1. The import/export of fish and fish products is regulated by AVA, Quarantine and Inspection Department (QID), Import & Export Regulation Division (IERD), Food Section. Fish means any species of fish and includes crustacea, shellfish, echinoderm, mollusc, and the young and eggs thereof and fish product means (a) any fish or part thereof; and (b) any product or by-product of any fish, which is intended for human consumption.

2. Importers and exporters of fish & fish products are required to apply for an AVA licence for Import/Export and Transhipment of Meat Products and Fish Products. The licence fee is $84.00 per annum. 

3. In addition, an import permit issued by AVA is required for every consignment of fish products. The cargo clearance permit approved by AVA (Seafood) in the TradeNet® system serves an AVA import/export permit. 

4. When declaring a cargo clearance permit in the TradeNet® system, the product description must be clearly indicated and the product code, product quantity and product unit of measurement must be keyed into the following relevant fields:
    i)   CA/SC Product Code field - e.g. FFL0GP2R for live
         red Grouper 
    ii)  CA/SC Product Quantity field - e.g. 1.00 
    iii) CA/SC Product Unit of Quantity field - e.g. TNE
   iv) CA/SC Code 1 e.g. ID99999 (establishment/prefectural code)

5. Fish & fish products may be imported from any country, subject to the following restrictions: 
    i.   The import of chilled shucked raw oyster, chilled
         blood cockle meat, chilled cooked prawn/shrimp
         and chilled crabmeat is prohibited for food safety
         reasons. 
    ii. Live oysters may only be imported from countries,
        which meet AVA's requirements for a shellfish
        sanitation programme. The countries currently
        approved for such exports are Australia, Canada,
        France, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand,
        United Kingdom and USA.

6. Each consignment of live/frozen oysters, frozen blood cockle meat, frozen cooked prawns or frozen raw/cooked crab meat, must be accompanied by a health certificate issued by the relevant authority of the exporting country, certifying the requirements as required by AVA.

7. Import of the following fish species, including their parts or derivatives must be accompanied by a CITES permit from the importing and exporting countries because these species are listed under CITES.

    i) CITES Appendix II: 
        a. Sturgeon (Acipenseriformes species)  
        b. Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus) 
        c. Basking Shark (Cetorrhinus maximus) 
        d. Seahorses (Hippocampus species) 
        e. Great White Shark (Carcharodon carcharias) 
        f. Humphead Wrasse (Cheilinus undulates) 
        g. Mediterranean Date Mussel 
           (Lithophaga lithophaga) 

    ii) CITES Appendix III
        h. Rock Sea Cucumber (sotichopus fuscus) from
            Ecuador.

8. Upon import, AVA reserves the right to inspect any imported consignment of fish and fish products. High-risk products such as frozen blood cockle meat, frozen cooked prawns and frozen raw/cooked crabmeat and frozen oysters will be subjected to mandatory inspection by AVA before sale. These products will be placed on "hold and test" pending the outcome of the laboratory analysis.

9. Please visit AVA’s website for more details on the import/export requirements of fish and fish products under import, export and transhipment of food and the list of product codes under resources.


Refer to link for list of AVA (Seafood) product codes.