Sardines (Sardina pilchardus, Sardinops spp.), sardinella (Sardinella spp.), brisling or sprats (Sprattus sprattus)

Frozen sardines, sardinella, brisling or sprats

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0303 53 00 (frozen sardines, sardinella, brisling or sprats) 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 53 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
Confirm the foreign manufacturing facility is registered with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the high-risk-food regime before shipment. Upload the FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and the Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) 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
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 24/2022-Cus.
CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus dated 28-11-2022 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023
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. Verify label compliance against the FSSAI rectifiable-labelling framework before out-of-charge; non-rectifiable labelling defects result in consignment detention.
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 frequent error on this tariff line is treating the FSSAI Import Licence as a complete clearance and failing to obtain a separate AQCS Sanitary Import Permit before the vessel sails. These are independent instruments issued by different authorities: a consignment carrying a current FSSAI licence but no AQCS NOC will be detained at the designated port, accumulating demurrage and ground rent, until the Sanitary Import Permit IRN is uploaded in e-Sanchit — a deficiency that cannot be cured retrospectively by the rectifiable-labelling regime.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0303 53 00 require BIS certification?

No, frozen sardines and allied small pelagic fish 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 AQCS Sanitary Import Permit requirement and the 79-designated-port restriction operative from 1 March 2023.

Is the foreign-manufacturer registration with FSSAI mandatory for frozen fish imports under this HSN?

Yes. Per CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus and the FSSAI order dated 10 October 2022, the facility exporting fish products to India must be registered with FSSAI before import is permitted; consignments from unregistered facilities are not eligible for out-of-charge.

What happens if the consignment arrives at a port not on the designated list of 79 food-import ports?

Arrival at a non-designated port constitutes a breach of General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022, exposing the consignment to detention and potential re-export; diversion to a designated port after vessel arrival requires fresh AQCS and FSSAI clearance at the new port.

Last verified against gazette notifications: 2026-05-16. Source: FSSAI / AQCS / DGFT / CBIC / Indian Customs CUSDATA.