Herrings (Clupea harengus, Clupea pallasii), anchovies (Engraulis spp.), sardines (Sardina pilchardus, Sardinops spp.), sardinella (Sardinella spp.), brisling or sprats (Sprattus sprattus), mackerel (Scomber scombrus, Scomber australasicus, Scomber japonicus), Indian mackerels (Rastrelliger spp .), seerfishes (Scomberomorus spp.), jack and horse mackerel (Trachurus spp.), jacks, crevalles (Caranx spp.), cobia (Rachycentron canadum), silver pomfrets (Pampus spp.), Pacific saury (Cololabis saira), scads (Decapterus spp.), capelin (Mallotus villosus), Sword fish (Xiphias gladius), Kawakawa (Euthynnus affinis), bonitos (Sarda spp.), marlins, sailfishes, spearfish (Istiophoridae)

Dried, salted or smoked herrings, mackerel, sardines and related species

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0305 54 00 covers dried, salted, brined or smoked fish of multiple species and 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 54 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 for fish and fish products. Upload the FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and the Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) 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) 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 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. Ensure label compliance with the FSSAI rectifiable-labelling regime; a label defect that is not rectifiable does not constitute grounds for out-of-charge and invites 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 error most frequently seen on this tariff line is filing the bill of entry with a current FSSAI Import Licence while the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit IRN is absent or not quoted. The two clearances are independent: FSSAI governs food-safety compliance and AQCS governs animal-origin sanitary status, and customs out-of-charge requires both document codes — 911001 and 911DF1 — to be verified in e-Sanchit. Consignments arriving at a non-designated port are liable to detention regardless of the completeness of PGA documentation.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0305 54 00 require BIS certification?

No, dried, salted or smoked fish products fall outside the BIS Quality Control Order regime entirely. 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 e-Sanchit document codes are mandatory at the bill of entry for this tariff line?

Four document codes apply: FSSAI Import Licence (911001), Specimen Copy of Label (0110FS), AQCS Health Certificate (6360AQ), and AQCS Sanitary Import Permit (911DF1). The customs proper officer is required to verify all four are uploaded before granting out-of-charge per CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023.

Is foreign-manufacturer registration with FSSAI mandatory for fish product exporters?

Yes. Per CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus and the FSSAI order dated 10 October 2022, every foreign manufacturing facility exporting fish and fish products to India must be registered with FSSAI, and imports from unregistered facilities are not permitted.

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