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Other

Lobsters (Homarus spp.) in other preserved or processed forms

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0306 12 90 (Lobsters, Homarus spp. — other) 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 restricted to 79 designated food-import ports effective 1 March 2023.

What this is
HSN code
0306 12 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
  • 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. 1
    Confirm the foreign manufacturing facility is registered with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India before shipment. The FSSAI Import Licence must be current and 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. 2
    Obtain the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit (document code 911DF1) before dispatch and quote the e-Sanchit IRN of that permit on the bill of entry to obtain the AQCS NOC. This CTI is listed in Annexure A (Sl. No. 3) of CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus, making the IRN-quoting step mandatory.
    CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus dated 28-11-2022 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023
  3. 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 the specimen copy of the label is uploaded in e-Sanchit and complies with the rectifiable-labelling regime before out-of-charge.
    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 frequent error on this tariff line is treating the FSSAI Import Licence as the sole clearance document and overlooking the independent AQCS Sanitary Import Permit. The two clearances are issued by separate authorities and neither substitutes for the other; a consignment arriving with a valid FSSAI licence but without the AQCS IRN quoted on the bill of entry will be detained at the designated port, accruing demurrage and ground rent until the NOC is resolved.

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Frequently asked
Does HSN 0306 12 90 require BIS certification?
No, lobsters and crustacean products are not within 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 document code must be quoted in e-Sanchit for the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit?
Document code 911DF1 is the mandatory code for the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit; the importer must quote the e-Sanchit IRN generated against that code on the bill of entry to obtain the AQCS NOC, per CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023.
Does the foreign-manufacturer registration requirement apply to all lobster-product exporters?
Yes. Per CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus and the FSSAI order dated 10 October 2022, any overseas facility exporting fish and crustacean products to India must be registered with FSSAI before the import is permitted, regardless of the exporting country.
Last verified against gazette notifications: 2026-05-16. Source: FSSAI / AQCS / DGFT / CBIC / Indian Customs CUSDATA.
Related
ChapterChapter 03 · Fish and crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic invertebratesHSNCRUSTACEANS, WHETHER IN SHELL OR NOT, LIVE, FRESH, CHILLED, FROZEN, DRIED, SALTED OR IN BRINE; SMOKED CRUSTACEANS, WHETHER IN SHELL OR NOT, WHETHER OR NOT COOKED BEFORE OR DURING THE SMOKING PROCESS; CRUSTACEANS, IN SHELL, COOKED BY STEAMING OR BY BOILING IN WATER, WHETHER OR NOT CHILLED, FROZEN, DRIED, SALTED OR IN BRINEHSNLobsters (Homarus spp.):