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Turbots (Psetta maxima)

Frozen turbots (Psetta maxima)

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0303 34 00 (Turbots, Psetta maxima) 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 restricted to 79 designated food-import ports with effect from 1 March 2023.

What this is
HSN code
0303 34 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 the Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) must be uploaded in e-Sanchit prior to filing the bill of 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 secure the AQCS NOC for frozen fish 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 under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Confirm label compliance with the rectifiable-labelling regime; defects in mandatory label particulars attract hold at port until rectification is accepted by the customs proper officer.
    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 arriving at a non-designated port on the assumption that any cold-chain facility with customs presence suffices for frozen fish clearance. A consignment of frozen turbot landing at an undesignated port faces detention and ground rent accrual regardless of whether the FSSAI Import Licence and AQCS Sanitary Import Permit are current — port compliance and document compliance are independent conditions, both of which must be satisfied before out-of-charge.

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Frequently asked
Does HSN 0303 34 00 require BIS certification?
No, frozen turbots are not within 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 Animal Quarantine and Certification Services Sanitary Import Permit requirement and restriction to 79 designated food-import ports.
Is foreign-manufacturer registration with FSSAI mandatory for frozen turbot imports?
Yes. Per CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus and the FSSAI order dated 10 October 2022, the overseas facility producing fish and fish products must be registered with FSSAI before the consignment is permitted entry; imports from unregistered facilities are not cleared.
What happens if the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit IRN is missing from the bill of entry?
The customs proper officer withholds out-of-charge until the IRN generated in e-Sanchit for document code 911DF1 is quoted on the bill of entry; consignment detention and accruing demurrage continue until the AQCS NOC is confirmed per CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus.
Last verified against gazette notifications: 2026-05-16. Source: FSSAI / AQCS / DGFT / CBIC / Indian Customs CUSDATA.
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