Customs Clearance in India
Import entries into India are administered by Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC). Cargo typically sits 3–8 days at the gateway before release, and most of that window is documentation rather than physical inspection. We handle the entry itself — classification, valuation, duty and tax settlement, and the release — either as part of a delivered duty-paid movement or as a standalone brokerage service on cargo somebody else is shipping.
Clearance profile — India
| Customs authority | Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) |
|---|---|
| Duty and tax | Basic customs duty 0–20% plus IGST 5–28% plus a social welfare surcharge of 10% of the duty |
| De-minimis | No commercial de-minimis; gift relief up to INR 5,000 only |
| Certification | BIS registration under the Compulsory Registration Scheme for electronics; WPC/ETA approval for wireless devices; the consignee must hold a valid Importer-Exporter Code (IEC) |
| Typical port dwell | 3–8 days |
| Sea gateways | Nhava Sheva (JNPA, Mumbai), Mundra, Chennai, Kolkata |
| Air gateways | DEL (Delhi), BOM (Mumbai), MAA (Chennai), BLR (Bengaluru) |
Compiled from the destination customs authority and port operators as a buyer-planning reference. It is not a customs ruling — the binding position depends on your HS heading and the consignee's status.
What we do on the entry
- Classification. We agree the HS heading before the cargo sails, not after it lands. A heading argued at the border costs storage every day it runs.
- Valuation. We build the customs value the way India expects it — including or excluding freight and insurance according to the local rule, with the supporting evidence attached.
- Entry filing and duty settlement. Lodged in the consignee's name or, where the market allows it, under our own importer arrangement.
- Release and onward delivery. Terminal release, any inspection attendance, and delivery to the door if you want the movement quoted duty-paid.
What actually holds shipments here
BIS registration for electronics is enforced strictly and cannot be fixed after arrival. Toys, steel and several electronics categories need quality-control-order compliance. Confirm the consignee's IEC and GSTIN before the goods leave China.
None of that is unusual, but all of it is easier to resolve before the container sails than after it arrives.
How the lane behaves
India is the largest South Asian lane but the least DDP-friendly. Duty and IGST must be paid against the consignee's own IEC and GSTIN, so a true door-to-door DDP where the forwarder acts as importer is rarely possible — in practice the structure is DAP with duty prepaid on the buyer's behalf. Clarify this before quoting, because it changes who can recover the IGST input credit.
Documents we will ask for
- Commercial invoice and packing list matching the goods exactly
- Bill of lading or air waybill
- Certificate of origin where a preference is claimed
- Consignee registration or tax identifier for the market
- Product certification, permits or licences where the commodity requires them
Mismatches between the invoice and the transport document are the single most common reason an entry is queried. We check them before filing rather than after a query lands.
Clearing agents in India
Our entries in India are filed by licensed local brokers, not sub-contracted blind. If you hold a customs broker licence or AEO authorisation here, we are open to adding capacity — we send referred volume from an ocean freight book that already discharges at your gateways.
The network is vetted rather than open: licence verification with the issuing authority, insurance, two contactable references and supervised trial entries before any unsupervised volume.
Apply to become our India clearance partner →Freight rates into India
Clearance is quoted alongside the freight. These are the priced lanes we currently run into this market.
- Shanghai to Chennai Container Shipping — 20GP Rates
- Shanghai to Mundra FCL Ocean Freight Rates | 20GP & 40HQ
- Shanghai to Nhava Sheva FCL Ocean Freight Rates | 20GP & 40HQ
- Shekou to Kolkata FCL Ocean Freight Rates | 20GP & 40HQ
- Shekou to Mundra Container Shipping — 20GP Rates
- Shekou–Nhava Sheva Sea Freight: Container Rates and Schedule
- Ship Shanghai to Kolkata — FCL Container Cost from China
- Ship Shekou to Chennai — FCL Container Cost from China
Destination guide
Gateways, inland legs, port behaviour and seasonal pressure for India — the background this clearance page assumes.
India destination guide →Common questions
Who administers customs clearance in India?
Import entries are administered by Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC).
How long does clearance take in India?
Cargo typically sits 3–8 days at the gateway. Complete paperwork lodged before arrival is what keeps a shipment at the short end of that range.
What duty and tax applies in India?
Basic customs duty 0–20% plus IGST 5–28% plus a social welfare surcharge of 10% of the duty The rate that applies to your shipment depends on the HS heading — send the specification for a firm figure.
Can you clear cargo in India that you did not ship?
Yes. Brokerage is available as a standalone service on cargo moved by another forwarder, as well as bundled into a duty-paid movement we carry ourselves.
Do you work with local brokers in India?
Yes — our clearance network is built on vetted local licence holders. Brokers in this market can apply to join through our partner programme.