Access IndiaPLATFORM
Home›HSN›Chapter 03›HSN 0306 99 00

Other

Other crustaceans, live, fresh, chilled, frozen, dried or smoked

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0306 99 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. Animal Quarantine and Certification Services (AQCS) Sanitary Import Permit clearance applies concurrently, and consignments are permitted only through 79 designated food-import ports operative from 1 March 2023.

What this is
HSN code
0306 99 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 the consignment is dispatched. The FSSAI Import Licence must be uploaded in e-Sanchit at the bill of entry; imports from unregistered facilities are not permitted.
    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 dispatch and quote the e-Sanchit IRN of that permit on the bill of entry to obtain the AQCS NOC. The permit covers crustaceans 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 and ensure compliance with General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Confirm the specimen label is uploaded in e-Sanchit and satisfies the FSSAI rectifiable-labelling requirements before seeking 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 treating the FSSAI Import Licence as the sole clearance and overlooking the independent AQCS Sanitary Import Permit requirement. A consignment arriving with a current FSSAI licence but without the AQCS NOC — or with the Sanitary Import Permit IRN absent from e-Sanchit — will be detained at the designated port, accruing demurrage and ground rent until the document deficiency is remedied. The rectifiable-labelling route covers label defects only; it cannot substitute for a missing PGA clearance.

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 99 00 require BIS certification?
No, other crustaceans fall outside the BIS Quality Control Order regime; no BIS QCO covers this product family. 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.
Which ports are approved for import of crustaceans 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, operative from 1 March 2023, in accordance with General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022.
Is foreign-manufacturer registration with FSSAI mandatory even for occasional or small-volume shipments?
Yes. Per CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus and the FSSAI order dated 10 October 2022, registration of the foreign manufacturing facility is mandatory for all imports of fish and crustacean products regardless of volume, and no exemption threshold is provided in the CCR for this tariff line.
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.)