Other

Prepared or preserved herrings, other than whole or in pieces

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 1604 12 90 (Prepared or preserved 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 import is restricted to 79 designated food-import ports operative from 1 March 2023.

What this is

HSN code

1604 12 90

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
Confirm the foreign manufacturing facility is registered with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the high-risk-food regime before the consignment is dispatched. Upload the FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and the Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) in e-Sanchit prior to filing the bill of entry.
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) and Health Certificate (document code 6360AQ) before shipment. 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
3
Route the consignment exclusively through one of the 79 designated food-import ports notified under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Confirm labelling compliance with the FSSAI rectifiable-labelling regime; a missing PGA clearance is not treated as a rectifiable defect and will 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 conflating the FSSAI rectifiable-labelling concession with clearance from a missing AQCS Sanitary Import Permit. Labelling defects may be rectified at port; however, the absence of a valid AQCS NOC is a substantive clearance failure and results in detention and demurrage — not a rectifiable deficiency. Importers should also verify that the overseas herring-processing facility appears on the FSSAI-registered foreign manufacturers list before the purchase order is finalised.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 1604 12 90 require BIS certification?

No, prepared or preserved 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 a 79-designated-port restriction.

Which document codes must be uploaded in e-Sanchit at the bill of entry?

Four documents are mandatory: FSSAI Import Licence (911001), Specimen Copy of Label (0110FS), AQCS Health Certificate (6360AQ), and AQCS Sanitary Import Permit (911DF1); the Sanitary Import Permit IRN must also be quoted on the bill of entry to obtain the AQCS NOC.

Is foreign-manufacturer registration with FSSAI mandatory for all herring-processing facilities?

Yes. Per CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus and the FSSAI order dated 10 October 2022, any overseas facility manufacturing fish and fish products for export to India must be registered with FSSAI, and import from an unregistered facility is not permitted.

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