Lobster

Prepared or preserved lobster, crustacean preparations

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 1605 30 00 (Lobster) 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 food 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

1605 30 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 the foreign manufacturing facility is registered with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the high-risk-food regime before dispatch. The FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) must be uploaded in e-Sanchit prior to filing the bill of entry; consignments from unregistered facilities will not be granted 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 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 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 per General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022. Upload the Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) and ensure compliance with the rectifiable-labelling regime under 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 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 the FSSAI Import Licence as the sole clearance requirement and arriving at an undesignated port or failing to upload the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit IRN. The AQCS clearance is independent of the FSSAI food-safety licence — a consignment presenting a current FSSAI licence but lacking the AQCS NOC will be detained, attracting demurrage and ground rent until the Sanitary Import Permit IRN is produced in e-Sanchit. Rectifiable-labelling relief under the FSSAI clarification order dated 18-11-2022 does not cure a missing PGA clearance.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 1605 30 00 require BIS certification?

No, prepared or preserved lobster falls 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 Animal Quarantine and Certification Services Sanitary Import Permit 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), Sanitary Import Permit (911DF1), Health Certificate (6360AQ), and Specimen Copy of Label (0110FS), per the customs out-of-charge verification requirement in CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus dated 08-02-2023.

Is foreign-manufacturer registration with FSSAI a one-time requirement or does it apply to each shipment?

Registration is facility-level and must be current at the time of each import; per CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus and the FSSAI order dated 10-10-2022, fish and crustacean product manufacturers must appear on the FSSAI-approved list, and any facility removed from that list renders subsequent shipments non-importable regardless of a valid Import Licence.

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