FSSAI order dated 10-10-2022
2
Upload the Health Certificate (document code 6360AQ) and the Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) in e-Sanchit at the bill of entry stage. Labelling defects that are rectifiable must be addressed under the FSSAI rectifiable-labelling regime before out-of-charge is granted.
CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 · FSSAI Letter 1828/Misc Matters/FSSAI/Imports-2021 dated 17-06-2022
3
Route the consignment exclusively through one of the 79 designated food-import ports listed in the CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus Annexure. Verify compliance with General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022 governing food-import entry points; arrival at an undesignated port renders the consignment liable to detention and re-export.
CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus dated 08-02-2023 · General Note 4(D) of Schedule I, ITC (HS) 2022

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is treating live fish as outside the high-risk food category and therefore not subject to the FSSAI foreign-manufacturer registration requirement. Live carp falls squarely within the 'Fish and their product' category specified in the FSSAI order dated 10 October 2022; a consignment arriving from an unregistered facility will be detained at the designated port regardless of whether the FSSAI Import Licence itself is current and uploaded.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0301 93 00 require BIS certification?

No, live carp falls outside the BIS Quality Control Order regime; no BIS QCO covers live fish. Import is governed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with a Restricted ITC (HS) policy overlay administered by DGFT and the 79-designated-port restriction operative from 1 March 2023.

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

Three mandatory documents must be uploaded: FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001), Health Certificate (document code 6360AQ), and Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS), per CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus and the CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus framework.

Does the foreign-manufacturer registration requirement apply to exporters of live fish, or only to processed fish products?

The requirement applies to all 'Fish and their product' categories including live fish, as specified in the FSSAI order dated 10 October 2022 and enclosed with CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus; there is no live-fish carve-out from the foreign-manufacturer registration obligation.

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