Cards incorporating a magnetic stripe

Magnetic stripe cards for recording or storage

DGFT CLEARANCE

HSN 8523 21 00 (Cards incorporating a magnetic stripe) is subject to the ITC (HS) import policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), which prohibits the import of unauthorised or pirated content and imposes film-distribution compliance conditions under Policy Condition No. 1 to Chapters 85 and 37. Where the magnetic stripe card carries cinematographic or other film content, the importer must comply with all applicable Indian laws governing distribution and exhibition, including the requirement to obtain a certificate of public exhibition under the Cinematograph Act, 1952.

What this is

HSN code

8523 21 00

Chapter

85 · Electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof

Primary regulator

DGFT · ITC (HS) import policy, Policy Condition No. 1 to Chapters 85 and 37

Customs documentation

ITC (HS) policy declaration from DGFT
Certificate of public exhibition from Ministry of I&B
Prior written permission from Ministry of I&B

Compliance steps

1
Confirm that no imported magnetic stripe card carries unauthorised or pirated film content. The ITC (HS) policy under Policy Condition No. 1 to Chapters 85 and 37 prohibits import of any unauthorised or pirated films absolutely, and no customs facilitation is available for such consignments.
Policy Condition No. 1 to Chapters 85 and 37, ITC (HS) Import Policy
2
Where the card contains cinematographic film or other film content, ensure the importer has obtained a certificate of public exhibition under the Cinematograph Act, 1952, and that all applicable Indian laws governing distribution and exhibition are complied with before filing the bill of entry.
Policy Condition No. 1 to Chapter 85 and 37, ITC (HS) Import Policy · Cinematograph Act, 1952
3
For foreign reprints of Indian films on magnetic stripe cards, obtain prior written permission from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting before shipment. Import without this permission is not permitted under the ITC (HS) policy regardless of the public-exhibition certificate.
Policy Condition No. 1 to Chapters 85 and 37, ITC (HS) Import Policy

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is assuming that magnetic stripe cards carrying no audio-visual content are entirely free of the Policy Condition No. 1 overlay. The policy condition is tied to the tariff chapter as a whole; any consignment that includes film-carrying media — even a minority portion of the shipment — triggers the Cinematograph Act compliance requirement and, for Indian-film reprints, the Ministry of I&B prior-permission condition. A single non-compliant card in a mixed consignment can attract detention of the entire shipment.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 8523 21 00 require BIS certification?

No, magnetic stripe cards under this tariff line are not covered by any BIS Quality Control Order. Import is governed by the ITC (HS) import policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade, with content-specific conditions under Policy Condition No. 1 to Chapters 85 and 37, including compliance with the Cinematograph Act, 1952 where film content is involved.

Is the certificate of public exhibition required for all magnetic stripe cards or only those carrying film content?

The certificate of public exhibition under the Cinematograph Act, 1952 is required only where the card carries cinematographic film or other film content. Blank or non-film-content magnetic stripe cards are not subject to the exhibition-certificate condition, though the prohibition on unauthorised or pirated content applies universally.

What is the consequence of importing a foreign reprint of an Indian film on magnetic stripe card without Ministry of I&B permission?

Import without prior written permission from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting is not permitted under Policy Condition No. 1 to Chapters 85 and 37; the consignment is liable to confiscation and the importer faces enforcement under the ITC (HS) policy, with potential prosecution under applicable Indian laws.

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