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Blue whitings (Micromesistius poutassou, Micromesistiusaustralis)

Frozen blue whitings (Micromesistius poutassou, Micromesistius australis)

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0303 68 00 (Frozen blue whitings) 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 concurrently, and consignments are permitted only through 79 designated food-import ports with effect from 1 March 2023.

What this is
HSN code
0303 68 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 placing the export order. The FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and a 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 a 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 the 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. Ensure labelling complies with the FSSAI rectifiable-labelling regime; a missing or non-rectifiable label defect at the time of out-of-charge cannot be cured by the rectifiable-label pathway.
    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 document and neglecting the independent AQCS Sanitary Import Permit. Both clearances are mandatory and operate in parallel; a consignment that arrives at a designated port with a current FSSAI licence but without the AQCS NOC — confirmed by the e-Sanchit IRN of document code 911DF1 — will be detained, attracting demurrage and ground rent until the permit is regularised or the consignment is re-exported.

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Frequently asked
Does HSN 0303 68 00 require BIS certification?
No, frozen blue whitings 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.
Which document codes must be uploaded in e-Sanchit 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 must be uploaded before customs out-of-charge per CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023.
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 and fish products to India must be registered with FSSAI before the import is permitted; consignments from unregistered facilities are not cleared.
Last verified against gazette notifications: 2026-05-16. Source: FSSAI / AQCS / DGFT / CBIC / Indian Customs CUSDATA.
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