Whole squids

Whole squids, other frozen or chilled molluscs

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0307 49 20 (Whole squids) 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

0307 49 20

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 covering fish and fish products. The FSSAI Import Licence must be uploaded in e-Sanchit before the bill of entry is filed; imports from unregistered facilities will be detained at the 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) before consignment dispatch and quote its e-Sanchit IRN on the bill of entry to obtain the AQCS NOC. The Sanitary Import Permit is listed under Annexure A (Sl. No. 3) of CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus and is independent of the FSSAI clearance.
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 per General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Upload the Specimen Copy of Label in e-Sanchit (document code 0110FS) and ensure 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 presenting a valid FSSAI Import Licence while the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit IRN is absent from e-Sanchit — the two clearances are parallel obligations and neither substitutes for the other. A consignment detained for a missing AQCS NOC accrues demurrage and ground rent at the designated port until the 911DF1 document is uploaded and the IRN is quoted on the bill of entry; the rectifiable-labelling concession under the FSSAI clarification order of 18 November 2022 does not extend to a missing PGA clearance.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0307 49 20 require BIS certification?

No, whole squids fall outside the BIS Quality Control Order regime; no BIS QCO covers molluscs or aquatic invertebrates. 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 permitted for import of whole squids 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, with effect from 1 March 2023, in compliance 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 squid imports?

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 fish and fish product imports regardless of volume, and customs out-of-charge will not be granted for consignments from unregistered facilities.

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