Tilapias (Oreochromis spp.), catfish (Pangasius spp., Silurus spp., Clarias spp., Ictalurus spp.), carp (Cyprinus spp., Carassius spp., Ctenopharyngodon idellus, Hypophthalmichthys spp., Cirrhinus spp., Mylopharyngodon piceus, Catla catla, Labeo spp., Osteochilus hasselti, Leptobarbus hoeveni, Megalobrama spp.), eels (Anguilla spp.), Nile perch (Lates niloticus) and snakeheads (Channa spp.)

Dried, salted or smoked tilapias, catfish, carp and eels

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0305 44 00 (dried, salted or smoked freshwater fish including tilapias, catfish, carp, eels, Nile perch and snakeheads) 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 with effect from 1 March 2023.

What this is

HSN code

0305 44 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 that the foreign manufacturing facility is registered with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the mandatory high-risk-food regime. Upload the FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) in e-Sanchit before filing the bill of entry; consignments from unregistered facilities will not be granted out-of-charge.
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 dispatch. Quote the e-Sanchit IRN of the Sanitary Import Permit on the bill of entry to obtain the AQCS NOC for fish products listed in Annexure A (Sl. No. 3) of Circular 24/2022-Cus.
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
Route the consignment through one of the 79 designated food-import ports per General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Upload the Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) and verify compliance with the rectifiable-labelling regime before requesting out-of-charge.
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 the FSSAI Import Licence as the sole clearance requirement and presenting the bill of entry without the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit IRN — these are independent PGA clearances and customs will not grant out-of-charge if either is absent. Dried and salted fish products processed at a foreign facility that is not yet on the FSSAI-registered list are liable to consignment detention and demurrage at the designated port regardless of the AQCS clearance status.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0305 44 00 require BIS certification?

No, dried, salted or smoked fish products 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 a restriction to 79 designated food-import ports.

Which document codes must be uploaded in e-Sanchit for this tariff line?

Four documents are mandatory: FSSAI Import Licence (911001), Sanitary Import Permit (911DF1), Health Certificate (6360AQ), and Specimen Copy of Label (0110FS), all to be uploaded before the customs proper officer grants out-of-charge.

Does the mandatory foreign-manufacturer registration with FSSAI apply to all source countries?

Yes. Per CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus and the FSSAI order dated 10 October 2022, registration of the foreign manufacturing facility with FSSAI is mandatory for fish and fish products regardless of the country of origin, and shipments from unregistered facilities will not be cleared.

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