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Seabass (Dicentrarchus spp.)

Frozen seabass (Dicentrarchus spp.)

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0303 84 00 (Frozen seabass) 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 84 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) must be uploaded in e-Sanchit; consignments from unregistered facilities are not permitted 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) prior to dispatch. Quote the e-Sanchit IRN of the Sanitary Import Permit on the bill of entry to obtain the AQCS NOC for fish products listed in Annexure A (Sl. No. 3) of CBIC 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 per General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Upload the Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) and ensure compliance with the FSSAI rectifiable-labelling regime before customs 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 single most common error on frozen fish imports is arriving at a non-designated port on the assumption that any cold-chain facility will suffice — the 79-port restriction is absolute for high-risk food categories and a consignment diverted to an unnotified port faces detention, accruing demurrage and ground rent while an expensive re-routing or re-export is arranged. The AQCS Sanitary Import Permit and the FSSAI Import Licence are independent clearances; a current FSSAI licence does not substitute for the AQCS NOC, and missing either document code in e-Sanchit will prevent customs out-of-charge.

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Frequently asked
Does HSN 0303 84 00 require BIS certification?
No, frozen seabass is not within the BIS Quality Control Order regime; no BIS QCO covers this fish product. 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 requirement and a 79-designated-port restriction.
Which document codes must be uploaded in e-Sanchit before out-of-charge 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), per the PGA-facilitated-bill verification requirement in the CCR.
Is foreign-manufacturer registration with FSSAI required for all exporters of frozen seabass to India?
Yes. Per CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus and the FSSAI order dated 10 October 2022, every foreign manufacturing facility exporting fish products to India must be registered with FSSAI before the import is permitted; shipments from unregistered facilities are liable to be refused out-of-charge.
Last verified against gazette notifications: 2026-05-16. Source: FSSAI / AQCS / DGFT / CBIC / Indian Customs CUSDATA.
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