Importing refrigerators into India: BIS ISI licence, BEE star label, EPR and the 2026-2028 star table

A household refrigerator needs five things before it can be sold in India:

1. A BIS ISI licence held by the factory. The Refrigerating Appliances (Quality Control) Order, 2020 covers household refrigerating appliances to IS 17550 (Part 1):2021 and freezers to IS 7872:2018^[1], and has applied since 1 January 2024^[2].
2. A BEE star label. Frost-free and direct cool refrigerators and deep freezers are on BEE's mandatory list^[3].
3. E-waste EPR. "Refrigerator" is Schedule I code CEEW2^[8].
4. Plastic packaging EPR^[10].
5. LMPC importer registration and box declarations^[11].

A WPC ETA is needed only for smart fridges with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth^[12]. Unlike ACs, we found no import prohibition or DGFT licence requirement for refrigerators.

Household compression-type refrigerators are usually declared under 84182100^[7]. We could not confirm this on DGFT's official lookup, so agree the line with your customs broker. The regulators do not follow the tariff split, so check each variant:

Most borderline cases turn on whether the item is a household refrigerator under IS 17550, a freezer under IS 7872, or a part or exempt unit outside the order. The Refrigerating Appliances QCO names both standards^[1], and BIS needs a separate application for each standard and factory^[13], so a range that includes chest freezers needs two licences.

The QCO itself carves out two groups. Up to 200 units a year imported for R&D by a certified or applicant manufacturer are exempt but may not be sold and can only be scrapped; components imported only for export production are also exempt^[9]. Compressors have their own relief: reciprocating compressors under 2 TR for refrigerators can be imported without the QCO up to 40% of FY 2024-25 volumes until 31 March 2027^[20].

The umbrella household appliances QCO does not pull refrigerators in, because it excludes goods under another QCO^[21]. If BIS tells you a commercial cooler is outside the refrigerator order, read the electrical appliances QCO and IS 302 Part 1 pages, since that is where an unlisted household or commercial appliance can land.

Plan on six to eight months for a first foreign-factory licence, because the BIS FMCS step decides the date and everything else runs alongside it. Do not book a commercial shipment until the licence is granted: goods that arrive first cannot be cleared for sale. Use the QCO deadline checker to see which dates apply to your enterprise size.

Refrigerators are under the ISI mark scheme (Scheme-I), not CRS. The Refrigerating Appliances (Quality Control) Order, 2020 was notified on 10 December 2020 as S.O. 4489(E) and covers household refrigerating appliances to IS 17550 (Part 1):2021 and freezers to IS 7872:2018^[1]. Its start date was moved from 1 January 2023 to 1 January 2024^[2].

Who holds the licence. The licence belongs to the factory, with a separate application for each product standard and each location^[13]. Importers are still bound: section 17 of the BIS Act bars importing or selling notified goods without the Standard Mark^[30].

Domestic and foreign routes. An Indian factory applies online on Manakonline^[13]; BIS gives an average of about one month with a recognised-lab test report or four months without^[13]. A foreign factory applies under FMCS^[24], which BIS says takes about six months on average^[14].

Exemptions added in 2025. S.O. 358(E) of 16 January 2025 exempts up to 200 refrigerators a year imported for R&D by a certified (or applicant) manufacturer, which may not be sold and may only be scrapped, and components imported only to make products for export^[9]. Neither helps a trader importing finished fridges for sale.

Compressors. Refrigerator compressors sit in the AC QCO, not the refrigerator QCO. Until 31 March 2027, refrigeration makers may import reciprocating compressors under 2 TR for their own production outside the QCO, up to 40% of their FY 2024-25 import quantity^[20].

Does the household appliance QCO also apply? No, on our reading. The Safety of Household, Commercial and Similar Electrical Appliances QCO covers only appliances that do not fall under another QCO^[31], and refrigerators have their own order.

The minimum marking fee for IS 17550 (Part 1) is Rs 9,36,000 a year for a large enterprise, one of the highest appliance fees on BIS's list^[32]. The unit rate is Rs 1.20 per piece^[32], so the minimum only stops being the binding figure above 7,80,000 units a year. A BIS grant letter reportedly says the higher of the two is payable^[33], so almost every importer pays the minimum.

Deep freezers under IS 7872 have a separate minimum of Rs 5,16,000 for a large enterprise, charged at Rs 0.10 per litre of capacity^[32]. A brand that sells both pays both minimums, because they are separate licences.

Indian micro and small enterprises get 80% and 50% off the minimum until 31 May 2029^[34]. A foreign factory should plan at the large rate. The application fee, inspection fee and licence fee are on BIS ISI fees, and the full cost build-up is on the ISI licence cost guide.

Frost-free and direct cool refrigerators are mandatory under Schedule A of the 2026 BEE Regulations^[3]. The label fee is Rs 15 per refrigerator and Rs 25 per deep freezer^[4].

Current star table. BEE's refrigerator star rating is notified under S.O. 4554(E) and S.O. 4553(E) of 26 September 2022 against IS 17550, amended by S.O. 4490(E) of 11 October 2024^[35]. The revised table applies from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2028, and every label under the earlier standard expired on 31 December 2025^[5]. Approved models could be carried over (usually at a lower star level) until 28 December 2025^[36].

Side-by-side and multi-door fridges are on the voluntary list (Schedule B) with a Rs 30 label fee if you choose to label^[4]. Their voluntary table was extended to 31 December 2026^[6]. Registration for voluntary appliances is optional^[37], but if you show a BEE label you need BEE's permission^[3].

Fees and timing.

• Company registration Rs 5,000^[3]; label security deposit Rs 3 lakh per appliance category (Rs 50,000 for small-scale industry)^[3].
• Model registration Rs 5,000 per model^[3]; scrutiny within 30 working days^[3].
• Permission valid three years per model^[3].

Label and QR code. The label goes on the front of the fridge and may also be printed on the box^[4]. Each label carries a QR code with its particulars^[3]. BEE's secure QR system has you map each QR code to a production serial number; a QR code cannot be reused for another model^[38].

Yes. Schedule I lists "Refrigerator" as CEEW2, and "Freezers" separately as LSEEW2^[8]. Importers who sell EEE are producers^[39] and must register before doing business^[8].

• Annual targets are a share of the weight placed on the market. For 2026-27 the Schedule III target is 70%^[8]; new producers use Schedule IV^[8].
• You meet targets by buying EPR certificates from registered recyclers^[8].
• Environmental compensation for CEEW shortfalls is Rs 74 per kg, with a floor certificate price of Rs 22^[40]. A 50 kg fridge makes this significant.
• Manufacturers and refurbishers of refrigeration equipment also have refrigerant-handling duties since 2023^[41].

Plastic EPR. Fridges ship in film, foam and bags. An importer of goods in plastic packaging must register as an importer under the plastic EPR guidelines^[10], with an application fee from Rs 10,000^[17] and annual returns by 30 June^[27].

LMPC. Register as an importer for Rs 500^[11] and print the mandatory declarations: importer name and address, country of origin, generic name, net quantity, month and year of manufacture, MRP, unit sale price and consumer care^[42]. Where size matters, the package must declare dimensions^[11].

• The BIS Standard Mark with licence details, only on licensed models^[30].
• The BEE label on the front of the fridge, with the brand, model, energy figure, label series, rated capacity, star level and country of origin^[3]. From 1 July 2026 the revised label design applies, without re-approval for existing models^[43].
• LMPC declarations on the carton^[42].
• The plastic EPR registration number on plastic packaging^[44].

Showroom dummies need a replica label marked "dummy"^[4].

Check the unit and the carton against this list before the factory prints them, because relabelling at an Indian port or warehouse costs more than reprinting at source. The detail behind each line is on LMPC label rules, the product label checklist and BEE star label. Paste your draft into the label checker for a quick first pass.

Example: one frost-free model from a foreign factory, 3,000 units in year one. Government fees only. BIS marking fees for IS 17550 are set per standard and are not shown^[45].

One frost-free model costs about Rs 10.4 lakh in government fees in year one, and three models about Rs 11.4 lakh, because the Rs 9,36,000 BIS minimum is charged once per licence. The example assumes a large foreign factory, three frost-free models under one IS 17550 licence, 3,000 units per model, a two-day factory visit by one officer and all models in the first application. Testing, consultants, travel and GST are extra.

If one of the three is a chest freezer, add a second licence with its own Rs 5,16,000 minimum^[32], a Rs 25 label fee instead of Rs 15^[4], and a second BEE security deposit, because the deposit is charged per appliance category^[3]. Models added after grant cost Rs 5,000 per variety^[46]. Try other volumes in the compliance cost estimator, and see the BEE fees page and FMCS fees page for the rules behind each line.

1. First-time importer of compact fridges. Mini and compact fridges are household refrigerating appliances, so the same ISI licence applies^[1]. Many small factories abroad have no BIS licence; budget the FMCS timeline of around six months^[14] before your first shipment.

2. Marketplace seller of side-by-side fridges. The BEE label is voluntary for this type^[4], but BIS is not optional^[1]. BEE also checks listings on e-commerce platforms and can have non-compliant models de-listed^[3].

3. Foreign brand switching production to India. The Indian factory holds the ISI licence. The brand registers with BEE separately for each brand name^[25], and registers for e-waste EPR as the producer selling under its own brand^[8].

Each approval sits with a different party, and the importer of record carries more than most people expect. For refrigerators the brand owner carries an unusually heavy BEE load, because frost-free and direct cool models are mandatory while multi-door models are still voluntary. Use the table to split the work before the first order, and write it into your supply contract. If one company plays several roles, it carries every row it plays. For the documents each party signs, see BIS ISI documents and the customs clearance checklist.

Refrigerator files usually fail on scope: a freezer, a multi-door model or an R&D unit treated as if it were covered by the main licence. The table pairs each failure with the rule behind it. For the e-waste side, the e-waste targets page explains how the yearly obligation is set, and the CPCB EPR portal guide covers filing.

Several dated changes affect fridges this year and next. Newest first:

A standard fridge needs no radio approval. A "smart" fridge with a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth module is wireless equipment in a de-licensed band, which needs an Equipment Type Approval from DoT's WPC Wing^[12]. For licence-exempt bands, ETA is granted on self-declaration through Saral Sanchar^[19]. You need an RF test report, the manufacturer's authorisation if you are the Indian representative, and technical literature^[12]. The fee is Rs 10,000 per model^[12] and the ETA lasts for the life of the model^[12]. Customs may accept the importer's self-declaration as evidence for clearance^[12].

MTCTE (TEC certification) is not needed for a fridge on our reading. The MTCTE list covers items such as Wi-Fi access points, CPE and IoT gateways^[53], not household appliances that merely contain a Wi-Fi module.

• The 8-digit HS code (84182100) comes from tariff listings; we did not confirm it on DGFT's official lookup^[7].
• We did not extract the star band numbers in S.O. 4490(E); only the validity period is confirmed^[5].
• The BEE fees in the 2025 continuation advisories (Rs 1,000 to continue, Rs 2,000 for a new model) predate the 2026 Regulations, which set Rs 5,000 per model^[54][3].

BIS offences under section 17 carry up to two years' imprisonment or fines from Rs 2 lakh, up to ten times the value of goods^[30], and BIS can order recall^[30]. BEE can forfeit the deposit and suspend models for a year^[3]; the Energy Conservation Act allows up to Rs 10 lakh plus Rs 2,000 to Rs 5,000 per appliance^[55]. A failed BEE check test can lead to stock withdrawal and published notices^[3].

Enforcement now runs through warehouse searches, online test purchases and public lists of failed licences, not only port checks. For refrigerators, BEE check tests and BIS market samples are the two routes most likely to reach a brand, since both can buy units from any shop or website. We found no published case that names refrigerators specifically other than those in the table; most reported actions are about appliances in general. For what a search or seizure means for a seller, read what happens if you sell without BIS, and use how to verify a BIS licence before you buy stock from a distributor.

The next deadlines are the multi-door star table on 31 December 2026, the end of compressor relief on 31 March 2027 and the expiry of the main star table on 31 December 2028. The 2026 household appliances QCO, in force from 1 October 2026^[21], does not touch refrigerators because they already have their own order^[21]. Track new notices on the QCO tracker and the new rules 2026 ledger.

Start with the free tools, then bring in a consultant or lab only for the steps you cannot run yourself.

• Approval checker: confirms which of BIS, BEE, EPR, LMPC and WPC apply to your exact refrigerator.
• Compliance cost estimator: rebuilds the worked example above with your model count and volumes.
• QCO deadline checker: shows the date that applies to your enterprise size.
• Label checker: checks the carton text against LMPC and BIS marking rules.
• Licence renewal date tool: works out when to renew each licence.
• BIS consultants and BIS-recognised labs: directories by city.
• Importing from China: factory-side issues for the most common source country.
• Importing from Thailand and from South Korea: both supply refrigerators to India, and South Korean factories already hold IS 17550 FMCS licences.

If you want a second opinion on your file, ask for a free compliance check. We do not promise approval or speed; we tell you what is missing.