Other

Frozen fish, other species (whole, gutted, headed)

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0303 89 90 (frozen fish, other species) 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 may enter India only through the 79 designated food-import ports operative from 1 March 2023.

What this is

HSN code

0303 89 90

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 that the foreign manufacturing facility is registered with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the mandatory high-risk-food registration scheme for fish and fish products. Upload the FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and a 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 a Health Certificate (document code 6360AQ) prior to shipment. At the bill of entry, quote the e-Sanchit IRN of the Sanitary Import Permit to obtain the AQCS NOC for CTIs 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 · FSSAI order dated 18-11-2022 under F.No. Import/TFM/Apex/2022-FSSAI
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. Confirm compliance with the rectifiable-labelling regime under FSSAI Letter 1828/Misc Matters/FSSAI/Imports-2021 and CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus 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 single most common failure on this tariff line is presenting a valid FSSAI Import Licence while the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit IRN is absent or has not been uploaded in e-Sanchit — the two clearances are independent and customs out-of-charge requires both. A consignment detained at port for a missing AQCS NOC accrues demurrage and ground rent that a retrospective upload cannot waive; the IRN must be generated and quotable before the bill of entry is filed, not after vessel arrival.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0303 89 90 require BIS certification?

No, frozen fish of other species is 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 Animal Quarantine and Certification Services Sanitary Import Permit requirement and a 79-designated-port restriction operative from 1 March 2023.

Which document codes must be uploaded in e-Sanchit for this tariff line?

The mandatory uploads are FSSAI Import Licence (911001), Specimen Copy of Label (0110FS), AQCS Sanitary Import Permit (911DF1), and Health Certificate (6360AQ); all four must be present before customs out-of-charge per CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus and CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus.

Is foreign-manufacturer registration with FSSAI required even for smaller export facilities?

Yes. Per CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus and the FSSAI order dated 10 October 2022, all foreign manufacturing facilities exporting fish products to India must be registered with FSSAI regardless of facility size, and imports from unregistered facilities are not permitted.

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