Sardines, sardinella and brisling

Prepared or preserved sardines, sardinella and brisling

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 1604 13 10 (Sardines, sardinella and brisling) 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 13 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
Confirm the foreign manufacturing facility is registered with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the high-risk-food regime before the bill of entry is filed. The FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and a Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) must both be uploaded in e-Sanchit prior to 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) and a 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 Circular 24/2022-Cus dated 28-11-2022.
CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023 · CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus dated 28-11-2022
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. Confirm compliance with the FSSAI rectifiable-labelling regime under FSSAI order F.No. Import/TFM/Apex/2022-FSSAI dated 18-11-2022 and CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022 before out-of-charge.
CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus dated 08-02-2023 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022 · FSSAI order dated 18-11-2022

A word of counsel

The most frequent error on this tariff line is treating FSSAI clearance as the sole gate and overlooking the independent AQCS Sanitary Import Permit, which is a parallel obligation arising from the animal-origin status of prepared fish products. A consignment with a current FSSAI Import Licence but no AQCS NOC will be detained at the designated port; the rectifiable-labelling concession addresses label defects only and cannot substitute for a missing PGA clearance document.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 1604 13 10 require BIS certification?

No, prepared or preserved sardines and sardinella 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 AQCS Sanitary Import Permit requirement and a 79-designated-port restriction operative from 1 March 2023.

Which document codes must be uploaded in e-Sanchit at the bill of entry 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, per CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023.

Is the foreign-manufacturer registration with FSSAI mandatory even for prepared fish products such as canned sardines?

Yes. CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus and the FSSAI order dated 10 October 2022 require mandatory registration of the foreign manufacturing facility for all fish and fish products, including prepared or preserved forms; consignments from unregistered facilities are not permitted entry.

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