Live, fresh or chilled

Live, fresh or chilled sea cucumbers and other aquatic invertebrates

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0308 21 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 restricted to 79 designated food-import ports effective 1 March 2023.

What this is

HSN code

0308 21 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 that the foreign manufacturing facility is registered with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the mandatory high-risk-food regime covering fish and their products. The FSSAI Import Licence must be current and uploaded in e-Sanchit before the bill of entry is filed at the port of import.
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. Quote the e-Sanchit IRN of the Sanitary Import 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 dated 28-11-2022.
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. Ensure the specimen copy of the label is uploaded in e-Sanchit and rectifiable-labelling deficiencies are addressed prior to 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 frequent error on this tariff line is treating the FSSAI Import Licence as the sole clearance and filing the bill of entry without the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit IRN. The AQCS clearance is an independent animal-origin overlay — its absence will result in consignment detention at the designated port regardless of FSSAI licence currency. Rectifiable-labelling relief under the FSSAI clarification order dated 18-11-2022 applies only to label defects, not to a missing PGA clearance.

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 21 00 require BIS certification?

No, live, fresh or chilled aquatic invertebrates are not within 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 AQCS Sanitary Import Permit requirement and restriction to 79 designated food-import ports.

Which document code is required in e-Sanchit for the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit, and when must it be uploaded?

Document code 911DF1, issued and uploaded by AQCS, must be quoted as an IRN in e-Sanchit at the bill-of-entry stage; the NOC for the concerned CTI is granted only after this IRN is verified, per CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023.

Is the foreign-manufacturer registration with FSSAI mandatory for this product family?

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

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