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Tilapias (Oreochromis spp.)

Fresh, chilled or frozen tilapia fillets (Oreochromis spp.)

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0304 61 00 (Tilapias, Oreochromis 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 permitted only through 79 designated food-import ports with effect from 1 March 2023.

What this is
HSN code
0304 61 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 regime before shipment. The FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and a Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) must be uploaded in e-Sanchit prior to filing the bill of entry.
    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 dispatch. Quote the e-Sanchit IRN of the Sanitary Import Permit on the bill of entry; failure to provide the IRN prevents issuance of the AQCS NOC required for out-of-charge.
    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. 3
    Route the consignment exclusively through one of the 79 designated food-import ports listed in the CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus Annexure, in compliance with General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Confirm labelling compliance under the FSSAI rectifiable-labelling regime before out-of-charge is granted.
    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 FSSAI Import Licence upload as the complete customs-clearance obligation while overlooking the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit, which is an independent animal-origin overlay issued and uploaded by AQCS — not by FSSAI. A consignment carrying a current FSSAI licence but without the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit IRN quoted on the bill of entry will be detained at the designated port, accruing demurrage and ground rent until the IRN is supplied; the rectifiable-labelling window does not extend to a missing PGA clearance.

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Frequently asked
Does HSN 0304 61 00 require BIS certification?
No, tilapia fillets and other fish meat under this tariff line 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 a 79-designated-port restriction operative from 1 March 2023.
Is the foreign-manufacturer registration with FSSAI mandatory for tilapia imports?
Yes. Per CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus and the FSSAI order dated 10 October 2022, manufacturing facilities exporting fish products — including tilapia fillets — to India must be registered with FSSAI; imports from unregistered facilities are not permitted at the bill-of-entry stage.
What happens if the consignment arrives at a non-designated port?
Import of high-risk fish products through any port outside the 79 designated food-import ports is not permitted under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022; such consignments are liable to detention and may face re-export or confiscation under Customs Act, 1962 provisions.
Last verified against gazette notifications: 2026-05-16. Source: FSSAI / AQCS / DGFT / CBIC / Indian Customs CUSDATA.
Related
ChapterChapter 03 · Fish and crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic invertebratesHSNFISH FILLETS AND OTHER FISH MEAT (WHETHER OR NOT MINCED), FRESH, CHILLED OR FROZENHSN0304 31 00 · Fresh, chilled or frozen tilapia fillets (Oreochromis spp.)