Import compliance guides and explainers, grouped by the question you are asking

Find your question in the left column. Every guide is built on the same cited facts as the rest of Comploa, and each links to the approval, product and checklist pages behind it.

If it is on the electronics Compulsory Registration Order, it needs CRS; if it is covered by a Quality Control Order with the ISI mark, it needs a Scheme-I licence, or FMCS for a factory abroad. The CRS list has 66 numbered categories^[1]; ISI-mark QCOs cover goods from toys to steel, and BIS numbers them up to 136^[13].

The schemes differ more than most importers expect. CRS is a registration: the factory tests at a BIS-recognised lab and applies online^[14]. FMCS involves a BIS visit to the factory and samples drawn there^[4]. Coverage also has edges: CRS applies to finished goods, not components, unless they are separately notified^[15], and BIS's 2026 guidance places audio glasses under wireless earphones^[16].

Read does my product need BIS?, then CRS vs ISI vs FMCS. Background: BIS CRS, ISI mark, FMCS, and the approval checker.

BIS's own targets are 20 working days for CRS after a complete application^[2], about one month (simplified) or four months (normal) for an ISI licence^[3], and about six months for FMCS^[4]. Testing comes on top and depends on the lab's workload^[17].

On cost, CRS government fees are Rs 1,000 application plus Rs 50,000 processing including one test report, plus GST^[18]. Lab charges for IS 13252 (Part 1) on BIS LIMS run from Rs 25,000 to Rs 2,00,000^[19].

Read how long BIS registration takes and what a BIS certificate costs. For the numbers, see the cost guides and the BIS CRS fee calculator.

Usually a WPC ETA for the radio, and MTCTE only if the product is on TEC's notified list. Wireless devices in licence-exempt bands get an ETA by self-declaration^[20], for Rs 10,000 per model^[6], valid for the model's lifetime^[6]. MTCTE covers notified telecom equipment such as Wi-Fi access points and routers^[21], but not phones, smartwatches, CCTV cameras or set-top boxes^[21].

Read how to get WPC approval for the Saral Sanchar steps, and WPC ETA vs MTCTE for the comparison. Approval pages: WPC ETA and TEC MTCTE.

Most holds come from missing compliance proof or incomplete documents, not from duty. Customs is reported to check BIS registration for every CRS consignment^[22], and CPCB has asked it to check EPR registrations^[23]. A query analysis by the National Assessment Centre found many Bills of Entry filed with only the bill of lading or airway bill and no supporting documents^[24].

Timing costs money: the Bill of Entry is due by the end of the day before arrival^[25], and late filing costs Rs 5,000 a day for three days^[11]. Samples are easier than many think: the CRS order does not apply to goods imported for testing, R&D or demonstration^[10].

Read why shipments get held, documents required for import and importing samples for BIS testing. Then use the customs clearance documents checklist.

Marketplaces want the seller's disclosures and the product's certificates; the law wants the Standard Mark. Sellers must give the platform the country of origin and the importer's details^[26].

Selling notified goods without BIS is punishable with a fine of at least Rs 2 lakh for a first contravention, up to ten times the value of the goods, or up to two years in prison^[5]. BIS officers can search premises and seize goods^[27], and courts can order the goods forfeited^[28]. In FY 2024-25 BIS reportedly found 142 of 344 QCO samples bought online without valid certification^[29].

Read Amazon India compliance documents and selling without BIS. Guides by role: Amazon sellers and Flipkart sellers.

Often yes. Battery EPR turns on role, not size: CPCB's FAQ says importers of batteries or battery-powered equipment register before importing^[30]. Plastic EPR exempts micro and small producers and brand owners but names importers without that carve-out^[31]. The e-waste rules exclude micro enterprises^[32], and traders count as MSMEs only for priority-sector lending^[33].

Read EPR for small importers, then the approvals: battery EPR, plastic EPR and e-waste EPR.

Check the licence in the BIS Care app, read the test report's remarks, and judge consultants by what they put in writing.

• Licences. BIS Care verifies an eight-digit R-number under CRS^[9] and fetches licence details from a CM/L number^[9].
• Test reports. A BIS test report applies only to the sample tested and is for BIS certification purposes only^[34]. Part D must flag partial testing, deviations and sub-contracting^[34].
• Consultants. One consultancy's own guide lists red flags such as promising certification without testing or within 2-3 days^[35].

Read how to verify a BIS licence, how to read a BIS test report and how to choose a BIS consultant. Directories: BIS consultants and BIS labs in Delhi NCR.

The same way as from anywhere else, with two China-specific twists. The Chinese factory holds the CRS registration and names an Indian representative^[36][2]; you register for EPR and LMPC. The twists: MTCTE labs cannot be in a land-border country^[37], and some components such as PCBs from China and Hong Kong carry anti-dumping duty^[38].

Read how to import electronics from China to India, the China country guide and the product combinations such as power banks from China.

A lot. The CRS order moved most electronics to IS/IEC 62368-1:2023, with the old standards running alongside until 1 November 2028^[39]. Smartphone screen protectors join CRS from 1 April 2027^[40], and standalone hard disk drives were deferred to 1 May 2027^[41]. DPIIT's Transition Facilitation Order of June 2026 lets approved companies source goods under ten scheduled QCOs under a Scheme-II licence^[42], and BIS lists 30 QCO entries due between November 2026 and May 2027^[8].

Read QCO changes 2026, and follow live dates on the QCO tracker, new rules 2026 and the compliance calendar.

Every number in a guide cites a fact we checked against an official source, or is labelled as reported when it comes from industry. Our method is in the editorial policy. When a rule changes, we update the guide and the date at the top.

For short answers, see the FAQ and the glossary. If your question is not covered, ask us for a free compliance check.