Cuttle fish

Frozen cuttlefish, molluscs for import

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0307 43 10 (Frozen 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 import is permitted only through the 79 designated food-import ports operative from 1 March 2023.

What this is

HSN code

0307 43 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. The FSSAI Import Licence must be uploaded in e-Sanchit; imports from unregistered facilities are not permitted at any designated port.
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 consignment dispatch and quote the e-Sanchit IRN of that permit on the bill of entry to secure the AQCS NOC. This CTI is listed in Annexure A (Sl. No. 3) of CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus, making the IRN quotation mandatory before out-of-charge.
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 notified under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022, and upload the Specimen Copy of Label in e-Sanchit before out-of-charge. Rectifiable labelling defects must be remedied in accordance with FSSAI Letter 1828/Misc Matters/FSSAI/Imports-2021 dated 17-06-2022 and CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022.
CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus dated 08-02-2023 · General Note 4(D) of ITC (HS) Schedule I · FSSAI order dated 18-11-2022 under F.No.Import/TFM/Apex/2022-FSSAI

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 AQCS Sanitary Import Permit, which is a parallel and independent animal-origin health overlay. A consignment arriving at a designated port with a valid FSSAI licence but without the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit IRN quoted on the bill of entry will be detained pending PGA NOC — accruing demurrage and ground rent — because the two clearances cannot substitute for each other.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0307 43 10 require BIS certification?

No, frozen cuttlefish falls 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 requirement and the 79-designated-port restriction.

Which ports are authorised for import of frozen 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, operative from 1 March 2023, per General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022.

Is foreign-manufacturer registration with FSSAI mandatory for frozen cuttlefish exports to India?

Yes. Per CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus and the FSSAI order dated 10 October 2022, fish and fish product manufacturing facilities must be registered with FSSAI before consignments are permitted import clearance.

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