This is a certification scheme for a Foreign manufacturer who wants to obtain BIS Licence. The scheme is for certification of products other than Electronic and Information Technology Products. For Electronic and IT products please refer to Registration Scheme on this site at https://www.crsbis.in/BIS/about-crs.do
2. Whether BIS Licence is Mandatory to import products to India?
3. For which products, the BIS licence is mandatory?
4. How to Apply for BIS Licence ?
The application can be made in the forms and formats available under FMCS with all relevant documents indicated in the application. BIS is making a provision to apply on line in due course of time.
5. Whether nomination of AIR is mandatory?
Yes, the foreign applicant has to nominate an Indian Resident as an Authorized Indian Representative (AIR) while submitting the application.
6. Who quality as an AIR ?
The AIR shall be an Indian resident and shall declare his consent to be responsible for compliance to the provisions of the BIS Act, rules, regulations and terms & conditions laid down in BIS Licence, Agreement, Undertaking etc. executed by or on behalf of the foreign manufacturer, by a senior person of branch/office in India shall be nominated as the AIR. In case, there is no such branch / office established in India or till it is established in India , the foreign manufacturer shall nominate an AIR in the prescribed format on firms’ letter-head. AIR is representative of one manufacturing firm only and doesn’t represent other foreign manufacturer(s) as AIR under the BIS Conformity Assessment schemes. However, in case of foreign manufacturers belonging to one group of companies and importers (related to the foreign manufacturer) nominated as AIR, the restriction shall not be applicable
7. Has the AIR to be an Indian resident only?
The AIR should be an Indian national; resident of India. However, he can be a foreign national if employed in any office/branch of the manufacturer in India but should be residing in India
8. What is the fee structure
9. Is the payment to be made to BIS in USD or INR?
For SAARC countries, the payment can be made in USD or Indian Rupee (INR) with GST. For other countries, the payment should be made in USD only.
10. Whether the test report as per IEC or any standard other than Indian Standard can be accepted?
Not accepted , only the test report as per relevant Indian Standard only be accepted.
11. Whether the sample of the product drawn during inspection can be tested in any ILAC/APLAC approved lab or, any Govt lab in the country of the manufacturer ?
No, the samples drawn during inspection shall be tested only in the laboratories of BIS and those recognized by BIS. The sample drawn by BIS shall be sent to Laboratory in India by the applicant firm. The actual testing charges shall be borne by the applicant firm.
12. What is the timeline for grant of licence?
Average time taken for grant of licence is generally six months from the date of receipt of complete application and its recording. It may vary for reasons like delay in response to queries raised, if any; organizing inspection(s); transportation of samples and remittance of dues, etc.
13. Can I submit one application for different products/ISS being manufactured at the same factory location?
No, separate application for each product/ISS is to be submitted for each factory location.
14. Can I submit one application for one product being manufactured at different locations?
No, separate application for each product/ISS is to be submitted for each factory location.
15. Whether separate application are to be made for different brand of a product manufactured at same location ?
No, the application for licence is for a product at a manufacturing premise. The firm to give submit an undertaking for the brand name with relevant documents
16. Whether any technical manual is available to help applicant to know details of required infrastructure, Scheme of Inspection and Testing, sampling guideline etc. for BIS Licence ?
17. I am an importer, can I apply for Licence on behalf of Manufacturer
No, Under FMCS scheme the application shall be made by the foreign manufacturer only
18. What are the process flow followed in grant of Licence
The details of process followed is given on BIS web site under FMCS, for information a typical process flow for grant of licence is given below:
19. What is the validity of BIS Licence ?
BIS certification under Scheme-I may be granted initially upto two years after payment of advance minimum marking fee. The licence is valid only for the varieties mentioned in the licence. For extension of validity and varieties covered in licence, application with requisite fee and documents under the existing licence is required to be submitted. Licence may renewed upto five years from the last of the validity
20. For further queries please contact
For further queries please contact
Room No. 459, Manakalaya Building
Bureau of Indian Standards,
9, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg,
New Delhi – 110002.
Telephone: 011-2323 0131/3375/9402, 2360 8280/8319/8449
Email: fmcs[at]bis[dot]gov[dot]in
