Import of Foreign Cars into India - Procedure and Guidelines

A new imported vehicle according to Government regulations mean a vehicle that:-

Has not been manufactured/assembled in India; and
Has not been sold, leased or loaned prior to importation into India; or
Has not been registered for use in any country according to the laws of that country, prior to importation into India.

In this article we look at the procedure and conditions for import of foreign cars in to India.

Conditions for Import of Foreign Cars in to India

The import of new vehicles shall be subject to the following conditions. The new vehicle should:

Have a speedometer indicating the speed in Kilometers per hour;
Have right hand steering, and controls (applicable on vehicles other than two and three wheelers);
Have photometry of the headlamps to suit “keep-left” traffic’; and
Be imported from the country of manufacture. The country of manufacture will also mean a Single Market like the European Union (EU).”

In addition to the conditions, the foreign car should also conform to the provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 and the rules made thereunder, as applicable, on the date of import.

Procedure for Import of Foreign Car

Whoever being an importer or dealer in motor vehicles who imports or offers to import a new vehicle into India should at the time of importation, have valid certificate of compliance as per the provisions of rule 126 of Central Motor Vehicle Rules(CMVR), 1989, for the vehicle model being imported, issued by any of the testing agencies. Also, the importer or dealer would be responsible for all the provisions assigned to the manufacturer as per Rules 122 & 138 of CMVR, 1989 and for issuing Form 22, as per provisions of CMVR, 1989; Finally, the importer or dealer must give an undertaking in writing that the proof of compliance to conformity of production as per rule 126A of CMVR shall be submitted within six months of the imports. In case of failure to do so, no further import of new vehicle of that model shall be allowed thereafter.

Ports Allowed to Import Foreign Cars

Import of new vehicles is permitted only through the following Customs port at Nhava Sheva, Kolkata, Chennai and Chennai Airport, Cochin, ICD-Tughlakabad and Delhi Air Cargo, Mumbai Port and Mumbai Air Cargo Complex, ICD Talegaon Pune, ICD Faridabad, Ennore port, Kattupalli Port and APM Terminals, Pipavav Port. In addition, import of new motorcycles is also permitted through LCS Benapole / Petrapole and LCS Agartala.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about Import Foreign Cars into India: Procedures and Guidelines.

The conditions for importing a foreign car into India include having a speedometer indicating speed in kilometers per hour, right-hand steering and controls (except for two and three-wheelers), headlamp photometry suitable for "keep-left" traffic, and the vehicle must be imported directly from the country of manufacture or a single market like the European Union (EU). Additionally, the car must conform to the provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 and the rules made thereunder.

The procedure for importing a foreign car into India requires the importer or dealer to have a valid certificate of compliance as per rule 126 of the Central Motor Vehicle Rules (CMVR), 1989, for the vehicle model being imported, issued by any of the testing agencies. The importer or dealer is also responsible for all provisions assigned to the manufacturer as per Rules 122 & 138 of CMVR, 1989, and for issuing Form 22. They must also provide an undertaking that the proof of compliance to conformity of production as per rule 126A of CMVR shall be submitted within six months of the import.

Import of new vehicles is permitted only through the following Customs ports: Nhava Sheva, Kolkata, Chennai and Chennai Airport, Cochin, ICD-Tughlakabad and Delhi Air Cargo, Mumbai Port and Mumbai Air Cargo Complex, ICD Talegaon Pune, ICD Faridabad, Ennore port, Kattupalli Port and APM Terminals, Pipavav Port. Additionally, import of new motorcycles is also permitted through LCS Benapole/Petrapole and LCS Agartala.

According to Government regulations, a new imported vehicle is a vehicle that has not been manufactured/assembled in India, has not been sold, leased or loaned prior to importation into India, and has not been registered for use in any country according to the laws of that country, prior to importation into India.

Yes, a valid certificate of compliance as per the provisions of rule 126 of the Central Motor Vehicle Rules (CMVR), 1989, for the vehicle model being imported, issued by any of the testing agencies, is required at the time of importation.

An importer or dealer importing a foreign car into India is responsible for having a valid certificate of compliance, adhering to all provisions assigned to the manufacturer as per Rules 122 & 138 of CMVR, 1989, issuing Form 22 as per CMVR, 1989, and providing an undertaking for submitting proof of compliance to conformity of production within six months of import.

No, a foreign car can only be imported into India from the country of manufacture or a single market like the European Union (EU).

Yes, imported foreign cars must have a speedometer indicating speed in kilometers per hour, right-hand steering and controls (except for two and three-wheelers), and headlamp photometry suitable for "keep-left" traffic.

Yes, the importer or dealer must provide an undertaking that the proof of compliance to conformity of production as per rule 126A of CMVR shall be submitted within six months of the import. Failure to do so will result in no further import of that vehicle model being allowed thereafter.

Yes, in addition to the listed Customs ports, import of new motorcycles is also permitted through LCS Benapole/Petrapole and LCS Agartala.