Vannamei shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei)

Vannamei shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei), other shrimps and prawns

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0306 17 20 (Vannamei shrimp) 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 17 20

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 mandatory high-risk-food-facility registration scheme. Shrimp products from unregistered facilities are not permitted entry; upload the FSSAI Import Licence in e-Sanchit before 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) prior to consignment dispatch and quote the e-Sanchit IRN of that 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, and ensure label compliance with the FSSAI rectifiable-labelling regime before customs out-of-charge. Labelling defects that are not rectifiable are grounds for detention or re-export.
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 frequent error on this tariff line is treating FSSAI clearance and AQCS clearance as sequential rather than concurrent obligations — arriving with a valid FSSAI Import Licence but without an AQCS Sanitary Import Permit IRN uploaded in e-Sanchit results in port detention and demurrage until the AQCS NOC is produced. The two PGA clearances must both be in place before the bill of entry is filed; the rectifiable-labelling regime covers label defects only and cannot cure a missing PGA document.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0306 17 20 require BIS certification?

No, Vannamei shrimp falls outside the BIS Quality Control Order regime entirely. 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 a 79-designated-port restriction operative from 1 March 2023.

Which ports are approved for the import of Vannamei shrimp 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; consignments routed through any other port are liable to detention.

Is registration of the foreign shrimp-processing facility with FSSAI mandatory before shipment?

Yes. Per CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus and the FSSAI order dated 10 October 2022, the overseas manufacturing facility must be registered with FSSAI before any fish or crustacean product is permitted entry into India.

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