Other

Dried, salted, brined or smoked fish (other species)

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0305 39 00 (Other dried, salted, brined or smoked fish) 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, as a high-risk fish product category. Animal Quarantine and Certification Services (AQCS) Sanitary Import Permit clearance applies concurrently, and consignments are permitted only through 79 designated food-import ports with effect from 1 March 2023.

What this is

HSN code

0305 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
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) and a Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) must both 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
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
Route the consignment exclusively through one of the 79 designated food-import ports per General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Labelling deficiencies must be addressed under the rectifiable-labelling regime; missing PGA clearances are not rectifiable and will result in consignment detention.
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 common error on this tariff line is treating foreign-manufacturer registration as a one-time formality: FSSAI's high-risk-food regime requires the specific facility — not merely the exporting entity — to be registered, and a change of processing plant mid-contract creates a new registration obligation before the next shipment. Consignments from an unregistered facility are detained at the designated port regardless of whether the FSSAI Import Licence itself is current, and the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit IRN must be independently quoted on the bill of entry to obtain the AQCS NOC.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0305 39 00 require BIS certification?

No, dried, salted, brined or smoked fish falls 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 a 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: FSSAI Import Licence (911001), Specimen Copy of Label (0110FS), AQCS Health Certificate (6360AQ), and AQCS Sanitary Import Permit (911DF1). The IRN of the Sanitary Import Permit must also be quoted on the bill of entry to obtain the AQCS NOC.

What happens if the consignment arrives at a non-designated port?

Import of high-risk fish products through any port not listed in the CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus Annexure is not permitted under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022; the consignment is liable to detention, demurrage, and ground rent pending re-routing or re-export.

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