Cuttle fish

Live, fresh or chilled cuttlefish (molluscs)

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0307 42 10 (Cuttlefish) 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 product. Animal Quarantine and Certification Services (AQCS) Sanitary Import Permit clearance applies concurrently, and consignments are restricted to 79 designated food-import ports operative from 1 March 2023.

What this is

HSN code

0307 42 10

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 shipment. Imports of fish and fish products from unregistered facilities are not permitted; the FSSAI Import Licence must be uploaded in e-Sanchit at the bill of 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) prior to dispatch and quote its e-Sanchit IRN on the bill of entry to obtain the AQCS NOC. The Sanitary Import Permit is listed in Annexure A (Sl. No. 3) of CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus for the applicable CTIs.
CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus dated 28-11-2022 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023
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. Ensure label compliance under the FSSAI rectifiable-labelling regime before out-of-charge; non-rectifiable labelling defects result in consignment detention.
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 filing the bill of entry with only the FSSAI Import Licence uploaded, treating it as the sole clearance trigger, while the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit IRN is absent from e-Sanchit. Customs out-of-charge cannot be granted until the 911DF1 IRN is quoted and verified, and a consignment of live or fresh cuttlefish detained at an undesignated or mis-routed port faces spoilage, demurrage, and mandatory re-export or destruction given the perishable nature of the product.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0307 42 10 require BIS certification?

No, live and fresh cuttlefish 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 and the 79-designated-port restriction operative from 1 March 2023.

Which ports are designated for importing cuttlefish 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, in compliance with General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022.

Is foreign-manufacturer registration with FSSAI mandatory for cuttlefish exporters?

Yes. Per CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus and the FSSAI order dated 10 October 2022, the overseas facility processing fish and fish products for export to India must be registered with FSSAI before the import is permitted at any designated port.

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