Dogfish

Frozen dogfish and other sharks

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0303 81 10 (Dogfish, frozen) 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 as a concurrent overlay, and import is permitted only through 79 designated food-import ports with effect from 1 March 2023.

What this is

HSN code

0303 81 10

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 covering fish and fish products. Upload the FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) in e-Sanchit before 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) 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 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 exclusively through one of the 79 designated food-import ports per General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Ensure labelling complies with the FSSAI rectifiable-labelling regime; rectifiable defects may be resolved at port, but a missing PGA clearance document does not qualify as a rectifiable defect.
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 treating the FSSAI Import Licence as the sole clearance document and overlooking the independent AQCS Sanitary Import Permit, which must be uploaded in e-Sanchit and its IRN quoted on the bill of entry before out-of-charge. Consignments that arrive at a designated port with a current FSSAI licence but without the AQCS NOC are detained — accruing demurrage and ground rent — until the 911DF1 IRN is furnished; the rectifiable-labelling pathway under FSSAI clarification order dated 18-11-2022 does not cure a missing animal-quarantine clearance.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0303 81 10 require BIS certification?

No, frozen dogfish is not within the BIS Quality Control Order regime; no BIS QCO covers frozen fish or shark products. 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.

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 per CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus and Circular 24/2022-Cus.

Is the foreign-manufacturer registration with FSSAI mandatory for frozen shark products?

Yes. Per CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus and the FSSAI order dated 10 October 2022, any facility exporting fish and fish products to India must be registered with FSSAI before the consignment is permitted entry.

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