Cod (Gadus morhua, Gadus ogac, Gadus macrocephalus)

Dried, salted or brined cod (Gadus morhua, Gadus ogac, Gadus macrocephalus)

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0305 51 00 (dried, salted or brined cod) 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 restricted to 79 designated food-import ports operative from 1 March 2023.

What this is

HSN code

0305 51 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 mandatory high-risk-food regime covering fish and fish products. The FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and the Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) must both 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 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 the 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. Verify label compliance against the FSSAI rectifiable-labelling regime before claiming out-of-charge; non-rectifiable labelling defects trigger 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 · FSSAI clarification order dated 18-11-2022

A word of counsel

The most frequent error on this tariff line is treating the FSSAI Import Licence as the sole clearance document and overlooking the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit, which is an independent animal-origin overlay that must be issued and uploaded by AQCS — not by the importer. A consignment of dried or salted cod arriving at a designated port with a current FSSAI licence but without the AQCS NOC IRN quoted on the bill of entry will be detained pending AQCS out-of-charge, attracting demurrage and ground rent that the rectifiable-labelling regime cannot cure.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0305 51 00 require BIS certification?

No, dried and salted cod is not within 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 the 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), Specimen Copy of Label (0110FS), AQCS Health Certificate (6360AQ), and AQCS Sanitary Import Permit (911DF1). The AQCS Sanitary Import Permit IRN must also be quoted on the bill of entry to obtain the AQCS NOC per CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus.

Is the foreign-manufacturer registration with FSSAI mandatory for dried cod imports?

Yes. Per CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus and the FSSAI order dated 10 October 2022, the facility manufacturing fish products for export to India must be registered with FSSAI; imports from unregistered facilities are not permitted regardless of AQCS clearance status.

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