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Seabass (Dicentrarchus spp.)

Fresh or chilled seabass (Dicentrarchus spp.)

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0302 84 00 (Seabass, Dicentrarchus spp.) 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 since 1 March 2023.

What this is
HSN code
0302 84 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 exporting seabass to India is registered with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the high-risk-food regime. The FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and the 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 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 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. 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. Confirm label compliance with the rectifiable-labelling regime prior to out-of-charge; non-rectifiable labelling defects are treated as a separate FSSAI violation.
    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 treating the FSSAI Import Licence as the sole clearance and overlooking the independent AQCS Sanitary Import Permit, which is a parallel live-animal-origin overlay that customs officers verify separately at the bill of entry. A consignment carrying a current FSSAI licence but lacking the AQCS NOC — evidenced by the 911DF1 IRN — will be detained at the designated port, accruing demurrage and ground rent until the AQCS upload is regularised; rectifiable-labelling provisions do not extend to a missing PGA clearance.

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Frequently asked
Does HSN 0302 84 00 require BIS certification?
No, fresh or chilled seabass is not within the BIS Quality Control Order regime; no BIS QCO covers this fish product. 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 seabass 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, operative from 1 March 2023 under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022.
Is foreign-manufacturer registration with FSSAI mandatory even for established exporters?
Yes. Per CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus and the FSSAI order dated 10 October 2022, every fish-product manufacturing facility — including existing exporters — must be registered with FSSAI before import is permitted, with no grandfathering for prior shipment history.
Last verified against gazette notifications: 2026-05-16. Source: FSSAI / AQCS / DGFT / CBIC / Indian Customs CUSDATA.
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