Access IndiaPLATFORM
Home›HSN›Chapter 03›HSN 0304 71 00

Cod (Gadus morhua, Gadus ogac, Gadus macrocephalus)

Fresh, chilled or frozen cod fish fillets (Gadus morhua, Gadus macrocephalus)

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0304 71 00 (Cod fish fillets) 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 71 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 covering fish and fish products. The FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) 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. 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 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. 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. Verify label compliance against the rectifiable-labelling regime; labelling defects covered by FSSAI Letter 1828/Misc Matters/FSSAI/Imports-2021 dated 17-06-2022 may be rectified, but missing PGA clearances are not treated as rectifiable defects.
    CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus dated 08-02-2023 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022 · FSSAI order dated 18-11-2022 under F.No.Import/TFM/Apex/2022-FSSAI
A word of counsel

The most frequent error on this tariff line is conflating FSSAI clearance with full PGA compliance: importers who hold a current FSSAI Import Licence but arrive at a non-designated port, or who have not pre-uploaded the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit IRN (document code 911DF1) in e-Sanchit, face consignment detention and accumulating demurrage until the deficiency is remedied. The AQCS NOC is an independent clearance that runs parallel to the FSSAI food-safety check and cannot be substituted by any FSSAI document.

Need a regulatory steer on this product?
Speak to a regulatory counsel about your specific HSN, IS, and supplier situation.
Speak to an Expert
Frequently asked
Does HSN 0304 71 00 require BIS certification?
No, frozen and chilled cod fish fillets 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 requirement and the 79-designated-port restriction operative from 1 March 2023.
Which document codes must be uploaded in e-Sanchit before customs out-of-charge 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); the Proper Officer will not grant out-of-charge until all four are verified in e-Sanchit.
Is foreign-manufacturer registration with FSSAI compulsory for cod fillet exporters?
Yes. Per CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus and the FSSAI order dated 10 October 2022, every facility manufacturing fish products for export to India must be registered with FSSAI; consignments from unregistered facilities are not permitted entry.
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.)