Caviar

Prepared caviar from sturgeon or other fish eggs

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 1604 31 00 (Caviar) 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 31 00

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 that the foreign manufacturing facility is registered with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the mandatory high-risk-food regime before placing the purchase order. The FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) must be current and 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. At the bill of entry, quote the e-Sanchit IRN of the Sanitary Import Permit to obtain the AQCS NOC for CTIs listed in Annexure A (Sl. No. 3) of CBIC 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 exclusively through one of the 79 designated food-import ports under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022, and upload the Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) in e-Sanchit. Label deficiencies must satisfy the FSSAI rectifiable-labelling framework before customs out-of-charge is granted.
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 error most frequently encountered on this tariff line is treating the FSSAI Import Licence as the sole clearance and overlooking the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit as an independent obligation. A consignment carrying a valid FSSAI licence but no AQCS NOC — or one arriving at a port not among the 79 designated food-import ports — will be detained, accruing demurrage and ground rent until the deficiency is rectified or the goods are re-exported; a missing PGA clearance is not curable under the rectifiable-labelling regime.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 1604 31 00 require BIS certification?

No, caviar and prepared fish-egg products 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.

Is foreign-manufacturer registration with FSSAI mandatory for caviar imports?

Yes. Per CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus and the FSSAI order dated 10 October 2022, fish and fish-product manufacturing facilities exporting to India must be registered with FSSAI; consignments from unregistered facilities are not permitted entry.

What happens if a caviar consignment arrives at a port not listed among the 79 designated food-import ports?

The consignment is liable to detention at the point of arrival; it cannot be cleared through a non-designated port, and the importer faces re-export or confiscation as customs out-of-charge is withheld pending compliance with General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022.

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