Looking At How To Import A Car To India

While owning a car is a necessity nowadays, it can also be a luxury purchase that shows your taste and interests. These days you can import high–end luxury cars from across the world into India. If you want to import your dream car from a foreign country, you have to follow certain rules and regulations. This article will help you learn more about how to import vehicles to India.

How to import a foreign vehicle to India?

To import a new vehicle into India, you have to meet the following conditions:

• The car must have been manufactured or assembled outside of India.
• The car has to be imported from the country where it is built.
• The car has to be new and cannot be previously sold, registered, loaned, or leased before being imported.
• The imported vehicle must be a right–hand drive (left–hand drive cars are not permitted in India).
• Headlights must be suitable for illuminating the left side of the road.
• The speedometer must read in kilometres and not in miles.
• Importing process is only permitted in the naval docks situated in Mumbai, Kolkata, and Chennai.

Vehicles having the following features are banned from being imported into India:

• Car with an engine capacity ranging from 1000cc to 2500cc.
• Two–wheelers with engine capacity ranging from 50cc to 500cc.
• Scooters with an engine capacity ranging from 250cc to 800cc.

What is the procedure to import a car to India?

To get a car imported to India, you can follow one of two ways. Either you can import it directly from the manufacturer or get it through an agent. Regardless, you have to provide the required documents, which are listed below:

• Vehicle invoice
• Car insurance policy
• GATT declaration
• Bank Draft
• Sea Waybill or Bill of Lading
• Import License
• Test report.
• Duty Exemption Entitlement Certificate (DEEC)/ Duty Entitlement Pass Book (DEPB)/ Export Credit Guarantee Corporation of India (ECGC).

Apart from this list, you might have to submit more documents if needed.

As far as the cost is concerned, how much to import a car to India depends on various factors. For instance, you might have to pay import duty which can go up to 165% of the cost of the vehicle, car insurance, and freight value (CIF). This could add a large amount of money to an already extravagant expense. Plus, you also have to register the vehicle in India at a Road Traffic Office (RTO) near you. You also have to shell out money for registration and road tax that are exempt from import duty.

You also have to check that you fall within the category of people permitted to import a foreign vehicle to India. If you are a foreign national or Non–Resident Indian (NRI) permanently moving to India, you might have to complete the transfer of residence process to import your foreign car.

Now that you know more about how to import a foreign car to India make sure you comply with all the rules to legally drive your car around town.

Disclaimer: The above information is indicative in nature. For more details on the risk factor, terms and conditions, please refer to the Sales Brochure and Policy Wordings carefully before concluding a sale.