Coal fish (Pollachinus virens)

Fresh or chilled coalfish (Pollachius virens)

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0302 53 00 (Coal fish, Pollachinus virens) 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 with effect from 1 March 2023.

What this is

HSN code

0302 53 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
Confirm the foreign manufacturing facility is registered with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the high-risk-food regime before shipment. The FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and 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
Obtain the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit (document code 911DF1) and Health Certificate (document code 6360AQ) before consignment dispatch. Quote the e-Sanchit IRN of the Sanitary Import Permit on the bill of entry to obtain the AQCS NOC for the CTIs listed in Annexure A (Sl. No. 3) of CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus.
CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus dated 28-11-2022 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023
3
Route the consignment exclusively through one of the 79 designated food-import ports notified under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of ITC (HS) 2022. Confirm labelling compliance with the FSSAI rectifiable-labelling regime under Letter No. 1828/Misc Matters/FSSAI/Imports-2021 dated 17-06-2022 before out-of-charge.
CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus dated 08-02-2023 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022 · FSSAI clarification order dated 18-11-2022 under F.No. Import/TFM/Apex/2022-FSSAI

A word of counsel

The most frequent error on this tariff line is treating the FSSAI Import Licence as the only clearance required and dispatching the consignment without an AQCS Sanitary Import Permit. The AQCS Sanitary Import Permit (document code 911DF1) is an independent animal-origin overlay; its IRN must be separately quoted on the bill of entry, and a missing IRN results in consignment detention at the designated port with accruing demurrage and ground rent regardless of whether the FSSAI licence is current and properly uploaded.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0302 53 00 require BIS certification?

No, fresh or chilled coalfish 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 AQCS Sanitary Import Permit requirement and a 79-designated-port restriction operative from 1 March 2023.

Which ports are designated for import of fish products under this tariff line?

Import of high-risk fish products is permitted only through the 79 designated food-import ports listed in the Annexure to CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus dated 08-02-2023, in compliance with General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022.

Is foreign-manufacturer registration with FSSAI mandatory even for occasional or small-volume shipments?

Yes. The FSSAI order dated 10 October 2022, enclosed with CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus, makes registration of the foreign manufacturing facility mandatory for all fish and fish-product imports without any volume exemption; unregistered-facility consignments are not permitted clearance.

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