Snake venom

Snake venom extract for organo-therapeutic use

AQCS CLEARANCE · WCCB CLEARANCE

HSN 3001 20 30 (Snake venom) is subject to Animal Quarantine and Certification Services (AQCS) sanitary clearance and Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) controls under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 and CITES, with import also requiring drug registration and licence under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) administers an ITC (HS) Restricted-import policy condition requiring concurrent compliance with wildlife protection legislation and CITES permit obligations.

What this is

HSN code

3001 20 30

Chapter

30 · Pharmaceutical products

Primary regulator

AQCS · Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972; CITES; ITC (HS) Restricted import policy, Chapter 30

Customs documentation

CITES certificate from WCCB
Import licence for drugs from CDSCO
Health certificate from AQCS

Applicable Partner Government Agencies

AQCSAQCS·Animal Quarantine and Certification Services

WCCBWCCB·Wildlife Crime Control Bureau

Procedural directions for customs clearance are issued by: Directorate General of Foreign Trade.

Compliance steps

1
Obtain a valid CITES permit covering the consignment and upload it in e-Sanchit under document code 626000. Confirm that the exporting country's CITES Management Authority has issued the corresponding export permit, as WCCB verification of both permits is required before out-of-charge.
ITC (HS) import policy condition, Chapter 30 · Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 · CITES
2
Upload all mandatory drug-related documents in e-Sanchit before the bill of entry is assessed: Certificate of Analysis (document code 0010dc), Batch Release Certificate (0030dc), Label of Consignment (0110dc), Registration Certificate for Drugs (101dc1), and Import Licence for Drugs (9111dc).
CCR mandatory-document list · CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus dated 28-11-2022
3
Upload the Veterinary Health Certificate issued by the exporting country (document code 853AQ1) and the Laboratory Report or Certificate of Analysis (document code 001AQ1) in e-Sanchit, as required for the CTIs listed in Annexure A of Circular 24/2022-Cus. The Health Certificate (document code 6360AQ) issued by AQCS must also be on record before out-of-charge is granted.
CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus dated 28-11-2022, Annexure A, Sl. No. 1 and Sl. No. 2

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is treating drug-registration compliance as sufficient and overlooking the independent CITES and WCCB layer. Snake venom derived from CITES-listed species requires a valid CITES export permit from the country of origin and a corresponding Indian import permit; arrival without both documents results in consignment detention and potential seizure under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, entirely separate from any drugs-licensing deficiency. Verify the species-level CITES Appendix listing before contracting the purchase, as Appendix-II species trigger different permit procedures from Appendix-III.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 3001 20 30 require BIS certification?

No, snake venom extracts are not covered by any BIS Quality Control Order. Import is governed by Animal Quarantine and Certification Services sanitary clearance, Wildlife Crime Control Bureau controls under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 and CITES, and drug-registration requirements under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940.

Which e-Sanchit document codes are mandatory at the bill of entry for this tariff line?

Seven documents must be uploaded: Certificate of Analysis (0010dc), Batch Release Certificate (0030dc), Label of Consignment (0110dc), Registration Certificate for Drugs (101dc1), CITES Certificate (626000), Health Certificate (6360AQ), Import Licence for Drugs (9111dc), Veterinary Health Certificate (853AQ1), and Laboratory Report or COA (001AQ1), per CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus dated 28-11-2022.

Does the CITES requirement apply even when snake venom is imported for pharmaceutical manufacturing?

Yes. The ITC (HS) import policy condition for this tariff line expressly subjects all imports to the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 and CITES obligations irrespective of the intended therapeutic or manufacturing end-use; no pharmaceutical-use exemption overrides the CITES permit requirement.

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