Of reptiles
Raw hides and skins of reptiles, untanned
HSN 4103 20 00 (Of reptiles) is subject to Animal Quarantine and Certification Services (AQCS) veterinary clearance under the import health regime and to Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) controls under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) classifies import under this tariff line as restricted under the ITC (HS) policy, and import of seal skin in any form is absolutely prohibited under DGFT Notification 59/2015-2020 dated 28-03-2018.
- CITES certificate from WCCB
- Health Certificate from AQCS
- Veterinary Health Certificate from exporting country
Procedural directions for customs clearance are issued by: Directorate General of Foreign Trade.
- 1Obtain a valid CITES permit for the reptile species concerned and confirm the consignment is not prohibited under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 as amended. Seal skin in any form is absolutely prohibited and no licence or permit overrides the prohibition under DGFT Notification 59/2015-2020.Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 · CITES · DGFT Notification 59/2015-2020 dated 28-03-2018 · ITC (HS) Restricted import policy
- 2Upload the CITES certificate (document code 626000), the Health Certificate (document code 6360AQ), and the veterinary health certificate issued by the exporting country (document code 853AQ1) in e-Sanchit before filing the bill of entry. The AQCS NOC will not issue until all three documents are verified in the system.CBIC Circular 24/2022-Cus dated 28-11-2022 · e-Sanchit document codes 626000, 6360AQ, 853AQ1
- 3Ensure the consignment undergoes mandatory compulsory testing through designated laboratories as directed by the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying. The applicable laboratory is determined by the source animal species and the testing protocol must be completed before out-of-charge.O.M. dated 20-02-2025 issued by Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, File No. L-110110/17/2017-Trade (E-2957)
The most common error on this tariff line is conflating AQCS veterinary clearance with WCCB CITES compliance: importers who obtain the Health Certificate and Veterinary Health Certificate but fail to secure a valid CITES permit face detention, seizure, and potential prosecution under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, regardless of the animal-health documentation being current. Species identification at the bill-of-entry stage is critical — a mis-declared reptile species that is Schedule I-listed under the Act attracts confiscation with no provision for re-export.