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Sole (Solea spp.)

Frozen sole fish (Solea spp.)

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0303 33 00 (Sole, Solea 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, as a high-risk fish product. 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
0303 33 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) must be current and uploaded in e-Sanchit; consignments from unregistered facilities will be denied 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 dispatch. Quote the e-Sanchit IRN of the Sanitary Import Permit on the bill of entry to secure the AQCS NOC for fish-product 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 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 that are rectifiable may be addressed per FSSAI Letter 1828/Misc Matters/FSSAI/Imports-2021 dated 17-06-2022 and CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022, but missing PGA clearances are not rectifiable.
    CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus dated 08-02-2023 · FSSAI notice dated 11-01-2023 · General Note 4(D) ITC (HS) Schedule I 2022
A word of counsel

The single most common error on frozen sole imports is treating the FSSAI Import Licence as the complete clearance and neglecting the independent AQCS Sanitary Import Permit, which is issued and uploaded by AQCS — not by the importer. A consignment arriving at a designated port with a valid FSSAI licence but without the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit IRN quoted on the bill of entry will be detained, accruing demurrage and ground rent, until the IRN is supplied; no rectifiable-labelling waiver applies to a missing PGA NOC.

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Frequently asked
Does HSN 0303 33 00 require BIS certification?
No, frozen sole is not within the BIS Quality Control Order regime; no BIS QCO covers fish or aquatic products. 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 e-Sanchit document codes are mandatory at the bill of entry for this HSN?
Four documents must be uploaded: FSSAI Import Licence (911001), Sanitary Import Permit (911DF1), Health Certificate (6360AQ), and Specimen Copy of Label (0110FS), per the mandatory-document list in the CBIC PGA-facilitated-bill verification instructions.
Is the foreign-manufacturer registration with FSSAI a one-time requirement or does it need renewal?
The registration requirement is facility-level and must be in place before each import; the exporting country must have provided the facility's details to FSSAI in the prescribed format per CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus dated 14-11-2022 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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