Live, fresh or chilled

Live, fresh or chilled jellyfish (Rhopilema spp.)

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0308 30 10 (Live, fresh or chilled jellyfish) 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, as a high-risk aquatic food product. Animal Quarantine and Certification Services (AQCS) Sanitary Import Permit clearance applies concurrently, and import is permitted only through 79 designated food-import ports with effect from 1 March 2023.

What this is

HSN code

0308 30 10

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 high-risk-food regime before shipment. The FSSAI Import Licence must be uploaded in e-Sanchit at the bill of entry; imports from unregistered facilities are not permitted at any stage.
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 dispatch and quote its e-Sanchit IRN on the bill of entry to secure the AQCS NOC for CTIs listed in Annexure A (Sl. No. 3) of Circular No. 24/2022-Cus. A Health Certificate (document code 6360AQ) must be uploaded in e-Sanchit alongside the Sanitary Import Permit.
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 notified under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Upload the Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) and ensure compliance with FSSAI rectifiable-labelling requirements before customs 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 jellyfish as a lower-risk aquatic product and omitting the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit on the basis that the FSSAI Import Licence alone is sufficient. The two clearances are independent: a consignment with a current FSSAI licence but no AQCS NOC — or with the Sanitary Import Permit IRN absent from e-Sanchit — will be detained at the designated port, accruing demurrage and ground rent, with no rectification pathway short of re-export or destruction for live or fresh product.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0308 30 10 require BIS certification?

No. Live, fresh or chilled jellyfish falls 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 requirement and a 79-designated-port restriction.

Which document codes must be uploaded in e-Sanchit for this tariff line?

The AQCS Sanitary Import Permit (document code 911DF1), FSSAI Import Licence, Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS), and Health Certificate (document code 6360AQ) must all be uploaded in e-Sanchit before customs out-of-charge, per CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus and Circular 24/2022-Cus.

Is the foreign-manufacturer registration with FSSAI mandatory for jellyfish imports?

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

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