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Toothfish (Dissostichus spp.)

Fresh, chilled or frozen toothfish fillets (Dissostichus spp.)

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0304 46 00 (Toothfish fillets, Dissostichus spp.) 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 effective 1 March 2023.

What this is
HSN code
0304 46 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 placing the export order. The FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) must be uploaded in e-Sanchit at the bill of entry; consignments from unregistered facilities will not receive out-of-charge.
    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 shipment. Quote the e-Sanchit IRN of the Sanitary Import Permit on the bill of entry for the CTIs listed in Annexure A (Sl. No. 3) of CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus to obtain the AQCS NOC.
    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 under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022, and upload the Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS). Label defects may be rectified per FSSAI order dated 18-11-2022 and CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus, but a missing PGA clearance is not rectifiable.
    CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus dated 08-02-2023 · FSSAI order dated 18-11-2022 under F.No.Import/TFM/Apex/2022-FSSAI · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022
A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is treating FSSAI clearance as the sole bottleneck and dispatching without a confirmed AQCS Sanitary Import Permit IRN. The AQCS NOC is independent of the FSSAI licence and must be quoted on the bill of entry; consignments arriving at a designated port with a current FSSAI Import Licence but no uploaded 911DF1 are detained — accumulating demurrage and ground rent — until the permit IRN is furnished.

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Frequently asked
Does HSN 0304 46 00 require BIS certification?
No, fish fillets including toothfish are 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 and the 79-designated-port restriction operative from 1 March 2023.
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 CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus and CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus.
Is the foreign-manufacturer registration with FSSAI mandatory even if the exporter has previously shipped to India?
Yes. Per CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus and the FSSAI order dated 10 October 2022, all facilities manufacturing fish products for export to India must be registered with FSSAI, regardless of prior shipment history.
Last verified against gazette notifications: 2026-05-16. Source: FSSAI / AQCS / DGFT / CBIC / Indian Customs CUSDATA.
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