Other

Smart cards, other than contactless or memory-only types

DGFT CLEARANCE

HSN 8523 52 90 (Other smart cards) is subject to the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) ITC (HS) import policy administered under Chapter 85. Mandatory Type Approval certification under the Mandatory Testing and Certification of Telecom Equipment (MTCTE) regime applies where the smart card contains telecom functionality notified under Indian Telegraph (Amendment) Rules, 2017 and Department of Telecommunications notifications. Import of any cinematographic content recorded on this medium requires a certificate of public exhibition under the Cinematograph Act, 1952.

What this is

HSN code

8523 52 90

Chapter

85 · Electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof

Primary regulator

DGFT · ITC (HS) import policy, Chapter 85; MTCTE regime under Indian Telegraph (Amendment) Rules, 2017

Customs documentation

Type Approval certificate from DoT/TEC
ITC (HS) policy compliance from DGFT
Exhibition certificate from Ministry of I&B

Compliance steps

1
Determine whether the smart card model falls within the list of telecom products notified for mandatory MTCTE certification. If notified, obtain the Type Approval certificate from the Telecommunications Engineering Centre (TEC) before filing the bill of entry; import of uncertified notified equipment is prohibited.
Indian Telegraph (Amendment) Rules, 2017 · DoT Notification TEC/01/2017-TC dated 04-07-2019 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
2
If the medium carries cinematographic or film content, confirm the importer holds a certificate of public exhibition under the Cinematograph Act, 1952 and that the content is not an unauthorised or pirated film. Import of foreign reprints of Indian films additionally requires prior written permission from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
Policy Condition No. 1 to Chapter 85 and Chapter 37 of ITC (HS) 2022

A word of counsel

The most frequent error on this tariff line is treating the smart card as plain storage media and overlooking the MTCTE certification trigger: the obligation attaches to the telecom functionality of the card, not to its physical form. A smart card with an embedded wireless or SIM-class interface that appears on any TEC-notified list requires Type Approval before clearance — absence of the certificate results in consignment detention and potential confiscation, regardless of the importer's intent.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 8523 52 90 require BIS certification?

No, this tariff line is not covered by any BIS Quality Control Order. Import is governed by the DGFT ITC (HS) policy for Chapter 85 and, where the smart card contains notified telecom functionality, by mandatory MTCTE Type Approval certification under the Indian Telegraph (Amendment) Rules, 2017.

How do I determine whether my smart card model is notified under MTCTE?

The current list of notified telecom products is maintained by the Telecommunications Engineering Centre under DoT Notification TEC/01/2017-TC as last amended vide F.No.5-2/2024-TC/TEC (Pt.1) dated 25-02-2025; verify the product category against that list before shipment.

Does the film-content restriction under Policy Condition No. 1 apply to blank smart cards?

No, the cinematographic-content restriction and the Cinematograph Act, 1952 certificate requirement apply only where the smart card or medium is imported carrying film or video content; blank unrecorded cards are not subject to that condition.

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