Abalone

Prepared or preserved abalone (molluscs, aquatic invertebrates)

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 1605 57 00 (Abalone) 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 and aquatic-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

1605 57 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 producing the abalone preparation is registered with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the high-risk-food regime before the shipment is dispatched. Upload the FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) 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 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 · FSSAI order dated 18-11-2022 under F.No. Import/TFM/Apex/2022-FSSAI
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 confirm compliance with the FSSAI 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 single most common error on this tariff line is treating the FSSAI Import Licence as the sole clearance, while overlooking that the AQCS Sanitary Import Permit is an entirely independent obligation — a current FSSAI licence does not substitute for the AQCS NOC. A consignment arriving at a designated port with all four document codes (911001, 911DF1, 6360AQ, 0110FS) not yet uploaded in e-Sanchit will be withheld from out-of-charge, attracting demurrage and ground rent while the missing clearance is chased retrospectively.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 1605 57 00 require BIS certification?

No, prepared or preserved abalone 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 the 79-designated-port restriction.

Which document codes must be uploaded in e-Sanchit before out-of-charge for this tariff line?

Four document codes are mandatory: FSSAI Import Licence (911001), AQCS Sanitary Import Permit (911DF1), Health Certificate (6360AQ), and Specimen Copy of Label (0110FS), all per CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus and Circular 24/2022-Cus.

Is the foreign-manufacturer registration with FSSAI mandatory even for prepared or preserved abalone?

Yes. FSSAI's order dated 10 October 2022, enclosed with CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus, extends mandatory foreign-facility registration to fish and their products — which includes prepared and preserved molluscs such as abalone — and imports from unregistered facilities are not permitted.

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