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Other

Other frozen, dried or smoked crustaceans (not elsewhere specified)

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0306 39 00 (Other crustaceans) 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 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 39 00
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 under the high-risk-food regime before shipment. Imports of crustacean products from unregistered facilities are not permitted; the FSSAI Import Licence must be uploaded in e-Sanchit at the bill of entry stage.
    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) prior to consignment dispatch and quote its e-Sanchit IRN on the bill of entry to secure 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. 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 labelling complies with the FSSAI rectifiable-labelling framework before customs 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 arriving at a non-designated port on the assumption that the crustacean species in this residual sub-heading falls outside the high-risk food protocol — it does not. Crustaceans under 0306 39 00 are classified as fish and aquatic products for FSSAI high-risk purposes, meaning the 79-port restriction and foreign-manufacturer registration apply in full. A consignment routed through an unlisted port faces detention and potential re-export regardless of the validity of the FSSAI Import Licence.

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Frequently asked
Does HSN 0306 39 00 require BIS certification?
No, crustaceans under this tariff line 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 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 IRN quoting mandatory at the bill of entry?
Yes. Per CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 and CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus, the importer must quote the e-Sanchit IRN of the AQCS-issued Sanitary Import Permit (document code 911DF1) on the bill of entry to obtain the NOC; omission results in consignment detention.
Does the foreign-manufacturer registration requirement apply to all exporters of crustaceans under this HSN?
Yes. Per CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus and the FSSAI order dated 10 October 2022, every foreign facility manufacturing fish and aquatic products — including crustaceans — for export to India must be registered with FSSAI before the first consignment is permitted clearance.
Last verified against gazette notifications: 2026-05-16. Source: FSSAI / AQCS / DGFT / CBIC / Indian Customs CUSDATA.
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