True Wireless Stereo [(TWS) Sound channel not connected by wire]

True Wireless Stereo earphones and headphones (TWS, wireless earbuds)

BIS QCO APPLICABLE · CRS SCHEME · IS 13252 · WPC OVERLAY

HSN 8518 30 11 (True Wireless Stereo earphones and headphones) is covered by a Bureau of Indian Standards Quality Control Order. Conformity to IS/IEC 62368 Part 1:2023 (or concurrently IS 13252 Part 1:2010 or IS 616:2017 until the respective withdrawal dates) is mandatory under the Compulsory Registration Scheme with effect from 18 March 2021. Wireless Planning and Coordination Equipment Type Approval applies as a separate customs-clearance overlay for licence-exempt wireless devices.

What this is

HSN code

8518 30 11

Chapter

85 · Electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof

BIS QCO

Applicable · Compulsory Registration Scheme · R-number required

Indian Standard

IS 13252 · effective 18-03-2021

Applicable Partner Government Agencies

BISBIS·Bureau of Indian Standards

WPCWPC·Wireless Planning and Coordination Wing

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

Compliance steps

1
Verify the foreign supplier's BIS Compulsory Registration Scheme R-number against IS/IEC 62368 Part 1:2023, IS 13252 Part 1:2010, or IS 616:2017 on the BIS portal. The R-number must be model-specific, current, and cover the exact TWS earphone or headphone model being imported.
Electronics and Information Technology Goods (Requirements for Compulsory Registration) Order, 2021 · S.O. 1248(E) dated 18-03-2021 · S.O. 4997(E) dated 29-10-2025
2
Confirm which concurrent IS applies to this consignment: IS 13252 Part 1:2010 and IS 616:2017 remain valid alongside IS/IEC 62368 Part 1:2023 until 01-11-2028 for goods other than serial no. 65 items, and until 01-05-2026 for serial no. 65 goods. After those dates the earlier standards stand withdrawn.
S.O. 4997(E) dated 29-10-2025 · General Note 2(c) of the Import Policy
3
Obtain Equipment Type Approval from Wireless Planning and Coordination for wireless operation in licence-exempt bands. TWS devices operating at low transmission power may use self-declaration ETA generated through saralsanchar.gov.in; apply and download the system-generated certificate before the consignment arrives.
CBIC Instruction 16/2022-CUS dated 21-07-2022 · CBIC Instruction 24/2024-CUS dated 22-10-2024 · DoT letter ETA-WPC/Policy/2018-19 dated 12-04-2019
4
Quote the BIS R-number and the WPC ETA certificate number on the bill of entry. Customs verifies both independently in real time; absent, expired, or model-mismatched registration on either portal triggers consignment detention.
Electronics and Information Technology Goods (Requirements for Compulsory Registration) Order, 2021 · CBIC Instruction 27/2025-CUS dated 26-08-2025 · BIS Act, 2016 · Customs Act, 1962
5
Ensure compliance with DGFT Notification 13/24-25 dated 20-05-2024 regarding para 2.31(1)(b) of the Foreign Trade Policy 2023 and policy condition 5 of Chapter 85. Confirm at the purchase-order stage whether the product is exempt or subject to additional DGFT conditions.
DGFT Notification 13/24-25 dated 20-05-2024 · para 2(c) of the General Notes to the Import Policy · Policy Condition 5 of Chapter 85

A word of counsel

The most common compliance failure on this tariff line is confusing the classification boundary between HSN 8518 30 11 and HSN 8517 62 — Bluetooth wireless headsets for phones are specifically classifiable under HSN 8517 62 per CBIC Circular 36/2013-CUS. Importers who ship TWS earphones with phone-call functionality without confirming the correct tariff heading face reclassification at port, triggering differential duty recovery and a fresh BIS R-number verification cycle under the wrong heading's QCO scope. Resolve the classification in writing with the supplier before the purchase order, referencing the primary intended function and product data sheet.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 8518 30 11 require BIS certification?

Yes. True Wireless Stereo earphones and headphones require Bureau of Indian Standards registration under the Compulsory Registration Scheme against IS/IEC 62368 Part 1:2023 (or concurrently IS 13252 Part 1:2010 or IS 616:2017 within their respective concurrent-running windows), with effect from 18 March 2021.

Is Wireless Planning and Coordination Equipment Type Approval required separately from BIS QCO compliance?

Yes. WPC Equipment Type Approval is administered by the Department of Telecommunications and is independent of the BIS Compulsory Registration Scheme. TWS devices in licence-exempt bands may use self-declaration ETA via saralsanchar.gov.in per CBIC Instruction 24/2024-CUS.

How long can importers rely on IS 13252 Part 1:2010 and IS 616:2017 instead of IS/IEC 62368 Part 1:2023?

For goods other than those at serial no. 65 of the QCO schedule, concurrent running of IS 13252 Part 1:2010 and IS 616:2017 alongside IS/IEC 62368 Part 1:2023 is permitted until 01-11-2028, after which both earlier standards stand withdrawn. Serial no. 65 goods have an earlier cut-off of 01-05-2026.

Does a single BIS R-number cover all TWS earphone models from the same manufacturer?

No. The R-number is model-specific under the Compulsory Registration Scheme; each distinct model requires its own registration, and customs detains the consignment if the declared model does not match the registered model code on the BIS portal.

Last verified against gazette notifications: 2026-05-18. Source: BIS / WPC / DGFT / CBIC / Indian Customs CUSDATA.