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Herrings (Clupea harengus, Clupea pallasii)

Frozen herrings (Clupea harengus, Clupea pallasii)

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0303 51 00 (Frozen herrings) 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 as a concurrent overlay, and consignments are restricted to 79 designated food-import ports with effect from 1 March 2023.

What this is
HSN code
0303 51 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 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 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 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 only through one of the 79 designated food-import ports notified under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Confirm rectifiable-labelling compliance under FSSAI Letter 1828/Misc Matters/FSSAI/Imports-2021 dated 17-06-2022 and CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022 before out-of-charge.
    CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus dated 08-02-2023 · FSSAI order dated 17-10-2022 · General Note 4(D) of ITC (HS) Schedule I
A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is treating the FSSAI Import Licence as the sole clearance and filing the bill of entry without the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit IRN. These are independent clearances — AQCS issues the Sanitary Import Permit (911DF1) separately, and customs out-of-charge cannot be granted until both the FSSAI and AQCS document codes are verified in e-Sanchit. Consignments arriving at an undesignated port are additionally liable to detention regardless of whether all PGA documents are in order.

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Frequently asked
Does HSN 0303 51 00 require BIS certification?
No, frozen herrings 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 and the 79-designated-port restriction operative from 1 March 2023.
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), Specimen Copy of Label (0110FS), AQCS Health Certificate (6360AQ), and AQCS Sanitary Import Permit (911DF1); out-of-charge will not be granted until all four are verified in e-Sanchit.
Is the foreign-manufacturer registration with FSSAI mandatory for frozen herring exports to India?
Yes. Per CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus and the FSSAI order dated 10 October 2022, the facility manufacturing fish products for export to India must be registered with FSSAI, and imports from unregistered facilities are not permitted.
Last verified against gazette notifications: 2026-05-16. Source: FSSAI / AQCS / DGFT / CBIC / Indian Customs CUSDATA.
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