Sprats

Prepared or preserved sprats (brisling, fish preparations)

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 1604 13 20 (Sprats) 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 category. 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 20

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 FSSAI under the high-risk-food regime before placing the purchase order. The FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and the Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) must both be uploaded 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 consignment dispatch. Quote the e-Sanchit IRN of the Sanitary Import Permit on the bill of entry to secure the AQCS NOC for fish products 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 per General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Verify label compliance against the rectifiable-labelling regime before out-of-charge; non-rectifiable labelling defects are not resolved at port and attract 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 filing the bill of entry with a valid FSSAI Import Licence but without the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit IRN quoted — these are independent clearances and customs out-of-charge is withheld until both are verified in e-Sanchit. Prepared and preserved fish products such as sprats carry the same high-risk designation as fresh fish under the FSSAI foreign-manufacturer registration regime; a facility registered only for a different fish-product sub-category does not satisfy the registration requirement for this CTI.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 1604 13 20 require BIS certification?

No, prepared or preserved sprats 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 for this tariff line?

Four documents are mandatory: FSSAI Import Licence (911001), Specimen Copy of Label (0110FS), AQCS Health Certificate (6360AQ), and AQCS Sanitary Import Permit (911DF1); the IRN of the Sanitary Import Permit must be quoted on the bill of entry per CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023.

Does the 79-designated-port restriction apply to prepared fish products as well as fresh fish?

Yes. The restriction under CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus dated 08-02-2023 applies to all fish and fish products in the high-risk category, including prepared and preserved fish such as sprats under HSN 1604 13 20, with effect from 1 March 2023.

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