Motor-cycles

Motorcycles with 500cc to 800cc piston engine

DGFT CLEARANCE

HSN 8711 40 10 (Motor-cycles) is subject to the ITC (HS) Restricted-import policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), with import of new vehicles permitted only through 18 notified ports and ICDs under DGFT Notification 18/2015-20 and 59/2023-24. Compliance with the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 and Rules — including homologation, right-hand drive, kilometre speedometer, and headlamp photometry requirements — is a mandatory customs overlay at the bill of entry.

What this is

HSN code

8711 40 10

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 compliance from DGFT
Port-of-entry declaration to CBIC

Compliance steps

1
Confirm the vehicle satisfies ITC (HS) Conditions 1, 2 and 7 to Chapter 87 before shipment: right-hand drive configuration, kilometre-calibrated speedometer, and headlamp photometry compliant with Indian standards. Obtain the Homologation Certificate (or Type Approval per Condition 7) from the competent authority and carry it with the bill of entry documentation.
ITC (HS) Conditions 1, 2 and 7 to Chapter 87 · Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 and Rules thereunder
2
Route the consignment exclusively through one of the 18 notified entry points: seaports Nhava Sheva, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Ennore, Cochin, Kattupalli, APM Terminals Pipavav, Krishnapatnam, Vishakhapatnam or Mundra; air cargo complexes at Mumbai or Delhi or Chennai Airport; or ICDs at Talegaon Pune, Tughlakabad, Faridabad or Garhi Harsaru. Diversion to an unnotified port renders the consignment liable to detention and confiscation.
DGFT Notification 18/2015-20 dated 12-07-2018 · DGFT Notification 59/2023-24 dated 12-02-2024

A word of counsel

The most frequent error on this tariff line is shipping a second-hand motorcycle through any port other than Mumbai. The regulatory record is explicit: second-hand vehicles are admissible only through Mumbai port, subject to Condition 1 — a consignment of a used motorcycle arriving at any other notified port, even one otherwise valid for new vehicles, will be detained and may be ordered for re-export. Verify new-versus-used status against the port routing before placing the purchase order.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 8711 40 10 require BIS certification?

No, motorcycles in this cylinder-capacity band are not covered by a BIS Quality Control Order. Import is governed by the ITC (HS) Restricted-import policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade, with homologation, right-hand drive, and port-restriction conditions under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.

Can a second-hand motorcycle in this capacity range be imported through Nhava Sheva or Chennai?

No. Second-hand vehicles are permitted only through Mumbai port, subject to ITC (HS) Condition 1 to Chapter 87; import through any other notified port — including those otherwise valid for new motorcycles — is not permitted.

What is the consequence of shipping without a valid Homologation Certificate?

Absence of the Homologation Certificate (or Type Approval under Condition 7) at the bill-of-entry stage leaves the consignment non-compliant with ITC (HS) Conditions 1 and 7 to Chapter 87, exposing it to detention, ground rent, and potential re-export or confiscation under the Customs Act, 1962.

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