Artemia

Live, fresh, chilled, frozen or dried Artemia (brine shrimp)

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0306 36 60 (Artemia) 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 product. Animal Quarantine and Certification Services (AQCS) Sanitary Import Permit clearance applies concurrently, and consignments are restricted to 79 designated food-import ports with effect from 1 March 2023.

What this is

HSN code

0306 36 60

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 placing the purchase order. 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) before dispatch and quote the corresponding e-Sanchit IRN on the bill of entry to obtain the AQCS NOC. The Sanitary Import Permit is listed under Annexure A (Sl. No. 3) of CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus and is independent of the FSSAI food-safety clearance.
CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus dated 28-11-2022 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023
3
Route the consignment only through one of the 79 designated food-import ports notified under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022, operative from 1 March 2023. Ensure the specimen copy of the label is uploaded in e-Sanchit and that any labelling deficiencies fall within 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 common error on this tariff line is assuming that Artemia, being a crustacean used primarily as aquaculture feed rather than direct human consumption, escapes the high-risk food regime. FSSAI treats fish and fish products — including crustaceans classified under Chapter 03 — as high-risk regardless of end-use, so foreign-manufacturer registration and the 79-port restriction apply in full. Consignments arriving at a non-designated port with a valid FSSAI licence but absent AQCS Sanitary Import Permit IRN are detained; rectifiable-labelling concessions do not cure a missing PGA clearance.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0306 36 60 require BIS certification?

No, Artemia is not within 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 requirement and the 79-designated-port restriction operative from 1 March 2023.

Is the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit document code 911DF1 required even if the FSSAI Import Licence is current?

Yes. The AQCS Sanitary Import Permit (document code 911DF1) is an independent animal-quarantine clearance; the importer must quote its e-Sanchit IRN on the bill of entry as required by CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus, and the FSSAI licence does not substitute for it.

Are there any exemptions from the 79-port designated-entry restriction for Artemia imports?

No exemption is available under the current regime; General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022 and CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus restrict all high-risk food imports, including fish and crustacean products, to the 79 designated ports without carve-outs for aquaculture-feed end-use.

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