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Other

Fresh or chilled fish, other species not separately specified

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0302 59 00 (other fresh or chilled fish) 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 59 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 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 a Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) must both be uploaded in e-Sanchit at the bill of entry stage.
    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 Health Certificate (document code 6360AQ) before consignment dispatch. Quote the e-Sanchit IRN of the Sanitary Import Permit on the bill of entry to secure the AQCS NOC for fish products 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. 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 rectifiable-labelling regime; systemic labelling defects not covered by the rectifiable-labelling dispensation will prevent out-of-charge.
    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 predominant error on this residual fish tariff line is assuming that the FSSAI Import Licence alone secures clearance. The AQCS Sanitary Import Permit (document code 911DF1) is an independent PGA clearance — its IRN must be separately quoted on the bill of entry — and its absence holds the consignment at the designated port irrespective of FSSAI licence currency. Foreign-manufacturer registration must precede the purchase order, not be remedied at the time of filing.

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Frequently asked
Does HSN 0302 59 00 require BIS certification?
No. Fresh or chilled fish in the residual category falls 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 AQCS Sanitary Import Permit requirement and a 79-designated-port restriction operative from 1 March 2023.
Which documents must be uploaded in e-Sanchit before out-of-charge is granted?
The mandatory e-Sanchit uploads are the FSSAI Import Licence (911001), Specimen Copy of Label (0110FS), Health Certificate (6360AQ), and the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit (911DF1); the IRN of the Sanitary Import Permit must also be quoted on the bill of entry per CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus.
Is the foreign-manufacturer registration with FSSAI a one-time requirement or must it be renewed per shipment?
Registration is facility-level, not shipment-level — the exporting facility must appear on the FSSAI-approved manufacturer list before any consignment is shipped; each import then relies on the current FSSAI Import Licence referencing that registered facility, per CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus and the FSSAI order dated 10-10-2022.
Last verified against gazette notifications: 2026-05-16. Source: FSSAI / AQCS / DGFT / CBIC / Indian Customs CUSDATA.
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