Vannamei shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei)

Vannamei shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei), other shrimps and prawns

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0306 36 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, as a high-risk aquatic food 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

0306 36 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 that the foreign manufacturing facility exporting Vannamei shrimp to India is registered with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the high-risk-food regime. Upload the FSSAI Import Licence in e-Sanchit before filing the bill of entry; consignments from unregistered facilities will not be granted out-of-charge.
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 shipment dispatch. Quote the e-Sanchit IRN of the Sanitary Import Permit on the bill of entry — this IRN is mandatory to obtain the AQCS NOC for the 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 through one of the 79 designated food-import ports notified under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Ensure the consignment label complies with FSSAI's rectifiable-labelling requirements; rectifiable defects must be resolved before out-of-charge is granted.
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 error most commonly seen on this tariff line is treating the FSSAI Import Licence as the sole clearance and dispatching the consignment without the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit IRN already uploaded in e-Sanchit. The AQCS NOC is an independent animal-origin overlay and cannot be substituted by or derived from the FSSAI clearance — a consignment arriving at a designated port with the FSSAI licence in order but the 911DF1 IRN absent will be detained, accruing demurrage and ground rent until the AQCS document is regularised.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0306 36 20 require BIS certification?

No, Vannamei shrimp falls outside the BIS Quality Control Order regime; no BIS QCO covers crustaceans. 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.

Is the foreign-manufacturer registration with FSSAI mandatory for this HSN?

Yes. Per CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus and the FSSAI order dated 10 October 2022, the facility exporting fish and fish products — including Vannamei shrimp — must be registered with FSSAI before the import is permitted; shipments from unregistered facilities are liable to detention and re-export.

What happens if the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit IRN is not quoted on the bill of entry?

Customs will not grant out-of-charge; the consignment is detained at the designated port until the 911DF1 IRN is uploaded and verified in e-Sanchit, per CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 and FSSAI clarification order dated 18-11-2022.

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