Frozen

Frozen aquatic invertebrates (sea cucumbers, jellyfish, sea urchins)

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0308 22 00 (Frozen 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 22 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 entry.
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 obtain the AQCS NOC. This tariff line falls under Annexure A (Sl. No. 3) of CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus, making the IRN quotation a hard pre-condition for 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 listed in the CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus Annexure, in compliance with General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Upload the Specimen Copy of Label and ensure rectifiable-labelling compliance per FSSAI Letter No. 1828/Misc Matters/FSSAI/Imports-2021 dated 17-06-2022 before out-of-charge.
CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus dated 08-02-2023 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022 · General Note 4(D), ITC (HS) Schedule I, 2022

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is presenting a current FSSAI Import Licence without the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit IRN quoted on the bill of entry. The two clearances are independent: FSSAI governs food safety, while AQCS governs the animal-origin sanitary overlay, and a missing or unlinked 911DF1 IRN results in consignment detention at the designated port with accruing demurrage — the rectifiable-labelling regime under the FSSAI clarification order dated 18-11-2022 does not cure a missing PGA clearance.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0308 22 00 require BIS certification?

No, frozen 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 AQCS Sanitary Import Permit requirement and the 79-designated-port restriction.

Which ports are permitted for import of frozen aquatic invertebrates 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, operative 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 small export volumes?

Yes. The FSSAI order dated 10 October 2022, as communicated via CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus, requires mandatory registration of all foreign manufacturing facilities exporting fish and aquatic-invertebrate products to India, with no volume-based exemption stated in the applicable orders.

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