Proximity cards and tags

Proximity cards and tags for data recording

DGFT CLEARANCE

HSN 8523 59 10 (Proximity cards and tags) is subject to the import policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) under the ITC (HS) Schedule I policy conditions for Chapter 85. Import of cinematographic or video content recorded on this media is subject to the condition that the importer complies with all applicable Indian laws governing film distribution and exhibition, including the Cinematograph Act, 1952.

What this is

HSN code

8523 59 10

Chapter

85 · Electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof

Primary regulator

DGFT · ITC (HS) import policy, Chapter 85, Policy Condition No. 1

Customs documentation

Import Licence from DGFT
Exhibition certificate from Ministry of I&B
Policy condition compliance from DGFT

Compliance steps

1
Confirm the proximity cards and tags being imported are free of unauthorised or pirated film content. Where any cinematographic or video content is recorded on the media, the importer must hold a certificate of public exhibition issued under the Cinematograph Act, 1952 before the bill of entry is filed.
Policy Condition No. 1 to Chapter 85 and Chapter 37 of ITC (HS) Schedule I
2
For foreign reprints of Indian films on any media under this CTI, obtain prior written permission from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting before shipment. Import without such permission is prohibited and attracts confiscation under the Customs Act, 1962.
Policy Condition No. 1 to Chapter 85 of ITC (HS) Schedule I

A word of counsel

The policy conditions applicable to this tariff line target recorded media content, not the proximity card or tag hardware itself — yet the HSN covers both. Importers bringing in blank or purely functional proximity cards and tags frequently overlook the need to document the unrecorded or non-film status of the media at the bill of entry stage; without that affirmative declaration, customs officers may apply the film-content conditions by default, resulting in consignment detention pending content verification.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 8523 59 10 require BIS certification?

No, no BIS Quality Control Order covers proximity cards and tags under this tariff line. Import is governed by the ITC (HS) import policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade under Policy Condition No. 1 to Chapter 85, which applies specifically to recorded film and video content on the media.

Do the film-content policy conditions apply to blank proximity cards imported for access-control or payment applications?

The policy conditions target cinematographic and video content recorded on media; blank proximity cards used for access control or contactless payment are not subject to the exhibition-certificate requirement, but the importer should be prepared to confirm the unrecorded and non-film nature of the goods at the bill of entry.

What happens if foreign reprints of Indian films are imported without Ministry of Information and Broadcasting permission?

Import of foreign reprints of Indian films without prior written permission from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting is prohibited under Policy Condition No. 1 to Chapter 85, and such consignments are liable to confiscation and monetary penalty under the Customs Act, 1962.

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