Other

Prepared or preserved molluscs and other aquatic invertebrates

FSSAI CLEARANCE · AQCS CLEARANCE

HSN 1605 59 00 (prepared or preserved molluscs and other aquatic invertebrates) 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 59 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 mandatory foreign-manufacturer registration scheme for high-risk food categories including fish and aquatic invertebrate products. The FSSAI Import Licence (document code 911001) and the Specimen Copy of Label (document code 0110FS) must both be uploaded in e-Sanchit before the bill of entry is filed.
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 the concerned 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
3
Route the consignment only through one of the 79 designated food-import ports notified under General Note 4(D) of Schedule I of the ITC (HS) 2022, operative from 1 March 2023. Confirm compliance with the rectifiable-labelling regime under CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus and FSSAI Letter 1828/Misc Matters/FSSAI/Imports-2021 dated 17-06-2022 before out-of-charge.
CBIC Instruction 05/2023-Cus dated 08-02-2023 · CBIC Instruction 10/2022-Cus dated 28-06-2022 · General Note 4(D) of Schedule I ITC (HS) 2022

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is treating the FSSAI Import Licence as the sole clearance and overlooking the independent AQCS Sanitary Import Permit. The AQCS NOC is issued only after the IRN of document code 911DF1 is quoted on the bill of entry; a consignment arriving at a designated port with a current FSSAI licence but no uploaded AQCS Sanitary Import Permit will be detained, attracting demurrage and ground rent pending rectification — which the rectifiable-labelling regime does not cover.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 1605 59 00 require BIS certification?

No, prepared or preserved molluscs and other aquatic invertebrates 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 the 79-designated-port restriction.

Which documents must be uploaded in e-Sanchit at the bill of entry for this tariff line?

Four documents are mandatory: the Specimen Copy of Label (0110FS), Health Certificate (6360AQ), FSSAI Import Licence (911001), and AQCS Sanitary Import Permit (911DF1), as confirmed under CBIC Instruction 09/2023-Cus dated 07-03-2023.

Is the foreign-manufacturer registration with FSSAI mandatory for prepared aquatic invertebrate products?

Yes. Per CBIC Instruction 30/2022-Cus and the FSSAI order dated 10 October 2022, the overseas facility producing fish and aquatic invertebrate products for export to India must be registered with FSSAI before import is permitted; consignments from unregistered facilities are refused out-of-charge.

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