Fish fins other than shark fins, heads, tails and maws

Frozen fish fins, heads, tails and maws (non-shark)

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0303 99 10 (Fish fins other than shark fins, heads, tails and maws) 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 effective 1 March 2023.

What this is

HSN code

0303 99 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. Imports from unregistered facilities are not permitted; the FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) must be uploaded in e-Sanchit before the bill of entry is filed.
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) 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 CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus. The Health Certificate (document code 6360AQ) and Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) must also be uploaded in e-Sanchit prior to out-of-charge.
CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus dated 28-11-2022 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022
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. Labelling defects identified at port must be addressed under the rectifiable-labelling regime; a missing PGA clearance is not rectifiable and will result in consignment detention.
CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus dated 08-02-2023 · FSSAI Letter 1828/Misc Matters/FSSAI/Imports-2021 dated 17-06-2022 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is treating the FSSAI Import Licence as the sole clearance and filing the bill of entry without the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit IRN. The AQCS clearance is an independent animal-origin overlay — a current FSSAI licence does not substitute for it — and consignments arriving at a designated port without the 911DF1 IRN are detained pending AQCS NOC, accumulating demurrage and cold-storage ground rent that the rectifiable-labelling regime cannot cure.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0303 99 10 require BIS certification?

No, frozen fish fins, heads, tails and maws fall outside the BIS Quality Control Order regime; no BIS QCO covers this product family. 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 for this tariff line?

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

Is foreign-manufacturer registration with FSSAI mandatory for fish fins and maws?

Yes. Per CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus and the FSSAI order dated 10 October 2022, the overseas facility producing fish and fish products for export to India must be registered with FSSAI before the import is permitted.

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