Laptops, tablets and servers: check the 2026 import authorisation
DGFT Policy Circular 08/2025-26 sets the 2026 IMS window for specified restricted IT hardware under HSN 8471. Check classification, exemptions and current amendments.
Specified restricted laptops, tablets, all-in-one PCs, ultra-small form factor computers and servers under HSN 8471 are covered by the 2026 Import Management System. Confirm the exact classification, applicable exemptions and any subsequent amendment before treating an authorisation as required.
| Date | |
|---|---|
| Application window opened | 22 December 2025 |
| Application window closes | 15 December 2026 |
| Authorisations valid until | 31 December 2026 |
Note that the validity date and the application deadline are two weeks apart. An authorisation obtained late in the window has very little life left in it — plan around the expiry, not the application deadline.
What this means in practice
If you import this category at any volume, the authorisation is a planning input rather than a formality. Two things follow from that:
- Apply well ahead of the shipment, not when the supplier is ready to dispatch.
- Watch the expiry against your shipping schedule. Goods arriving after the authorisation lapses are a problem even if it was valid when they were ordered.
The pattern to internalise: for goods under any form of import management, the permission has to be valid when the goods land — not when you placed the order. Long lead times and short authorisation validity are an awkward combination.
If you are unsure whether a specific model or configuration falls inside the category, the answer comes from the HS classification rather than the marketing description. Our customs team can confirm it before you commit to an order.
Worth reading alongside this: the import documentation checklist, since an authorisation is only one of the documents that has to be right, and a mismatch elsewhere in the set will hold the consignment just as effectively.
Questions we are getting
Do laptops still need an import licence in India in 2026?
Specified restricted IT hardware under HSN 8471 is subject to the 2026 IMS procedure. Check classification, exemptions and current notices for the actual consignment.
When does the IT hardware import authorisation window close?
The application window runs to 15 December 2026, and authorisations granted under it are valid until 31 December 2026. Because those dates are close together, an authorisation obtained late has very little remaining validity.
Primary reference
Reviewed 2 October 2026. Historical references are labelled; confirm subsequent amendments before acting.