Turtle eggs and Salanganes’ nests (“birds’ nests”)

Turtle eggs and birds' nests, edible animal products

DGFT CLEARANCE · CBIC CLEARANCE

HSN 0410 90 20 (Turtle eggs and Salanganes' nests) is classified as Restricted under the ITC (HS) import policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), with import permitted only through designated food-import entry points under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) Instruction 29/2023-Cus dated 12-12-2023 and the Ministry of Fisheries OM dated 17-07-2023 apply as additional customs and fisheries-sector overlays.

What this is

HSN code

0410 90 20

Chapter

04 · Dairy produce; birds' eggs; natural honey; edible products of animal origin

Primary regulator

DGFT · ITC (HS) Restricted import policy, Chapter 04

Customs documentation

Import compliance declaration from DGFT
Food entry-point compliance from CBIC
Fisheries OM clearance from Ministry of Fisheries

Compliance steps

1
Verify that the import satisfies the ITC (HS) Restricted-import policy for Chapter 04 before filing the bill of entry. A Restricted classification means the consignment cannot be imported without meeting the applicable policy conditions; non-compliance renders the goods liable to detention and confiscation.
ITC (HS) 2022, Chapter 04, Restricted import policy · DGFT
2
Route the consignment exclusively through the designated food-import entry points specified under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Import through any non-designated port triggers out-of-charge refusal and potential re-export order.
General Note 4(D) of Schedule I, ITC (HS) 2022 · CBIC Instruction 29/2023-Cus dated 12-12-2023

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is filing at a general-purpose customs station rather than a notified food-import entry point — a procedural lapse that results in consignment detention and demurrage accumulation while a port-transfer order is sought. Additionally, the Ministry of Fisheries OM dated 17-07-2023 imposes sector-specific conditions that operate independently of the DGFT Restricted-policy overlay; importers who address only the DGFT policy condition without verifying the fisheries-sector compliance obligations risk post-clearance enforcement action.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0410 90 20 require BIS certification?

No, turtle eggs and birds' nests are not within the BIS Quality Control Order regime. Import is governed by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade under the ITC (HS) Restricted import policy, with designated food entry-point requirements under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022.

Which entry points are authorised for import of this tariff line?

Import must occur through the designated food-import entry points listed under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022, as reinforced by CBIC Instruction 29/2023-Cus dated 12-12-2023.

What is the effect of the Ministry of Fisheries OM dated 17-07-2023 on this import?

The Ministry of Fisheries OM dated 17-07-2023 imposes fisheries-sector compliance conditions as a separate overlay to the DGFT Restricted-import policy; both must be satisfied before out-of-charge clearance is granted.

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