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Other

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

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE · +1 OTHER PGAS

HSN 0305 59 90 (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. Animal Quarantine and Certification Services (AQCS) Sanitary Import Permit and Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) CITES clearance apply as concurrent overlays, and consignments are restricted to 79 designated food-import ports effective 1 March 2023.

What this is
HSN code
0305 59 90
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
  • CITES Certificate from WCCB
Applicable Partner Government Agencies
FSSAIFSSAI·Food Safety and Standards Authority of India
AQCSAQCS·Animal Quarantine and Certification Services
WCCBWCCB·Wildlife Crime Control Bureau

Procedural directions for customs clearance are issued by: Directorate General of Foreign Trade, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs.

Compliance steps
  1. 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. Upload the FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) in e-Sanchit before filing the bill of entry.
    CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus dated 14-11-2022 · FSSAI order dated 10-10-2022
  2. 2
    Obtain the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit (document code 911DF1) and Health Certificate (document code 6360AQ) before shipment 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. 3
    Upload the CITES Certificate (document code 626000) in e-Sanchit where the species is listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. Route the consignment through one of the 79 designated food-import ports under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022; arrival at a non-designated port renders the consignment liable to detention.
    CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus dated 08-02-2023 · General Note 4(D) of Schedule I, ITC (HS) 2022 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022
A word of counsel

The CITES Certificate (document code 626000) is the most commonly overlooked document on this tariff line: importers that obtain the FSSAI and AQCS clearances in full but fail to upload the CITES Certificate in e-Sanchit face out-of-charge refusal regardless of the food-safety status of the consignment. WCCB clearance is species-dependent — verify against the CITES Appendices before the purchase order is placed, because a species listed post-order triggers seizure and potential criminal liability under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

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Frequently asked
Does HSN 0305 59 90 require BIS certification?
No, dried, salted, brined or smoked fish in this residual category 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 concurrent AQCS and WCCB clearances and a designated-port restriction.
Which document codes must be uploaded in e-Sanchit for this tariff line?
The mandatory uploads are: FSSAI Import Licence (911001), Specimen Copy of Label (0110FS), Health Certificate (6360AQ), Sanitary Import Permit (911DF1), and CITES Certificate (626000) — all must be uploaded before customs out-of-charge is granted.
Does the CITES Certificate requirement apply to every consignment under this HSN?
The CITES Certificate is required where the species being imported is listed on a CITES Appendix; species not on any Appendix do not trigger WCCB clearance, but the importer bears the burden of establishing non-listed status at the bill-of-entry stage.
Last verified against gazette notifications: 2026-05-16. Source: FSSAI / AQCS / WCCB / DGFT / CBIC / Indian Customs CUSDATA.
Related
ChapterChapter 03 · Fish and crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic invertebratesHSNFISH, DRIED, SALTED OR IN BRINE; SMOKED FISH, WHETHER OR NOT COOKED BEFORE OR DURING THE SMOKING PROCESSHSNOther: