Other

Headphones and earphones, wired and wireless (including microphone-combined sets)

BIS QCO APPLICABLE · CRS SCHEME · IS 62368 · WPC OVERLAY

HSN 8518 30 90 (headphones, earphones, and microphone-combined sets) is covered by a Bureau of Indian Standards Quality Control Order. Conformity to IS/IEC 62368 (Part 1):2023 is mandatory under the Compulsory Registration Scheme with effect from 18 March 2021, under the Electronics and Information Technology Goods (Requirements for Compulsory Registration) Order, 2021. Wireless Planning and Coordination wing import licensing or Equipment Type Approval applies as a separate customs-clearance overlay for wireless-enabled variants.

What this is

HSN code

8518 30 90

Chapter

85 · Electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof

BIS QCO

Applicable · Compulsory Registration Scheme · R-number required

Indian Standard

IS 62368 · 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 on the BIS portal against IS/IEC 62368 (Part 1):2023. The R-number must be model-specific, current, and issued under Scheme-II of Schedule-II of the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018 before placing the purchase order.
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 standard the supplier's R-number is registered against. IS 13252 (Part 1):2010 and IS 616:2017 may be used concurrently with IS/IEC 62368 (Part 1):2023 until 01-11-2028 for most goods; after that date both earlier standards are withdrawn.
S.O. 4997(E) dated 29-10-2025 · BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018 · General Note 2(c) of the Import Policy
3
For wireless headphones or earphones, obtain Wireless Planning and Coordination wing import licensing or Equipment Type Approval through the Saral Sanchar portal before shipment. Apply at least 30 days before the expected arrival date; for licence-exempt low-power products, submit a self-declaration ETA certificate downloadable 48 hours after application.
CBIC Instruction 16/2022-CUS dated 21-07-2022 · CBIC Instruction 23/2021 dated 23-11-2021 · DOT OM F.No. R-11017/02/2021-PP dated 21-10-2021
4
Verify classification before filing the bill of entry: Bluetooth wireless headsets for phones are classifiable under CTH 8517 62, not this heading. Confirm the product's primary function and connectivity type with the supplier in writing; misclassification triggers retrospective customs scrutiny.
CBIC Circular 36/2013-CUS dated 05-09-2013
5
Quote the BIS R-number and, for wireless variants, the WPC licence or ETA certificate reference on the bill of entry. Ensure compliance with DGFT Notification 13/24-25 and CBIC Instruction 27/2025-CUS; customs verifies each document against the relevant portal and absence or scope mismatch triggers consignment detention.
DGFT Notification 13/24-25 dated 20-05-2024 · CBIC Instruction 27/2025-CUS dated 26-08-2025 · Policy Condition 5 of Chapter 85 · General Note 2(c) of the Import Policy

A word of counsel

The single most common error on this tariff line is importing wireless headphones or earphones under the BIS R-number alone, without first obtaining Wireless Planning and Coordination wing approval or an Equipment Type Approval certificate via Saral Sanchar. The WPC overlay is not waived by BIS registration; customs detention follows when the ETA certificate or import licence is absent from the bill of entry. Separately, Bluetooth headsets whose primary function is telephony face reclassification to CTH 8517 62, stripping the import of its existing BIS R-number coverage entirely.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 8518 30 90 require BIS certification?

Yes. Headphones, earphones, and microphone-combined sets under this tariff line must conform to IS/IEC 62368 (Part 1):2023 under the Compulsory Registration Scheme, with effect from 18 March 2021; import is permitted only from suppliers holding a current model-specific BIS R-number.

Is Wireless Planning and Coordination approval required separately from BIS QCO compliance?

Yes. Wireless-enabled variants require a WPC import licence or Equipment Type Approval through the Saral Sanchar portal, administered by the Department of Telecommunications, independently of the BIS Compulsory Registration Scheme obligation. Licence-exempt low-power devices may use the self-declaration ETA route.

Can a supplier's R-number still be registered against IS 13252 or IS 616 instead of IS/IEC 62368?

Yes, during the concurrent-running window. IS 13252 (Part 1):2010 and IS 616:2017 remain valid concurrently with IS/IEC 62368 (Part 1):2023 for most goods until 01 November 2028, after which both earlier standards are withdrawn and only IS/IEC 62368 (Part 1):2023 applies.

Does a single Compulsory Registration Scheme R-number cover all earphone or headphone models from the same manufacturer?

No. The R-number is model-specific; variants outside the registered model code, or from a different manufacturing facility, are not covered and customs detains the consignment on a model-code mismatch with the BIS register.

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