RAILWAY OR TRAMWAY MAINTENANCE OR SERVICE VEHICLES WHETHER OR NOT SELF-PROPELLED (FOR EXAMPLE, WORKSHOPS, CRANES, BALLAST TAMPERS, TRACK-LINERS, TESTING COACHES AND TRACK INSPECTION VEHICLES)

Railway or tramway maintenance and service vehicles

SIMS CLEARANCE

HSN 8604 00 00 (railway or tramway maintenance or service vehicles) requires compulsory advance registration under the Steel Import Monitoring System (SIMS) administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) under Policy Condition No. 2 of Chapter 86, with DGFT Notification 33/2015-20 as the operative instrument. Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) classification controls apply as an additional overlay, notably for dual-mode road-rail vehicles classifiable under Chapter 87.

What this is

HSN code

8604 00 00

Chapter

86 · Railway or tramway locomotives, rolling-stock and parts thereof; railway or tramway track fixtures and fittings

Primary regulator

SIMS · ITC (HS) Policy Condition No. 2, Chapter 86; DGFT Notification 33/2015-20

Customs documentation

SIMS registration number from DGFT
ITC (HS) policy compliance from DGFT
Chapter classification ruling from CBIC

Applicable Partner Government Agencies

SIMSSIMS·Steel Import Monitoring System

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

Compliance steps

1
Apply for SIMS advance registration online and obtain the automatic registration number by paying the ₹500 registration fee. The application may be filed no earlier than 60 days before the expected date of arrival; the automatic registration number remains valid for 75 days from grant.
DGFT Notification 28/2023 dated 28-08-2023 · DGFT Notification 33/2015-20 dated 28-09-2020 · Policy Condition No. 2 of Chapter 86
2
Note that the former requirement of minimum 15 days' advance registration before the expected date of arrival has been abolished. Confirm that the SIMS registration number is current and valid on the date the bill of entry is filed at the port of import.
DGFT Notification 19/2015-20 dated 07-07-2022
3
If the vehicle is capable of travelling on both road and rail (dual-mode), verify classification under Chapter 87 rather than 8604 00 00 before filing the bill of entry; misclassification attracts reassessment, demand of differential duty, and potential detention under CBIC Circular 14/2012-Cus.
CBIC Circular 14/2012-Cus dated 11-06-2012

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is filing the bill of entry before the SIMS registration number has been obtained or after its 75-day validity has lapsed. A bill of entry presented without a valid SIMS registration number is non-compliant under Policy Condition No. 2 of Chapter 86 and will be held by the proper officer pending regularisation, accumulating demurrage and ground rent. Note also that SEZ-to-DTA transfers of steel content without value addition are exempt from SIMS registration under DGFT Policy Circular 38/2015-20, but this carve-out does not extend to a standard first-import transaction.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 8604 00 00 require BIS certification?

No. Railway and tramway maintenance or service vehicles are not covered by any BIS Quality Control Order. Import is governed by compulsory SIMS registration under the Directorate General of Foreign Trade pursuant to Policy Condition No. 2 of Chapter 86 and DGFT Notification 33/2015-20 dated 28-09-2020.

How long is the SIMS registration number valid, and when can the application be submitted?

The automatic SIMS registration number is valid for 75 days from grant; the application may be filed no earlier than 60 days before the expected date of arrival of the consignment, per DGFT Notification 28/2023 dated 28-08-2023.

Are re-imports of steel for packaging purposes and SEZ-to-DTA transfers exempt from SIMS registration?

Yes. Re-imports of steel goods solely for packaging (not value addition) are excluded from SIMS, and transfers of steel items from SEZ to DTA — whether with or without value addition — do not require SIMS registration, per DGFT Policy Circular 38/2015-20 dated 19-01-2022.

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