Access IndiaPLATFORM
Home›HSN›Chapter 03›HSN 0303 19 00

Other

Frozen fish other than salmon, trout and flatfish

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0303 19 00 (frozen fish, residual salmonid category) 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
0303 19 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
    Verify 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 purchase order. The FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) must be uploaded in e-Sanchit prior to filing the bill of entry; consignments from unregistered facilities will not be granted out-of-charge.
    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 per General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022, and upload the Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) in e-Sanchit. Label defects covered by the rectifiable-labelling regime must be resolved before out-of-charge; missing PGA clearances are not rectifiable under that regime.
    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 common error on this residual frozen-fish tariff line is conflating the FSSAI Import Licence upload with full PGA clearance and overlooking the independent AQCS Sanitary Import Permit. A current FSSAI licence in e-Sanchit does not substitute for the AQCS NOC: customs proper officers are instructed to verify all four document codes — 0110FS, 6360AQ, 911001 and 911DF1 — before out-of-charge, and a missing AQCS IRN quote will result in consignment detention at the designated port with demurrage accruing.

Need a regulatory steer on this product?
Speak to a regulatory counsel about your specific HSN, IS, and supplier situation.
Speak to an Expert
Frequently asked
Does HSN 0303 19 00 require BIS certification?
No, frozen fish in this 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 for this tariff line?
Four documents are mandatory: Specimen Copy of Label (0110FS), Health Certificate (6360AQ), FSSAI Import Licence (911001), and AQCS Sanitary Import Permit (911DF1), per CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus and CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus.
Is the foreign-manufacturer registration with FSSAI a pre-shipment requirement for frozen fish?
Yes. Per CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus and the FSSAI order dated 10 October 2022, fish-product manufacturing facilities must be registered with FSSAI before export to India; consignments from unregistered facilities are not eligible for import clearance.
Last verified against gazette notifications: 2026-05-16. Source: FSSAI / AQCS / DGFT / CBIC / Indian Customs CUSDATA.
Related
ChapterChapter 03 · Fish and crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic invertebratesHSNFISH, FROZEN, EXCLUDING FISH FILLETS AND OTHER FISH MEAT OF HEADING 0304HSN0303 11 00 · Frozen sockeye salmon (red salmon, Oncorhynchus nerka)