Access IndiaPLATFORM
Home›HSN›Chapter 03›HSN 0306 95 00

Shrimps and prawns

Shrimps and prawns, live, fresh, chilled, frozen or dried

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0306 95 00 (Shrimps and prawns) 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 restricted to 79 designated food-import ports under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022.

What this is
HSN code
0306 95 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. The FSSAI Import Licence must be current and 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. 2
    Obtain the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit (document code 911DF1) before consignment dispatch. Quote the e-Sanchit IRN of the Sanitary Import Permit on the bill of entry 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. 3
    Route the consignment only through one of the 79 designated food-import ports notified with effect from 01-03-2023. Ensure the Specimen Copy of Label is uploaded in e-Sanchit and labelling complies with the FSSAI 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 frequent error on this tariff line is presenting a current FSSAI Import Licence without the independent AQCS Sanitary Import Permit — customs out-of-charge requires the IRN of the AQCS-issued document code 911DF1, and its absence causes port detention regardless of FSSAI clearance status. The rectifiable-labelling provisions under the FSSAI clarification order dated 18-11-2022 apply only to label defects; a missing PGA clearance is not rectifiable at the port and will result in the consignment being held pending the full NOC chain.

Need a regulatory steer on this product?
Speak to a regulatory counsel about your specific HSN, IS, and supplier situation.
Speak to an Expert
Frequently asked
Does HSN 0306 95 00 require BIS certification?
No, shrimps and prawns are not within 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 a 79-designated-port restriction operative from 1 March 2023.
Which ports are designated for import of shrimps and prawns 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, as required under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022; consignments arriving at non-designated ports are liable to detention and re-export.
Is foreign-manufacturer registration with FSSAI mandatory for shrimp exporters?
Yes. Per CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus and the FSSAI order dated 10-10-2022, every foreign facility manufacturing fish and crustacean products for export to India must be registered with FSSAI before the import is permitted at the bill-of-entry stage.
Last verified against gazette notifications: 2026-05-16. Source: FSSAI / AQCS / DGFT / CBIC / Indian Customs CUSDATA.
Related
ChapterChapter 03 · Fish and crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic invertebratesHSNCRUSTACEANS, WHETHER IN SHELL OR NOT, LIVE, FRESH, CHILLED, FROZEN, DRIED, SALTED OR IN BRINE; SMOKED CRUSTACEANS, WHETHER IN SHELL OR NOT, WHETHER OR NOT COOKED BEFORE OR DURING THE SMOKING PROCESS; CRUSTACEANS, IN SHELL, COOKED BY STEAMING OR BY BOILING IN WATER, WHETHER OR NOT CHILLED, FROZEN, DRIED, SALTED OR IN BRINEHSN0306 11 00 · Rock lobster and other sea crawfish (Palinurus, Panulirus, Jasus spp.)