Sanitary Import Permit

According to the Ministry of Agriculture’s regulations, importers of animal products in India are required to obtain a Sanitary Import Permit at the customs gate before bringing in any meat, meat products, eggs, milk products, pet food embryos, ova, or semen. Sections 3 and 4 of the Livestock Importation Act of 1898, published by the Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying, and Fisheries, govern the trade of livestock products and their byproducts to prevent the introduction of foreign diseases into the nation through the import of livestock and its effects.

The livestock importation act of 1898 under Section 3(a) authorizes the import of livestock and livestock products by issuing a sanitary import permit. Although not a license, it communicates the sanitary requirements that must be met before livestock products can enter India from the exporting country. The livestock product might be infected with rare diseases uncommon in India. To reduce the risk of the entry of exotic diseases, the sanitary import permit requires hygienic conditions to be certified by the official veterinarian of the exporting country. An individual or importer who trades and markets various livestock products and industries needing further processing may apply for the sanitary import permit if they have a valid Import Export Code (IEC). Forms “A” and “B” are available on the sip website; one can find Notification No. S.O. 2666(E) dated October 17, 2014, for the import of livestock products requiring a sanitary import permit for personal and trade purposes, respectively. The only seaports or airports where traders can import animals and animal products from the exporting nation are those in Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Mumbai. Fish products can be imported through the ports of Vishakhapatnam, Kochi’s seaport, and its airport. Bangladeshi fish products may be imported via the Land Customs Station in Petrapole. The likelihood of livestock products from exporting nations bringing in foreign diseases is high. To reduce the risk of bringing foreign diseases into the country, the Sanitary Import Permit system aims to compile a list of the sanitary conditions specified and confirmed by the authorized veterinarian of the exporting country.

Traders or importers can follow below procedures to apply for the permit:

• The applicants should log in to the sip portal by entering their ID, password and the Captcha image.
• Once the welcome page is opened, the applicants should click on the apply online option and fill in the form A or B and enclose all the mandatory documents.
• After the submission of all the documents, the application fee of Rs.300 should be paid through the online payment gateway of the portal.
• Once the application is processed and approved by the SIP authorities, it would be updated on the portal for the applicants to print their application copy.
• The Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries would send an email to the registered ID of the applicant in case of any insufficient information or documents, and the applicant should rectify the error by logging into their account on SIP portal.
• Applicants with one IEC certificate can be registered only once, and the applicants can submit new applications with their already registered ID and Password.
• The applicant should register their valid mobile numbers to retrieve their password through OTP.
• The applicants can alter their information entered in the portal whenever deemed necessary and can download the user manual for their reference.

The validity of the permit varies depending upon the livestock products and from three months to one year. The importer can carry out as many shipments as required as per the quantity permitted by the SIP within the stipulated period. The Department may extend the validity of the permit on request from the traders and the guidelines under which the permit is given as follows:

• When transported through the seaport, the date prescribed in the Bill of Lading will be considered as the imported date, and the expiry will be accounted for accordingly.
• When transported through the airport, the date of the relevant Airway bill provided represents the date on which goods left the last airport in the country is considered to be the effective date of import.
• When transported from Land-Locked Countries, the date of dispatch of goods by rail, road or other recognised modes of transport to the consignee in India through consignment basis.
• When transported by the means of postal Parcel Services, the date of the Official Stamping of dispatch on the packet or dispatch note.
• When transported through the Registered Courier Services, the date affixed on Courier Receipt e-Waybill will be regarded as the imported date.
• When transported by means of other Multimodal Transport, the date of handing over goods to the first carrier in a combined transport bill of loading will be considered as the imported date.