Snails, other than sea snails

Snails other than sea snails, land and freshwater snails

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0307 60 00 (Snails, other than sea snails) 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 as a concurrent animal-origin overlay, and consignments are restricted to 79 designated food-import ports operative from 1 March 2023.

What this is

HSN code

0307 60 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
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 at the bill of entry; consignments from unregistered facilities are not permitted clearance.
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 and quote the corresponding e-Sanchit IRN on the bill of entry to obtain the AQCS NOC. The Sanitary Import Permit must be issued and uploaded by AQCS for CTIs 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
Route the consignment through one of the 79 designated food-import ports per General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Ensure labels comply with the FSSAI rectifiable-labelling regime; rectifiable defects are addressed per FSSAI order dated 18-11-2022 and CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022.
CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus dated 08-02-2023 · FSSAI Letter 1828/Misc Matters/FSSAI/Imports-2021 dated 17-06-2022 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022

A word of counsel

The most frequent error on this tariff line is presenting a current FSSAI Import Licence without the independent AQCS Sanitary Import Permit, which is a separate animal-quarantine clearance and is not subsumed by the food-safety licence. A consignment arriving at a designated port with FSSAI clearance but no AQCS NOC IRN uploaded in e-Sanchit will be detained, accruing demurrage and ground rent, until the Sanitary Import Permit document code 911DF1 is regularised — a gap that cannot be remedied retrospectively from the port.

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 0307 60 00 require BIS certification?

No, snails other than sea snails fall outside the BIS Quality Control Order regime; no BIS QCO covers this mollusc category. 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 designated for import of snails 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, per General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022.

Is foreign-manufacturer registration with FSSAI mandatory for this HSN?

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

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