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Albacore or long finned tunas (Thunnus alalunga)

Fresh or chilled albacore tuna (Thunnus alalunga)

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0302 31 00 (Albacore or long finned tunas) 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 permitted only through 79 designated food-import ports operative from 1 March 2023.

What this is
HSN code
0302 31 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
  • Sanitary Import Permit from AQCS
  • 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. 1
    Confirm that the foreign manufacturing facility is registered with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the high-risk-food regime before placing the export order. The FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and a Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) must both 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. 2
    Obtain the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit (document code 911DF1) and a Health Certificate (document code 6360AQ) before consignment dispatch. Quote the e-Sanchit IRN of the Sanitary Import Permit on the bill of entry when seeking the AQCS NOC for CTIs listed in Annexure A (Sl. No. 3) of Circular No. 24/2022-Cus.
    CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus dated 28-11-2022 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023
  3. 3
    Route the consignment exclusively through one of the 79 designated food-import ports notified under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Ensure labelling complies with the FSSAI rectifiable-labelling regime; non-rectifiable labelling defects are treated as a clearance bar, not a minor deficiency.
    CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus dated 08-02-2023 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022 · FSSAI Letter 1828/Misc Matters/FSSAI/Imports-2021 dated 17-06-2022
A word of counsel

The most frequent error on this tariff line is uploading the FSSAI Import Licence and treating the clearance as complete, without separately procuring and quoting the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit IRN. These are two independent PGA clearances; a consignment with a valid FSSAI licence but an absent or unquoted AQCS IRN is detained at the designated port pending the Sanitary Import Permit, attracting demurrage and ground rent that the rectifiable-labelling regime cannot resolve.

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Frequently asked
Does HSN 0302 31 00 require BIS certification?
No, fresh or chilled albacore tuna falls outside the BIS Quality Control Order regime; no BIS QCO covers this product family. 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 Sanitary Import Permit and the 79-designated-port restriction.
Which ports are designated for import of fresh fish including albacore tuna?
Import of high-risk food including fish products is permitted only through the 79 designated ports listed in the Annexure to CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus, with effect from 1 March 2023, under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022.
Is foreign-manufacturer registration with FSSAI mandatory before shipment?
Yes. Per CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus and the FSSAI order dated 10 October 2022, the overseas facility producing fish products for export to India must be registered with FSSAI before the import is permitted; shipments from unregistered facilities are liable to detention and re-export.
Last verified against gazette notifications: 2026-05-16. Source: FSSAI / AQCS / DGFT / CBIC / Indian Customs CUSDATA.
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