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Fresh, chilled or frozen fish fillets and other fish meat

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0304 39 00 (Other fish fillets and fish meat, fresh, chilled or 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. 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
0304 39 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 that the foreign manufacturing facility is registered with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the high-risk-food category covering fish and fish products. The FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and a Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) must both 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. 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 — the IRN is required to obtain the AQCS NOC for fish-product 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
  3. 3
    Route the consignment exclusively through one of the 79 designated food-import ports notified under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Confirm labelling compliance under the FSSAI rectifiable-labelling framework before out-of-charge; non-rectifiable labelling defects are not eligible for the rectifiable-labelling relief.
    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 this tariff line is treating the FSSAI Import Licence as the sole clearance document and failing to upload the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit IRN before arrival. The AQCS NOC is an independent requirement from the food-safety clearance, and a consignment presenting a current FSSAI licence without the 911DF1 IRN quoted on the bill of entry will be detained at the designated port pending AQCS resolution — accruing demurrage and ground rent with no shortcut remedy.

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Frequently asked
Does HSN 0304 39 00 require BIS certification?
No, fish fillets and fish meat fall entirely 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 restriction to 79 designated food-import ports.
Which documents must be uploaded in e-Sanchit at the bill of entry for this HSN?
Four documents are mandatory: FSSAI Import Licence (911001), Specimen Copy of Label (0110FS), AQCS Health Certificate (6360AQ), and AQCS Sanitary Import Permit (911DF1); all four must be uploaded in e-Sanchit before customs out-of-charge.
Is the foreign-manufacturer registration with FSSAI mandatory for fish fillets under this tariff line?
Yes. Per CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus and the FSSAI order dated 10 October 2022, the overseas facility processing 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.
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