Herrings (Clupea harengus, Clupea pallasii)

Smoked or dried herrings (Clupea harengus, Clupea pallasii)

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0305 42 00 (Herrings, dried, salted or smoked) 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

0305 42 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 covering fish and fish products. The FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and a 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
Obtain the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit (document code 911DF1) and a Health Certificate (document code 6360AQ) prior to consignment dispatch. Quote the e-Sanchit IRN of the Sanitary Import Permit on the bill of entry to obtain the AQCS NOC for this CTI 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 only through one of the 79 designated food-import ports per General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Labelling defects identified at port may be rectified per FSSAI Letter No. 1828/Misc Matters/FSSAI/Imports-2021 dated 17-06-2022 and CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022, but a missing PGA clearance document is not a rectifiable defect.
CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus dated 08-02-2023 · General Note 4(D) of ITC (HS) Schedule I · FSSAI clarification order dated 18-11-2022 under F.No. Import/TFM/Apex/2022-FSSAI

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is treating a current FSSAI Import Licence as sufficient for out-of-charge, without uploading the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit IRN. The two clearances are independent: a consignment with a valid FSSAI licence but no AQCS NOC will be detained at the designated port, accruing demurrage and ground rent, until the 911DF1 IRN is quoted on the bill of entry. The rectifiable-labelling concession under FSSAI's clarification order of 18 November 2022 applies to labelling deficiencies only and does not cure a missing quarantine clearance.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0305 42 00 require BIS certification?

No, dried or smoked herrings fall outside the BIS Quality Control Order regime; no BIS QCO covers this product family. 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.

Which document codes must be uploaded in e-Sanchit at the bill of entry for this HSN?

Four documents are mandatory: FSSAI Import Licence (911001), Sanitary Import Permit (911DF1), Health Certificate (6360AQ), and Specimen Copy of Label (0110FS), all per CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus and CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus.

Is foreign-manufacturer registration with FSSAI mandatory even for established herring exporters?

Yes. Per CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus and the FSSAI order dated 10 October 2022, every facility exporting fish products to India must be registered with FSSAI regardless of prior trade history; consignments from unregistered facilities are not permitted entry.

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