Fire fighting vehicles

Fire fighting vehicles, special purpose firefighting motor vehicles

DGFT CLEARANCE

HSN 8705 30 00 (Fire fighting vehicles) is subject to the ITC (HS) import policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), with import of new vehicles restricted to 18 designated seaports, airports, and inland container depots notified under DGFT Notification 18/2015-20 and Notification 59/2023. Compliance with the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 and its Rules — including homologation or type approval, right-hand drive, km-calibrated speedometer, and headlamp photometry requirements — applies as a concurrent customs overlay under ITC (HS) Conditions 1, 2 and 7 to Chapter 87.

What this is

HSN code

8705 30 00

Chapter

87 · Vehicles other than railway or tramway rolling-stock; parts and accessories

Primary regulator

DGFT · ITC (HS) Restricted import policy, Conditions 1, 2 and 7 to Chapter 87

Customs documentation

Homologation certificate from competent authority
ITC (HS) policy declaration from DGFT
Port compliance confirmation to CBIC

Compliance steps

1
Route the consignment exclusively through one of the 18 designated ports: seaports (Nhava Sheva, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Ennore, Cochin, Kattupalli, APM Terminals Pipavav, Krishnapatnam, Vishakhapatnam, Mundra), airports (Mumbai Air Cargo Complex, Delhi Air Cargo, Chennai Airport), or ICDs (Talegaon Pune, Tughlakabad, Faridabad, Garhi Harsaru). Diversion to any unnotified port renders the consignment liable to detention and Restricted-import enforcement.
DGFT Notification 18/2015-20 dated 12-07-2018 · DGFT Notification 59/2023 dated 12-02-2024
2
Obtain a Homologation Certificate (or type approval per ITC (HS) Condition 7) and verify the vehicle is right-hand drive with a km-calibrated speedometer and headlamps meeting prescribed photometry standards before filing the bill of entry. These requirements derive from the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 and its Rules and are verified by the proper officer at port.
ITC (HS) Conditions 1, 2 and 7 to Chapter 87 · Motor Vehicles Act, 1988
3
For second-hand fire fighting vehicles, import is permitted exclusively through Mumbai port, subject to ITC (HS) Condition 1 to Chapter 87. Ensure all second-hand vehicle documentation — including age, condition, and compliance certificates — is in order before vessel departure, as diversion to any other port will result in non-clearance.
ITC (HS) Condition 1 to Chapter 87 · DGFT Notification 18/2015-20 dated 12-07-2018

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is shipping to a functionally convenient port — such as a regional ICD — without verifying it appears in the notified list under DGFT Notification 59/2023. Fire fighting vehicles are large-footprint consignments, and a vessel already at sea cannot easily be redirected; arrival at an unnotified port triggers customs non-clearance, detention, demurrage, and potential re-export, with no administrative remedy short of a fresh DGFT representation.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 8705 30 00 require BIS certification?

No, fire fighting vehicles are not within the BIS Quality Control Order regime. Import is governed by the ITC (HS) Restricted import policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade under Conditions 1, 2 and 7 to Chapter 87, with Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 compliance verified at port.

Which ports are designated for the import of new fire fighting vehicles?

Import of new vehicles is permitted only through 18 notified points — 11 seaports, 3 airports, and 4 ICDs — as listed in DGFT Notification 18/2015-20 and updated by DGFT Notification 59/2023 dated 12 February 2024; second-hand vehicles are restricted to Mumbai port only.

Is a homologation certificate always required, or can type approval substitute?

Type approval is accepted as an alternative to the homologation certificate specifically under ITC (HS) Condition 7 to Chapter 87; both routes require the vehicle to meet right-hand drive, km-speedometer, and headlamp photometry standards under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.

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