Whole, cooked

Whole cooked lobsters (Homarus spp.), shell-on or shelled

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0306 12 10 (Whole, cooked lobsters) 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 effective 1 March 2023.

What this is

HSN code

0306 12 10

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 FSSAI under the high-risk-food regime before shipment. The FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) must be uploaded in e-Sanchit at the bill of entry; consignments from unregistered facilities are not permissible for import.
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) prior to 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 under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Ensure label compliance with the FSSAI rectifiable-labelling regime; rectifiable defects must be resolved before out-of-charge, not after.
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 the FSSAI Import Licence as the sole clearance gate and dispatching without the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit. The Sanitary Import Permit (document code 911DF1) is an independent animal-origin overlay; a consignment arriving at the designated port with a valid FSSAI licence but without the AQCS IRN quoted on the bill of entry will be detained, accruing demurrage and ground rent until the AQCS NOC is regularised — if regularisation is possible at all.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0306 12 10 require BIS certification?

No, whole cooked lobsters 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 AQCS Sanitary Import Permit requirement and a restriction to 79 designated food-import ports.

Which ports are designated for import of cooked lobsters under this tariff line?

Imports of high-risk food including crustacean products are permitted only through the 79 designated food-import ports listed in the CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus Annexure, operative from 1 March 2023 under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022.

Is foreign-manufacturer registration with FSSAI mandatory for every exporting facility?

Yes. Per CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus and the FSSAI order dated 10 October 2022, each foreign facility exporting fish and crustacean products to India must be registered with FSSAI before the import is permitted.

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