Other

Other live, fresh, chilled, frozen or dried mussels and molluscs

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0307 39 90 (Other molluscs) 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 fish and aquatic-product category. 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

0307 39 90

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 mandatory high-risk-food registration scheme. The FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001, where applicable) must be uploaded in e-Sanchit, and unregistered-facility consignments 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. Quote the e-Sanchit IRN of the Sanitary Import Permit on the bill of entry; the importer must upload it against the CTIs listed in Annexure A (Sl. No. 3) of CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus to obtain the AQCS NOC.
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. Upload the Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) and ensure label compliance 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 common error on this tariff line is treating the FSSAI Import Licence as a standalone clearance while overlooking the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit, which is an independent animal-origin overlay issued separately and must be uploaded in e-Sanchit with its own IRN before the bill of entry is filed. A consignment arriving at a designated port with a current FSSAI licence but no AQCS NOC will be detained — attracting demurrage and ground rent — until the Sanitary Import Permit IRN is verified; the FSSAI rectifiable-labelling concession does not extend to a missing AQCS clearance.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0307 39 90 require BIS certification?

No, molluscs and aquatic invertebrates 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 document code must be quoted in e-Sanchit for the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit, and when must it be uploaded?

Document code 911DF1 is assigned to the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit; the importer must quote the corresponding e-Sanchit IRN on the bill of entry to obtain the NOC, per CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 and CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus.

Is the 79-port restriction permanent, and does it apply to all mollusc sub-categories?

The restriction applies to all high-risk fish and aquatic-product imports including molluscs, effective 1 March 2023, under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022; consignments tendered at non-designated ports are liable to rejection and re-export.

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