Other

Original sculpture and statuary, other materials (residual)

DGFT CLEARANCE

HSN 9703 90 90 (original sculpture and statuary, other) carries a Free import policy under the ITC (HS) Schedule administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), with no licence or permit required at the Indian border. Importers must nonetheless demonstrate compliance with the export laws and rules of the country of origin — including any cultural-property export controls — before customs out-of-charge is granted.

What this is

HSN code

9703 90 90

Chapter

97 · Works of art, collectors' pieces and antiques

Primary regulator

DGFT · ITC (HS) Free import policy, Chapter 97

Customs documentation

Export permit from country-of-origin authority
ITC (HS) policy compliance from DGFT

Compliance steps

1
Verify that the exporting country's export laws and rules permit the outward movement of the specific sculpture or statuary. Obtain any export licence, cultural-property clearance, or equivalent authorisation issued by the competent authority of the country of origin before shipment.
ITC (HS) Import Policy, Chapter 97 — Free policy condition requiring compliance with origin-country export laws
2
Present evidence of origin-country export authorisation to the customs proper officer at the Indian port of import. Absence of such documentation may result in consignment detention pending verification, notwithstanding the Free ITC (HS) import status.
ITC (HS) Import Policy, Chapter 97 · Customs Act, 1962

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is treating the Free ITC (HS) status as a clean bill of health and shipping without verifying the export-control regime of the country of origin. Several source jurisdictions — including UNESCO-convention signatories — impose export prohibitions on cultural objects above a defined age or value threshold; a consignment that lacks the requisite origin-country export permit is liable to seizure and possible criminal proceedings under the origin country's cultural-property laws, and Indian customs may decline out-of-charge on that basis.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 9703 90 90 require BIS certification?

No. Original sculpture and statuary fall entirely outside the BIS Quality Control Order regime. Import is governed solely by the ITC (HS) Free policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade, subject to compliance with the export laws of the country of origin.

What documentation evidences compliance with the origin-country export rules at the Indian bill of entry?

Documentation varies by jurisdiction but typically takes the form of a government-issued export permit or certificate of free circulation from the competent cultural-property authority of the exporting country; this should be uploaded in e-Sanchit alongside the bill of entry.

Does the Free import policy mean the consignment faces no restrictions at the Indian border?

Free status removes the Indian licence or permit requirement, but the ITC (HS) policy condition expressly requires the importer to abide by the export laws of the country of export; non-compliance with that condition converts the import into a policy violation under the Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act, 1992.

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