Other

Other wireless communication apparatus and telecom equipment

WPC CLEARANCE

HSN 8517 18 90 covers residual wireless and wired communication apparatus subject to Wireless Planning and Coordination (WPC) Wing import licensing and Mandatory Testing and Certification of Telecom Equipment (MTCTE) under the Indian Telegraph (Amendment) Rules, 2017 and DoT notifications. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) ITC (HS) policy imposes a Restricted-import status on multichannel GSM/CDMA transceivers and a prohibition on GSM/CDMA handsets without valid IMEI/ESN/MEID numbers. Equipment operating in licence-exempt bands may qualify for Equipment Type Approval (ETA) via self-declaration on the SaralSanchar portal.

What this is

HSN code

8517 18 90

Chapter

85 · Electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof

Primary regulator

WPC · Indian Telegraph (Amendment) Rules, 2017; DoT MTCTE notifications

Customs documentation

Import licence from WPC
MTCTE certificate from DoT
ETA certificate from SaralSanchar

Applicable Partner Government Agencies

WPCWPC·Wireless Planning and Coordination Wing

Procedural directions for customs clearance are issued by: Directorate General of Foreign Trade, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs.

Compliance steps

1
Determine whether the equipment falls within the MTCTE-notified list under the Indian Telegraph (Amendment) Rules, 2017 and DoT notifications TEC/01/2017-TC dated 04-07-2019 and 23-06-2020, as amended vide F.No.5-2/2021-TC/TEC/131 dated 13-06-2022 and F.No.5-2/2024-TC/TEC(Pt.1) dated 25-02-2025. If listed, obtain mandatory MTCTE certification before the bill of entry is filed; unlisted equipment must still comply with WPC import-licensing requirements referenced in CBIC Instruction 16/2022-CUS dated 21-07-2022.
Indian Telegraph (Amendment) Rules, 2017 · DoT Notification TEC/01/2017-TC dated 04-07-2019 and 23-06-2020 · F.No.5-2/2021-TC/TEC/131 dated 13-06-2022 · F.No.5-2/2024-TC/TEC(Pt.1) dated 25-02-2025 · CBIC Instruction 16/2022-CUS dated 21-07-2022
2
For wireless equipment operating in licence-exempt bands with low transmission power, apply on SaralSanchar (saralsanchar.gov.in) at least 30 days before shipment arrival to obtain the Equipment Type Approval certificate via self-declaration. The system-generated certificate is downloadable 48 hours after application and is accepted by customs; violation of self-declaration conditions will result in cancellation of the certificate and action under applicable law.
CBIC Instruction 23/2021-CUS dated 23-11-2021 · DoT OM F.No.R-11017/02/2021-PP dated 21-10-2021 · DoT ETA-WPC/Policy/2018-19 dated 12-04-2019 · F.No.R-11018/05/2019-PP dated 29-03-2019 · CBIC Instruction 24/2024-CUS dated 22-10-2024
3
Verify the ITC (HS) policy conditions before shipment: import of multichannel GSM/CDMA receivers, transmitters and transceivers of two or more frequencies simultaneously is Restricted under General Note 16 of the ITC (HS) policy. Import of GSM mobile handsets without IMEI numbers or with all-zeroes IMEI, and CDMA phones without valid ESN/MEID, is prohibited; consignments in breach are liable to seizure and confiscation.
General Note 16 of ITC (HS) Import Policy · ITC (HS) policy prohibition on handsets without valid IMEI/ESN/MEID · CBIC Instruction 15/2020-CUS dated 24-07-2020

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is conflating the MTCTE certification track with the WPC import-licence track and assuming that one clears both obligations. MTCTE certification is a product-safety and type-approval requirement for notified telecom products; the WPC import licence is a separate spectrum-policy instrument required for wireless equipment that is not licence-exempt. An importer who holds an ETA via SaralSanchar for a licence-exempt device but inadvertently imports equipment operating outside the exempt band faces detention and potential confiscation, as the self-declaration certificate does not substitute for a full WPC import licence on non-exempt spectrum.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 8517 18 90 require BIS certification?

No, this residual telecom-apparatus tariff line is not covered by a BIS Quality Control Order. The governing regime is Wireless Planning and Coordination Wing import licensing and Mandatory Testing and Certification of Telecom Equipment under the Indian Telegraph (Amendment) Rules, 2017, with DGFT ITC (HS) policy overlays for restricted and prohibited categories.

Which specific telecom products under this HSN are subject to mandatory MTCTE testing and certification?

The DoT-notified list includes executive telephone systems, NSD/ISD payphones, electronic telephone instruments, key telephone systems, 2-line feature phones, coin-box telephones, PSTN terminals, CLIP phones, modems, G3 fax machines, ISDN CPE, cordless telephones, PABX, SDH equipment, multiplexing equipment, PON ONT/ONU/OLT and feedback devices, per DoT notifications TEC/01/2017-TC dated 04-07-2019 and 23-06-2020.

Are tablet computers classifiable under HSN 8517 18 90?

No. Tablet computers are classifiable under HSN 8471 30 per CBIC Circular 20/2013-CUS dated 14-05-2013 and should not be imported under 8517 18 90; misclassification exposes the consignment to re-assessment, demand of differential duty, and potential penalty.

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