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Catfish (Pangasius spp., Silurus spp., Clarias spp., Ictalurus spp.)

Frozen catfish (Pangasius spp., Silurus spp., Clarias spp.)

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0303 24 00 (Frozen catfish) 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 restricted to 79 designated food-import ports with effect from 1 March 2023.

What this is
HSN code
0303 24 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 frozen catfish is registered with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the mandatory high-risk-food regime. The FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) must be uploaded in e-Sanchit before the bill of entry is filed; consignments from unregistered facilities are not permitted entry.
    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 Circular No. 24/2022-Cus dated 28-11-2022.
    CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 · CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus dated 28-11-2022
  3. 3
    Route the consignment only through one of the 79 designated food-import ports per General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Upload the Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) and ensure compliance with the FSSAI rectifiable-labelling regime before customs 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 most common error on this tariff line is treating the FSSAI Import Licence as the sole clearance and overlooking the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit, which is an independent animal-origin overlay and cannot be substituted or waived by the food-safety licence. A consignment arriving at a designated port with a current FSSAI licence but without the AQCS NOC IRN quoted on the bill of entry will be detained, attracting demurrage and ground rent until the 911DF1 upload is verified in e-Sanchit.

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Frequently asked
Does HSN 0303 24 00 require BIS certification?
No, frozen catfish 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 requirement and the 79-designated-port restriction.
Which document codes must be uploaded in e-Sanchit at the bill of entry for this tariff line?
Four documents are mandatory: FSSAI Import Licence (911001), Sanitary Import Permit (911DF1), Specimen Copy of Label (0110FS), and Health Certificate (6360AQ); the customs proper officer will verify all four before granting out-of-charge under CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus.
Is the foreign-manufacturer registration with FSSAI mandatory for frozen fish imports?
Yes. Per CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus and the FSSAI order dated 10 October 2022, the overseas facility producing frozen fish for export to India must be registered with FSSAI before import is permitted, and exporting countries were requested to submit facility lists in the prescribed format.
Last verified against gazette notifications: 2026-05-16. Source: FSSAI / AQCS / DGFT / CBIC / Indian Customs CUSDATA.
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