Other crustaceans

Prepared or preserved other crustaceans

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 1605 40 00 (Other crustaceans, prepared or preserved) 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. Animal Quarantine and Certification Services (AQCS) Sanitary Import Permit clearance applies as a concurrent overlay, and consignments are permitted only through 79 designated food-import ports with effect from 1 March 2023.

What this is

HSN code

1605 40 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 high-risk-food regime before shipment. The FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) must be uploaded in e-Sanchit; consignments from unregistered facilities are not permitted 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) prior to 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. Upload the Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) and ensure compliance with the rectifiable-labelling regime 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 securing the FSSAI Import Licence while overlooking the independent AQCS Sanitary Import Permit requirement. These are separate clearances issued by separate authorities; a consignment arriving with a current FSSAI licence but without the AQCS NOC IRN quoted on the bill of entry will be detained at the designated port, attracting demurrage and ground rent until the document gap is resolved — a deficiency that the rectifiable-labelling regime cannot cure.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 1605 40 00 require BIS certification?

No, prepared or preserved crustaceans 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 Animal Quarantine and Certification Services Sanitary Import Permit and the 79-designated-port restriction operative from 1 March 2023.

Which ports are designated for import of high-risk food products such as prepared crustaceans?

Import is permitted only through the 79 designated food-import ports listed in the Annexure to CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus dated 08-02-2023, in compliance with General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022; routing through any other port renders the consignment liable to detention.

Is foreign-manufacturer registration with FSSAI mandatory for prepared crustacean products?

Yes. Per CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus and the FSSAI order dated 10 October 2022, the overseas manufacturing facility must be registered with FSSAI before export to India, as fish and crustacean products fall within the mandatory high-risk food-category registration requirement.

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