Access IndiaPLATFORM
Home›HSN›Chapter 03›HSN 0308 11 00

Live, fresh or chilled

Live, fresh or chilled sea cucumbers and other aquatic invertebrates

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0308 11 00 (Live, fresh or chilled aquatic invertebrates other than crustaceans and 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. Animal Quarantine and Certification Services (AQCS) Sanitary Import Permit clearance applies concurrently, and consignments are permitted only through 79 designated food-import ports effective 1 March 2023.

What this is
HSN code
0308 11 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. 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 aquatic-invertebrate 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. 2
    Obtain the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit (document code 911DF1) before consignment dispatch and quote the e-Sanchit IRN of that permit on the bill of entry to obtain the AQCS NOC for CTIs listed in Annexure A (Sl. No. 3) of CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus. The Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) must also be uploaded in e-Sanchit before out-of-charge.
    CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus dated 28-11-2022 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022
  3. 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. Confirm label compliance with the FSSAI rectifiable-labelling regime before filing; rectifiable defects must be addressed before out-of-charge, not after.
    CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus dated 08-02-2023 · General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of ITC (HS) 2022 · FSSAI Letter 1828/Misc Matters/FSSAI/Imports-2021 dated 17-06-2022 · FSSAI clarification order dated 18-11-2022
A word of counsel

The most frequent error on this tariff line is treating the FSSAI Import Licence upload as the sole pre-clearance requirement and overlooking the independent AQCS Sanitary Import Permit — a missing IRN for document code 911DF1 in e-Sanchit stalls out-of-charge regardless of whether the FSSAI clearance is current. Additionally, the designated-port restriction is absolute: a consignment arriving at a non-notified port is liable to detention and demurrage irrespective of the completeness of other documentation.

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 0308 11 00 require BIS certification?
No, live, fresh or chilled 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 ports are designated for import of this product and from when does the restriction apply?
Import of high-risk food including fish and aquatic-invertebrate products 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 before shipment?
Yes. Per CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus and the FSSAI order dated 10 October 2022, the overseas manufacturing facility must be registered with FSSAI before the import of fish and aquatic-invertebrate products is permitted; shipments from unregistered facilities are not cleared.
Last verified against gazette notifications: 2026-05-16. Source: FSSAI / AQCS / DGFT / CBIC / Indian Customs CUSDATA.
Related
ChapterChapter 03 · Fish and crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic invertebratesHSNAQUATIC INVERTEBRATES OTHER THAN CRUSTACEANS AND MOLLUSCS, LIVE, FRESH, CHILLED, FROZEN, DRIED, SALTED OR IN BRINE; SMOKED AQUATIC INVERTEBRATES OTHER THAN CRUSTACEANS AND MOLLUSCS, WHETHER OR NOT COOKED BEFORE OR DURING THE SMOKING PROCESS; FLOURS, MEALS AND PELLETS OF AQUATIC INVERTEBRATES OTHER THAN CRUSTACEANS AND MOLLUSCS, FIT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION]HSN0308 12 00 · Frozen aquatic invertebrates (sea cucumbers, jellyfish, tunicates)