Herrings (Clupea harengus, Clupea pallasii)

Salted, dried or smoked herrings (Clupea harengus, Clupea pallasii)

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0305 61 00 (Herrings — Clupea harengus, Clupea pallasii) 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 import is permitted only through 79 designated food-import ports operative from 1 March 2023.

What this is

HSN code

0305 61 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 before shipment. The FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) must be uploaded in e-Sanchit prior to filing the bill of entry.
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 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 rectifiable-labelling regime before out-of-charge; defects in rectifiable particulars are addressable under FSSAI order F.No. Import/TFM/Apex/2022-FSSAI dated 18-11-2022, but a missing PGA clearance is not.
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 a current FSSAI Import Licence as sufficient clearance and overlooking the independent AQCS Sanitary Import Permit. The two clearances are parallel obligations — not sequential — and a consignment arriving at a designated port with the FSSAI licence uploaded but the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit IRN absent in e-Sanchit will be detained, attracting demurrage and ground rent until the 911DF1 document is regularised, which is not permitted post-arrival under normal procedure.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0305 61 00 require BIS certification?

No, dried, salted or smoked herrings fall 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 a concurrent Animal Quarantine and Certification Services Sanitary Import Permit requirement and the 79-designated-port restriction operative from 1 March 2023.

Which document codes must be uploaded in e-Sanchit before out-of-charge for this tariff line?

Four documents are mandatory: FSSAI Import Licence (911001), Specimen Copy of Label (0110FS), AQCS Health Certificate (6360AQ), and AQCS Sanitary Import Permit (911DF1); the Sanitary Import Permit IRN must also be quoted on the bill of entry per CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023.

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

Yes. Per CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus and the FSSAI order dated 10 October 2022, the overseas facility processing fish products for export to India must be registered with FSSAI before the consignment is permitted entry.

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