Importing a car to India? Here is a list of things to consider 29^th December 2022

Indian celebrities, cricket players, and business tycoons have all made headlines for driving fancy foreign cars that they brought into India. It takes time and is complicated to import a foreign car into India. But if someone is willing to put in the time and money, they can import their dream car by following the rules and going through the process.

In this article, we'll go through the steps involved in bringing a foreign car into India and some crucial rules you must abide by.

India has stricter regulations than other nations regarding the import of foreign cars. Foreign cars will be permitted to drive on Indian roads only if they meet all requirements.

Guidelines for importing a new car.
To import a new car, the following prerequisites must be satisfied:

● The car must be built or assembled outside of India.

● The car must be brand new in every way, and you can only import it from the nation where it was made. It cannot have been registered, leased, sold, or loaned before being imported into India.

● A right-hand driver's car is required.

● Kilometres, not miles, should be displayed on the speedometer.

● You can use only the naval docks in Mumbai, Chennai, and Kolkata to import cars. Therefore, you should use just one of these ports to transport the car to India.

Rules for importing a used car.
The procedures for importing a used car into India are complex and may take longer than expected. The rules are as follows:

● Imported used cars shouldn't have a manufacturing date older than three years.

● It must be a right-hand drive car.

● Kilometres, not miles, should be displayed on the speedometer.

● Again, only naval docks in Mumbai, Chennai, and Kolkata are allowed to transport the car to India.

● The car should be financed, leased, registered, or sold.

● It must have a roadworthiness certificate with a minimum 5-year validity.

Who is authorised to bring commercial cars into India?
You must meet additional requirements before you can import commercial cars into India. Because people can travel in passenger cars, SUVs, and jeeps that were imported, the rules for commercial cars are strict. The following are the profiles that can bring such cars into the country:

1. An NRI who last lived in India at least two years before the import and owned a car for at least a year.

2. Relatives, i.e., the legitimate heirs or successors of a person who passed away overseas and left a car in their care.

3. Individuals with physical disabilities.

4. Companies with foreign equity participation that are already operating in India.

5. International corporations with a presence in India.

6. Trusts that are legally established for religious, missionary, or charitable purposes in India and abide by the regulations established by the state or central government.

7. Any honorary consuls that the Indian government's Ministry of External Affairs recommends.

8. Any journalist who possesses an accreditation certificate issued by the Bureau of the Indian government's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

Things to take into account before bringing a car into India.
Before you start the time-consuming process of bringing a car into India, you need to think about a few essential things.

1. Import taxes on cars:
You might be required to pay an import duty of up to 116% of the car's CIF (cost, insurance, and freight) value.

2. Registration:
The closest RTO in India must register the car. The import tariff does not include the fees for registration and road tax. These fees vary based on the kind and price of the car.

Insurance is essential to drive your car in India legally. You can conveniently buy car insurance online to financially protect you from paying for damages caused by an accident or third-party liabilities. Your car insurance can offer financial security against collision, fire, or other unavoidable natural or man-made disasters.

Click HERE to buy car insurance online.

Disclaimer: The information provided above is for illustrative purposes only. To get more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before purchasing a policy.