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Cod (Gadus morhua, Gadus ogac, Gadus macrocephalus)

Frozen cod (Gadus morhua, Gadus ogac, Gadus macrocephalus)

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0303 63 00 (Frozen cod) 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 permitted only through 79 designated food-import ports effective 1 March 2023.

What this is
HSN code
0303 63 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 mandatory high-risk-food registration scheme. Imports of fish products from unregistered facilities are not permitted; the FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) must be uploaded in e-Sanchit before the bill of entry is filed.
    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) prior to consignment dispatch. Quote the e-Sanchit IRN of the Sanitary Import Permit on the bill of entry to obtain the AQCS NOC for the concerned CTIs listed in Annexure A (Sl. No. 3) of Circular No. 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 notified under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Upload the Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) and confirm compliance with the FSSAI rectifiable-labelling regime before 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 frequent error on this tariff line is treating the FSSAI Import Licence as the sole clearance requirement and overlooking the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit, which is an independent animal-origin overlay and cannot be substituted by any FSSAI document. A consignment arriving at a designated port with a current FSSAI licence but without the AQCS NOC — confirmed via the 911DF1 IRN in e-Sanchit — will be detained, attracting demurrage and ground rent until the Sanitary Import Permit is uploaded and the IRN is quoted.

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Frequently asked
Does HSN 0303 63 00 require BIS certification?
No, frozen cod is not within 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 AQCS Sanitary Import Permit requirement and a 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), Sanitary Import Permit (911DF1), Health Certificate (6360AQ), and Specimen Copy of Label (0110FS), all to be uploaded before customs out-of-charge per CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus.
Is the foreign-manufacturer registration with FSSAI mandatory for frozen fish exports to India?
Yes. Per CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus and the FSSAI order dated 10 October 2022, the manufacturing facility exporting fish products — including frozen cod — must be registered with FSSAI; consignments from unregistered facilities are not permitted entry.
Last verified against gazette notifications: 2026-05-16. Source: FSSAI / AQCS / DGFT / CBIC / Indian Customs CUSDATA.
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