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Frozen

Frozen fish flour, meal and pellets for human consumption

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 0309 10 20 (Frozen fish flour, meal and pellets fit for human consumption) 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 effective 1 March 2023.

What this is
HSN code
0309 10 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. 1
    Confirm the foreign manufacturing facility is registered with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the high-risk-food regime covering fish and fish products. Imports from unregistered facilities are not permitted; the FSSAI Import Licence must be uploaded in e-Sanchit before filing 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) and ensure it is issued and uploaded by AQCS in e-Sanchit. Quote the IRN generated in e-Sanchit for 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.
    CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus dated 28-11-2022 · CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023
  3. 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, and ensure label compliance with the FSSAI rectifiable-labelling regime 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 the FSSAI Import Licence as the sole clearance and neglecting the independent AQCS Sanitary Import Permit, which applies to fish products by virtue of the animal-origin overlay rather than the food-safety regime. A consignment arriving at a designated port with a current FSSAI licence but an absent or non-uploaded 911DF1 will be detained pending AQCS NOC, accruing demurrage and ground rent that the rectifiable-labelling concession does not relieve.

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Frequently asked
Does HSN 0309 10 20 require BIS certification?
No, frozen fish flour, meal and pellets fit for human consumption fall 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.
Is the foreign-manufacturer registration with FSSAI mandatory for this tariff line?
Yes. Per CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus and the FSSAI order dated 10 October 2022, the manufacturing facility exporting fish products to India must be registered with FSSAI; consignments from unregistered facilities are not permitted entry.
What happens if the consignment arrives at a non-designated port?
Arrival at a port not listed in the CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus Annexure renders the consignment non-compliant with General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022, exposing it to detention and potential re-export or confiscation under Customs Act, 1962 enforcement.
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 invertebratesHSNFLOURS, MEALS AND PELLETS OF FISH, CRUSTACEANS, MOLLUSCS AND OTHER AQUATIC INVERTEBRATES, FIT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTIONHSNOf fish: