Of wild birds

Wild bird feathers and down for stuffing

WCCB CLEARANCE

HSN 0505 10 10 (feathers of a kind used for stuffing; down, of wild birds) is subject to Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) oversight under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and import is Prohibited under the ITC (HS) policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT). Where a CITES permit exists that lawfully authorises the transaction, a CITES certificate and health certificate must be uploaded in e-Sanchit before customs out-of-charge.

What this is

HSN code

0505 10 10

Chapter

05 · Products of animal origin, not elsewhere specified

Primary regulator

WCCB · Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 (CITES enforcement)

Customs documentation

CITES certificate from WCCB
Health Certificate from AQCS
ITC (HS) prohibition compliance from DGFT

Applicable Partner Government Agencies

WCCBWCCB·Wildlife Crime Control Bureau

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

Compliance steps

1
Confirm the import is not barred by the ITC (HS) Prohibited status before placing any purchase order. Import of wild bird feathers and down is Prohibited under the ITC (HS) policy; only transactions supported by a valid CITES permit issued under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species may proceed.
ITC (HS) Import Policy · WCCB CITES enforcement under Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972
2
Upload the CITES certificate (document code 626000) and the health certificate (document code 6360AQ) in e-Sanchit before the bill of entry is assessed. The proper officer must verify both documents are present before granting out-of-charge; PGA-facilitated bills not routed through WCCB for NOC are subject to mandatory document verification at this stage.
ITC (HS) CCR · e-Sanchit document codes 626000 and 6360AQ

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is assuming that possession of a foreign-issued CITES export permit from the country of origin is itself sufficient for Indian customs clearance. India requires the corresponding CITES import permit or equivalent WCCB authorisation at the Indian port; a foreign export permit alone does not satisfy the ITC (HS) Prohibited-import requirement, and consignments arriving without the Indian-side CITES authorisation are liable to seizure and confiscation under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 0505 10 10 require BIS certification?

No. Wild bird feathers and down are not within the BIS Quality Control Order regime. Import is governed by the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and the tariff line is Prohibited under the ITC (HS) policy administered by DGFT.

Which documents must be uploaded in e-Sanchit for this tariff line?

The CITES certificate (document code 626000) and the health certificate (document code 6360AQ) must both be uploaded in e-Sanchit before out-of-charge is granted, even on PGA-facilitated bills not separately routed through WCCB for NOC.

Can wild bird feathers be imported at all given the Prohibited ITC (HS) status?

Import is generally Prohibited; the narrow exception is a consignment covered by a valid CITES permit that lawfully authorises the specific transaction, in which case WCCB clearance and the mandatory e-Sanchit documents remain required before customs release.

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