Dara

Frozen fish, other (Dara)

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0303 89 20 (Dara, frozen fish) 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 restricted to 79 designated food-import ports effective 1 March 2023.

What this is

HSN code

0303 89 20

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. The FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) must be uploaded in e-Sanchit at the bill of entry; consignments from unregistered facilities are not permitted 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 secure 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 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) in e-Sanchit and ensure 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 frozen-fish tariff lines is treating FSSAI clearance as the sole gate and overlooking the independent AQCS Sanitary Import Permit. A current FSSAI Import Licence does not substitute for the AQCS NOC — a consignment arriving without the 911DF1 IRN quoted on the bill of entry will be detained at the designated port, accumulating demurrage and ground rent, until the permit is obtained and the IRN is uploaded. The 79-port restriction is non-negotiable: diversion to an undesignated port triggers seizure regardless of whether all four e-Sanchit documents are otherwise in order.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0303 89 20 require BIS certification?

No, frozen fish classified under this tariff line falls outside 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 Animal Quarantine and Certification Services Sanitary Import Permit and the 79-designated-port restriction operative from 1 March 2023.

Which documents must be uploaded in e-Sanchit before customs out-of-charge for this HSN?

Four documents are mandatory: FSSAI Import Licence (911001), Sanitary Import Permit from AQCS (911DF1), Health Certificate (6360AQ), and Specimen Copy of Label (0110FS), all as specified in CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 and Circular 24/2022-Cus.

Is foreign-manufacturer registration with FSSAI required specifically for frozen fish?

Yes. Fish and fish products are an explicitly listed high-risk food category under CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus and the FSSAI order dated 10 October 2022, making registration of the exporting facility mandatory before any import is permitted.

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