A STEP BY STEP GUIDE TO IMPORT HAM RADIO EQUIPMENT (INDIVIDUAL APPROACH)

2005 Update

Download All the recent Customs Notifications in PDF format (zipped: 347 KB) (Notification No. 17, 18, 19, Condition No.61, List No. 25)

Download the Suggested Import Certificate [I had troubles convincing the customs during the release of my imported equipment due to the non-mention of recent notification nos. in the import certificate issued to me (in 2000) by WPC, Ministry of Communications. If the latest Customs Notification nos. are not incorporated into the Import Certificate Format of WPC, I would suggest the incorporation of the same]

List of Dealers & more on Import (Amateur Radio Trust Web site) Amateur Radio Resources page of KM2L

1. Get a "Proforma Invoice" from the Foreign Dealer (Either by post or by FAX or may be through e-mail)

2. Ask the dealer to mention CIF (Cost of Equipment, Insurance & Freight/Air Parcel  Post) value in it.

3.Also ask them to mention:-"Total Payment in Advance (or 'Telegraphic Transfer in Advance')". (Otherwise the Overseas Branch of your bank may refuse to convert the Indian currency to equivalent foreign currency (US$ or Singapore $:Whatever the currency).

4. The "Proforma Invoice" sent to you by the foreign dealer should mention the description of the equipment (e.g.  "IC-718 HF Transceiver: Amateur radio equipment": whatever the item) along with the H.S. Code of the equipment. H.S. Code (Harmonised System Code) for all Amateur radio equipment/accessories is 852520 04. This will help you in releasing the parcel from the customs, because customs people will be able to identify the equipment to be an "Amateur radio equipment" only when this number is mentioned in the "Invoice". For this you need to request the dealer to put the above information in the "Proforma Invoice" as well as on the parcel itself.T�Sandeep Baruah 2002 http://www.qsl.net/vu2msys document is a part of the http://www.qsl.net/vu2msy

5. You can ask the dealer  to send the equipment by "Air Parcel Post".

6. After receiving the "Proforma Invoice", get one "Import Certificate" (Right Click to download Application Format > Save Target As) from the WPC, Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, New Delhi. The "Import Permit" is issued by the Assistant Wireless Adviser, WPC, Ministry of Communication on production of the-

(a) "Proforma invoice"; This document is a part of the http://www.qsl.net/vu2msy

(b) A photocopy of your amateur radio licence;

(c) An application for the "Import Permit" (It is appropriately a Certificate issued by the WPC, which certifies that the item you are going to import is an Amateur Radio item/equipment ) in prescribed format (Right Click to download>Save Target As). The Application should accompany the following documents/fee:

1.    Technical details of HF transceiver/Equipment.
2.    Banker's Cheque/DD for Rs. 50/- (Rupees fifty only) obtained from a SBI Branch, in favour of "Pay & Accuonts Officer (HQ), Dept. of Telecommunications" payable at Service Branch (Code No: 7687), New Delhi.
3.    Photostat copy of the "Proforma Invoice" for the equipment.
4.    Photostat copy of the Amateur Wireless Telegraph Station licence.

7. After receiving the "Import Permit/Certificate" contact the overseas branch of a bank where you maintain your account and request them to issue you a US $ (Whatever be the currency) Draft in favour of the Foreign Dealer. You can also "Telegraphic Transfer (TT)" the amount to the Dealer's account no. in its bank (this method is also called "SWIFT"-which is said to be very fast). In this method you need not send a Bank Draft by post. The bank will give you a "Network Acknowledgment" confirmation after the currency being remitted to the foreign bank account.

(You need to get the TT/Wire Tranfer information/ bank account no. of the foreign dealer prior to this). I have no experience of importing amateur radio items using online credit cards and can not provide information on it.

You have to fill up the forms given to you by the bank. Usually the forms contain a column where you have to mention your IEC Code Number (Importer/Exporter's code number). Being an individual importer you need not have this number (this number is issued by Director General of Foreign Trade) and so you have to mention that "You are importing the equipment for personal hobby use". There is another column where you have to mention the H.S. Code (or BTN No.) of the equipment. It is 852520 04.

In my case, on receipt of the remittance by TT (Telegraphic Transfer), the Singapore dealer sent me the equipment very promptly. If the equipment is available off-the-shelf, then usually it takes 4-5 days to send the equipment. But if not readily available, it may take a months time or more. I have done all the correspondence through e-mail only. Though the dealer was not very prompt in replying to my e-mails, I was sending e-mails repeatedly to get the information I wanted. The day they sent me the equipment, they sent me an e-mail mentioning the parcel number/other freight information.

Please find the Ministry of Finance Notifications at http://www.finmin.nic.in. Send copies of these Notifications to the WPC also along with your application for Import Permit/Certificate and request them to incorporate the latest Notification Nos. in the Import Permit. It may be mentioned that an "Import Permit/Certificate" from the Ministry of Communications is not mandatory*. This certificate is necessary if you ask for a customs duty exemption (i.e. at present to enable you to pay CIF Value of the item+17% (Approx.) customs duty. In absence of this certificate you have to pay the customs duty at commercial (non-amateur) rates (Most probably 50%;).

*"Amateur radio equipment" (HS Code 852520 04),  falls under the "Free Importability Clause" (OGL) in the "Exim Policy" (Announced on 31-03-2000) of the Ministry of Commerce.

OGL itself is a licence and all items covered by it do not require any import licence from Import Licensing Authority.

Again, the Ministry of Finance Vide their Notification No. 16 dated 01-03-2000 (Reproduced in the Indian Customs Tariff 2000-2001) prescribes a "BASIC DUTY OF 5% ONLY, TOTALLY GRANTING EXEMPTION FROM COUNTERVAILING DUTY (CVD) ON AMATEUR RADIO EQUIPMENT WHEN IMPORTED BY LICENSED AMATEUR RADIO OPERATORS, SUBJECT TO CONDITION NO. 55 OF MINISTRY OF FINANCE NOTIFICATION NO. 16 DATED 01-03-2000, i.e.:

(a) total CIF value of the imported wireless apparatus, accessories and parts does not exceed Rs. 75,000/-.

(b) the importer produces a certificate from the Assistant Wireless Adviser, WPC, Ministry of Communications to the effect the wireless apparatus, accessories and parts in respect of which this exemption is claimed are within the value limits specified above and also recommending the grant of this exemption (as applicable from time to time)

It may be mentioned that the goods falling under NOTIFICATION NO. 16 dated 01-03-2000 were earlier (The New List No. is 25 and Amateur Radio items are placed at Serial No. 309. The Condition No. at present is 61: Indian Customs Tariff 2001-2002)) listed in LIST No. 24 (Indian Customs Tariff 2000-2001). Goods falling under customs tariff No.8525.20 are exempted from payment of surcharge as per the Notification No. 19 dated 01-03-2000. SADD, however, is payable @ 4%. This is calculated on the value of goods PLUS Duty payable, which works out to be 4.2%.

The Total Customs Duty comes to around 17% (Approx.) at present.

Please refer to Customs Notification No. 17, 18 & 19 (Indian Customs Tariff 2001-2002)

8.Arrival of the equipment: (Applicable if imported to New Delhi)

The equipment arrives at "Foreign Post Office "(In front of Times of India Building, Bahadurshah Zafar Marg, New Delhi) if your "port of import” (Please refer to the Application for Import Permit/Certificate) is "New Delhi". A separate branch of customs department is also located at Foreign Post Office (FPO). You will receive a Notice/letter from the Customs Department which will contain the Parcel No. (Foreign No. as well as Local No.) and the date on which it will be opened. You have to come to the FPO on that particular date and directly go to the 5th floor (postal authority) of the FPO building. A token number will be allotted to you according to their list. On arrival of the customs official it will be opened in front of you and you have to produce him the following documents:

1. The "Proforma Invoice"(Actually "Proforma Invoice" & "Commercial Invoice" are two different documents. The dealer should send the “commercial invoice" to you on receipt of your payment. A copy of this "commercial invoice" (attest this from your bank) should also be there along with the parcel. If the dealer does not send you the "commercial invoice", you need to attest the earlier "Proforma invoice". This invoice should be attested/signed by your overseas bank and it is to be mentioned on it: "Attested for Customs clearance purpose". The Invoice sent with the parcel and the one you have with you should not differ (they should have the same number, same date, same equipment model name, same description of equipment and same CIF value).

2. The "IMPORT PERMIT/CERTIFICATE" issued to you by WPC, Ministry of Communications.

3. IEC Code No. (As you do not have the IEC Code No., Write a separate application to the DC (Customs), FPO, New Delhi that you are importing it for "personal hobby use" and will bear the "Personal Penalty charge" (probably 0.01% of the CIF value) as applicable in this case.

4. A  photocopy of the original letter/notice issued by the customs to you (Keep the original with you).

The customs official will identify the equipment. Tell him its H.S. Code (852520 04). He will calculate the duty in front of you. The postal authority will then take a signature from you in a register book as a proof that the parcel was checked by the customs in front of you.

The parcel will then be re-packed and sealed. It will be delivered to the postal authority by the customs after completion of all these formalities.

9. NOW IT IS TIME FOR YOU TO WAIT AND BE READY TO PAY THE CUSTOMS DUTY TO THE POSTMAN!

The Parcel will then be posted to you by the FPO at your local address by Speed Post. This whole process may take 7 to 15 days till the postman finally delivers you the item at your doorstep! You have to pay the customs duty to the postman only and release the parcel. I have to wait for 29 days (from the date of posting of the parcel from Singapore) to finally receive the equipment!

This document is a part of the http://www.qsl.net/vu2msy
I owe a lot to OB Karan, VU3GTF and Shri Sahruddin, VU2SDN (President, Amateur Radio Society of India)who provided me the courage/information during my own import of a commercial amateur equipment.
�Sandeep Baruah 2002 http://www.qsl.net/vu2msy
|  last update 12.01.2002  |

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