Dried, salted or frozen

Dried, salted or frozen jellyfish (Rhopilema spp.)

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0308 30 20 (Dried, salted or frozen 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. Animal Quarantine and Certification Services (AQCS) Sanitary Import Permit clearance applies as a concurrent overlay, and consignments are restricted to 79 designated food-import ports with effect from 1 March 2023.

What this is

HSN code

0308 30 20

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; consignments from unregistered facilities will not be granted out-of-charge.
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 the e-Sanchit IRN of that permit on the bill of entry to receive the AQCS NOC for the 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 exclusively 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 Label is uploaded and that any rectifiable labelling defects are addressed in accordance with CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus before out-of-charge.
CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus dated 08-02-2023 · General Note 4(D) of ITC (HS) 2022 · 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 complete clearance — overlooking that the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit is an independent, concurrently required animal-origin overlay. A consignment arriving at a designated port with a current FSSAI licence but without the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit IRN quoted on the bill of entry will be detained; rectifiable-labelling provisions apply only to label defects and cannot substitute for a missing PGA clearance.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0308 30 20 require BIS certification?

No, dried, salted or frozen jellyfish falls entirely outside 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 Animal Quarantine and Certification Services Sanitary Import Permit and the 79-designated-port restriction operative from 1 March 2023.

Which ports are permitted for import of this product, and from when does the restriction apply?

Import of this high-risk aquatic food product 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 jellyfish exporters before shipment to India?

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 is permitted; shipments from unregistered facilities are not eligible for out-of-charge at the bill-of-entry stage.

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