Tuna

Fresh, chilled or frozen tuna fillets and fish meat

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0304 49 40 (Tuna) 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 operative from 1 March 2023.

What this is

HSN code

0304 49 40

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 stage; 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) prior to dispatch. Quote the e-Sanchit IRN of the Sanitary Import Permit on the bill of entry 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
3
Route the consignment exclusively 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) in e-Sanchit before out-of-charge. Rectifiable labelling defects must be addressed per the FSSAI rectifiable-labelling regime before customs clearance.
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 tuna fillet consignments is treating the FSSAI Import Licence as the sole clearance and failing to secure the independent AQCS Sanitary Import Permit before the vessel departs. A current FSSAI licence does not substitute for the AQCS NOC: consignments arriving at a designated port without the 911DF1 IRN quoted on the bill of entry are detained, accruing demurrage and ground rent until the Sanitary Import Permit is regularised — an outcome that cannot be resolved retrospectively at the port.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0304 49 40 require BIS certification?

No, tuna fillets and fish meat fall 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 AQCS Sanitary Import Permit requirement and the 79-designated-port restriction operative from 1 March 2023.

Which e-Sanchit document codes are mandatory at the bill of entry for this tariff line?

Four documents must be uploaded in e-Sanchit before out-of-charge: FSSAI Import Licence (911001), AQCS 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 for tuna products under this HSN?

Yes. Fish and fish products are classified as high-risk food under CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus and the FSSAI order dated 10 October 2022, requiring the exporting facility to be registered with FSSAI before any import is permitted into India.

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