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Pickled

Prepared pickled herrings, preserved fish preparations

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 1604 12 10 (Pickled herrings) 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 fish product. Animal Quarantine and Certification Services (AQCS) Sanitary Import Permit clearance applies concurrently, and consignments are permitted only through 79 designated food-import ports with effect from 1 March 2023.

What this is
HSN code
1604 12 10
Chapter
16 · Preparations of meat, fish or crustaceans, molluscs or 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 FSSAI under the high-risk-food regime before dispatch. The FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) must both be uploaded in e-Sanchit at the bill of entry; out-of-charge will not be granted without these uploads.
    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 Health Certificate (document code 6360AQ) before consignment dispatch. Quote the e-Sanchit IRN of 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 · FSSAI order dated 18-11-2022 under F.No.Import/TFM/Apex/2022-FSSAI
  3. 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. Verify label compliance under the FSSAI rectifiable-labelling regime before out-of-charge; non-rectifiable labelling defects result in consignment detention.
    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 common error on this tariff line is treating FSSAI clearance as the sole PGA gate and filing the bill of entry without an active AQCS Sanitary Import Permit IRN. The AQCS NOC is an independent animal-origin overlay and cannot be substituted by the FSSAI Import Licence; consignments arriving at a designated port without the 911DF1 IRN quoted on the bill of entry are detained pending AQCS clearance, accumulating demurrage and ground rent that are not recoverable from the customs authority.

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Frequently asked
Does HSN 1604 12 10 require BIS certification?
No, prepared pickled herrings 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 document codes must be uploaded in e-Sanchit for this tariff line?
Four documents are mandatory: FSSAI Import Licence (911001), Specimen Copy of Label (0110FS), Health Certificate (6360AQ), and AQCS Sanitary Import Permit (911DF1); all must be uploaded before the proper officer grants out-of-charge.
Is the foreign-manufacturer registration with FSSAI compulsory even for established exporters?
Yes. Per CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus and the FSSAI order dated 10 October 2022, every facility exporting fish products to India must be registered with FSSAI regardless of prior trading history; unregistered-facility consignments are not permitted entry.
Last verified against gazette notifications: 2026-05-16. Source: FSSAI / AQCS / DGFT / CBIC / Indian Customs CUSDATA.
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ChapterChapter 16 · Preparations of meat, fish or crustaceans, molluscs or other aquatic invertebratesHSNPREPARED OR PRESERVED FISH; CAVIAR AND CAVIAR SUBSTITUTES PREPARED FROM FISH EGGSHSNHerrings: