Location
Customs Clearance for Shipments To and From India
India's customs process is built around the ICEGATE platform for electronic filing and requires an Importer Exporter Code (IEC) for any commercial import or export activity. Documentation scrutiny — particularly around declared value — tends to be a bigger factor here than in some other markets, so getting invoice and valuation details right up front matters.
Primary gateway: Nhava Sheva / Mumbai
Key gateways
- Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNPT/Nhava Sheva) near Mumbai
- Chennai Port
- Mundra Port
- Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (Mumbai) for air cargo
- Delhi (IGI Airport) for air cargo
05
Named ports & gateways
05
Key industries
04
Common shipment types
02
Common questions
Customs environment
How clearance works here
Entries (Bills of Entry for imports, Shipping Bills for exports) are filed electronically through ICEGATE. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) governs import/export policy and licensing, separately from the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), which administers customs itself — so a shipment can involve both authorities depending on the product.
Key industries
- Pharmaceuticals and active pharmaceutical ingredients
- Textiles and garments
- Gems and jewelry
- IT hardware and components
- Chemicals and agro-commodities
Common shipment types
- Bulk chemical and pharmaceutical imports requiring additional regulatory clearance (e.g., from drug or agricultural authorities)
- Garment and textile exports on tight production-to-ship timelines
- High-value gems and jewelry shipments with additional security documentation
- IT hardware imports subject to specific labeling requirements
Documentation
An Importer Exporter Code (IEC) issued by DGFT is required before any commercial cross-border shipment. Depending on the product, additional certificates may be required from bodies such as the Food Safety and Standards Authority (for food imports) or the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (for pharmaceuticals), on top of the standard commercial invoice, packing list, and bill of lading/airway bill.
Duties & taxes
Imports into India are subject to Basic Customs Duty plus Integrated Goods and Services Tax (IGST) applied at the point of import, alongside any applicable cess. Rates vary substantially by product category and change periodically with budget announcements, so duty estimates should be confirmed against the current tariff schedule for the specific HS code rather than assumed from a prior shipment.
Rates and thresholds change — confirm current figures for your specific goods before relying on them for a shipment.
Watch for
Where clearance commonly runs into trouble
A small, recurring set of causes accounts for most delays in this market. Knowing them ahead of time reduces the odds of hitting one.
- 01
Declared value queries where customs considers the invoiced value inconsistent with market value for similar goods
- 02
Missing IEC registration for first-time importers or exporters
- 03
Additional regulatory clearance (FSSAI, CDSCO, or similar) not arranged in advance for restricted product categories
- 04
Classification disputes affecting IGST and cess calculation, not just basic duty
Terms you'll see
- IEC
- Importer Exporter Code — mandatory registration for any entity conducting commercial import/export.
- Bill of Entry
- The import declaration filed with Indian customs, equivalent to an import entry elsewhere.
- ICEGATE
- India's electronic customs filing platform for both import and export declarations.
Common questions
Services we provide in India
Tools for shipments to/from India
Nearby in the network