Fish heads, tails and maws

Dried, salted or smoked fish heads, tails and maws

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0305 72 00 (Fish heads, tails and maws) 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 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 72 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 dispatch. The FSSAI Import Licence must be uploaded in e-Sanchit at the bill of entry; consignments from unregistered facilities are not permitted 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) before consignment dispatch and quote the e-Sanchit IRN of that permit on the bill of entry to secure the AQCS NOC. Fish heads, tails and maws are 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 only through one of the 79 designated food-import ports per General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022, and ensure labels comply with FSSAI rectifiable-labelling requirements before out-of-charge. Label defects may be rectified under the FSSAI order dated 18-11-2022; absent PGA clearances are not rectifiable.
CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus dated 08-02-2023 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022 · FSSAI order dated 18-11-2022 under F.No.Import/TFM/Apex/2022-FSSAI

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is treating the FSSAI Import Licence as the sole clearance required and filing the bill of entry without uploading the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit IRN. The two clearances are independent: a current FSSAI licence does not substitute for the AQCS NOC, and a consignment presenting without the 911DF1 IRN will be detained at the designated port — attracting demurrage and ground rent — until the permit is uploaded and verified in e-Sanchit.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0305 72 00 require BIS certification?

No, dried, salted or smoked fish heads, tails and maws 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 and the 79-designated-port restriction operative from 1 March 2023.

Which ports are authorised for import of fish products under this tariff line?

Import is permitted only through the 79 designated food-import ports listed in the Annexure to CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus dated 08-02-2023, per General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022; arrival at any other port renders the consignment liable to detention and re-export.

Is foreign-manufacturer registration with FSSAI mandatory for fish heads, tails and maws?

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 shipment is dispatched; imports from unregistered facilities are not granted out-of-charge.

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