Other

Cold-water shrimps and prawns, other preparations

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0306 16 90 (cold-water shrimps and prawns, 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 admitted only through 79 designated food-import ports operative from 1 March 2023.

What this is

HSN code

0306 16 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
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 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) prior to dispatch and quote its e-Sanchit IRN on the bill of entry to obtain the AQCS NOC. The Sanitary Import Permit applies to cold-water shrimp and prawn products listed in Annexure A (Sl. No. 3) of Circular No. 24/2022-Cus dated 28-11-2022.
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 FSSAI rectifiable-labelling regime; labelling defects must be resolved before out-of-charge, not post-clearance.
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 assuming that a valid FSSAI Import Licence is the sole clearance required and overlooking the independent AQCS Sanitary Import Permit, which is a parallel animal-origin overlay that customs verifies separately. A consignment arriving at a designated port with a current FSSAI licence but without the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit IRN quoted in e-Sanchit will be detained — attracting demurrage and ground rent — until the AQCS NOC is produced; the rectifiable-labelling concession does not cure a missing PGA clearance.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0306 16 90 require BIS certification?

No, cold-water shrimps and prawns 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 restriction to 79 designated food-import ports.

Which ports are authorised for import of cold-water shrimps and prawns under this HSN?

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, operative from 1 March 2023, in compliance with General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022.

Is foreign-manufacturer registration with FSSAI mandatory for every shipment?

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

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