Nail polish or lacquers

Nail polish and lacquers for cosmetic use

PARTNER GOVERNMENT AGENCY CLEARANCE

HSN 3304 99 20 (Nail polish or lacquers) is regulated as a cosmetic under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, requiring a valid registration certificate before import. Mandatory e-Sanchit documentation — including a certificate of analysis, batch release certificate, and label declaration — must be uploaded prior to customs out-of-charge.

What this is

HSN code

3304 99 20

Chapter

33 · Essential oils and resinoids; perfumery, cosmetic or toilet preparations

Primary regulator

CDSCO · Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 (cosmetics registration regime)

Customs documentation

Registration certificate from CDSCO
Certificate of analysis from manufacturer
Batch release certificate from manufacturer

Compliance steps

1
Obtain a valid cosmetics registration certificate from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) before the bill of entry is filed. Upload the registration certificate (document code 101dc2) in e-Sanchit; consignments without a current registration are liable to detention and refusal of out-of-charge.
Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 · document code 101dc2
2
Upload the certificate of analysis (document code 0010dc), batch release certificate (document code 0030dc), and label of consignment (document code 0110dc) in e-Sanchit before the bill of entry reaches the examination stage. The customs proper officer verifies all four documents before granting out-of-charge.
e-Sanchit mandatory document codes 0010dc, 0030dc, 0110dc, 101dc2

A word of counsel

The most frequent error on this tariff line is treating the cosmetics registration certificate as the only required upload and overlooking the batch-level documents — certificate of analysis (0010dc) and batch release certificate (0030dc) — which must correspond to the specific consignment lot. A registration certificate current at the entity level does not satisfy the batch-specific document requirement; a mismatch between the batch number on the certificate of analysis and the accompanying invoice will cause the consignment to be held pending rectification, accumulating demurrage and ground rent at the designated port.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 3304 99 20 require BIS certification?

No, nail polish and lacquers are not covered by any BIS Quality Control Order. Import is governed by the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 under the CDSCO cosmetics registration regime, with mandatory e-Sanchit documentation including registration certificate (101dc2), certificate of analysis (0010dc), batch release certificate (0030dc), and label (0110dc).

Are all four e-Sanchit document codes mandatory for every consignment of nail polish?

Yes. The customs proper officer is required to verify that document codes 101dc2, 0010dc, 0030dc, and 0110dc have all been uploaded in e-Sanchit before granting out-of-charge, regardless of whether the bill of entry has been PGA-facilitated.

What happens if the cosmetics registration certificate has expired at the time of import?

An expired registration certificate means the mandatory document code 101dc2 cannot be validly uploaded, and the proper officer will refuse out-of-charge; the consignment faces detention, accruing demurrage and ground rent, until a current certificate is provided or the goods are re-exported.

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