Currency note paper

Currency note paper, watermark bank note paper in rolls

DGFT CLEARANCE

HSN 4802 55 60 (Currency note paper) is classified as Restricted under the ITC (HS) import policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), subject to Policy Condition 1 of Chapter 48. Import without a licence is permitted exclusively to the designated Note Printing Presses of the Government of India — Currency Note Press Nasik, Bank Note Press Dewas (both units of SPMCIL), and BRBNMPL units at Mysore, Salboni and Bangalore — on submission of a certificate of import from the head of the unit and compliance with an actual-user condition.

What this is

HSN code

4802 55 60

Chapter

48 · Paper and paperboard; articles of paper pulp

Primary regulator

DGFT · ITC (HS) Restricted import policy, Policy Condition 1, Chapter 48

Customs documentation

Import Licence from DGFT
Certificate of import from unit head
Actual-user condition declaration

Compliance steps

1
Verify that the importing entity is one of the five notified Note Printing Presses: Currency Note Press Nasik, Bank Note Press Dewas (SPMCIL), or BRBNMPL units at Mysore, Salboni or Bangalore. All other importers require a DGFT Import Licence before filing the bill of entry, as the tariff line is Restricted under the ITC (HS) policy.
DGFT Notification 13/2015-20 dated 12-07-2021 · Policy Condition 1 of Chapter 48
2
For eligible Note Printing Presses, obtain a certificate of import signed by the head of the unit and ensure the consignment is covered by an actual-user condition. Both the certificate and the actual-user undertaking must be uploaded in e-Sanchit before the bill of entry is assessed and out-of-charge is granted.
DGFT Notification 13/2015-20 dated 12-07-2021 · Policy Condition 1 of Chapter 48

A word of counsel

The licence exemption under DGFT Notification 13/2015-20 is entity-specific, not product-specific: it attaches to the five named GOI Note Printing Presses and does not extend to any subsidiary, contractor, or third-party printer procuring watermark bank note paper on their behalf. An importer that is not the named unit — even one acting under a supply agreement with SPMCIL or BRBNMPL — must hold a standard DGFT Import Licence; absent that licence, the consignment is subject to confiscation and monetary penalty under the Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act, 1992.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 4802 55 60 require BIS certification?

No. Currency note paper is not covered by any BIS Quality Control Order. Import is governed exclusively by the ITC (HS) Restricted-import policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade under Policy Condition 1 of Chapter 48, read with DGFT Notification 13/2015-20 dated 12-07-2021.

Can a private paper mill or commercial printer import currency note paper without a DGFT licence?

No. The licence-free channel under DGFT Notification 13/2015-20 is available only to the five named GOI Note Printing Presses of SPMCIL and BRBNMPL; all other importers must obtain a DGFT Import Licence before the consignment can be cleared.

What happens if an eligible Note Printing Press imports without submitting the head-of-unit certificate?

Absence of the certificate of import from the head of the unit removes the basis for the licence-free entry, converting the consignment into an unlicensed Restricted import and exposing it to detention, confiscation, and penalty under the Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act, 1992.

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