Personal Postal Imports Through Foreign Post Offices: CBIC Prescribes Uniform SOP for Customs Clearance

Circular No. 35/2026-Customs dated 6 August 2026 lays down a standardised, technology-driven and risk-based procedure for clearance of personal imported goods through Foreign Post Offices (FPOs) under the Postal Import Regulations, 2025.

· FPO Import Application operationalised: The application for processing personal postal imports has been deployed at Bengaluru, Kochi, Mumbai FPO, APSO Mumbai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Chennai and Delhi.

· Integration with RMS: The FPO Import Application is integrated with the Risk Management System (RMS) to enable automated risk assessment and system-based facilitation of postal imports.

· Uniform procedures across FPOs: CBIC noted that different field formations had issued location-specific SOPs/public notices and has now prescribed a common procedure to ensure uniformity in Customs clearance across all FPOs.

· Electronic presentation by Postal Authority: The Postal Authority will electronically present the list of imported postal articles along with the articles to the proper officer on the day of arrival at the FPO. Articles are then to be taken up for screening, inspection and Customs processing without undue delay.

· Risk-based assessment: Where Electronic Advance Data (EAD) is available, assessment will be undertaken before arrival based on RMS instructions. For non-EAD articles, assessment will take place after their presentation by the Postal Authority.

· Limited physical examination: RMS will select articles for assessment/examination based on risk parameters. Physical examination will generally be limited to RMS-selected consignments or cases identified through intelligence, regulatory requirements or processing discrepancies.

· Reason for examination mandatory: For RMS-facilitated articles that are nevertheless selected for physical examination, the specific reason must be recorded in the scan report in the FPO Import Application.

· Electronic D-Call Letters: Where additional information/documents are required, Customs will issue a Document Call Letter (D-Call Letter) electronically through the FPO Import Application, normally communicating it to the importer/authorised agent through the registered email address.

· Consolidated queries: D-Call Letters should clearly specify the information/documents required. Queries should be specific, relevant and, as far as practicable, consolidated into a single communication; repeated or piecemeal requests should ordinarily be avoided.

· Expeditious assessment: On receipt of documents or clarification, the proper officer is required to examine them and finalise assessment expeditiously, with responses appropriately recorded in the system.

· 30-day response period: If the importer does not respond within 30 days of receipt of the D-Call Letter, or the information provided is inadequate, Customs may assess the goods based on the declaration and other available information under the Customs Act, 1962.

· Monitoring of pendency: Field formations are required to periodically monitor pending assessments to ensure timely clearance and minimise delays in postal imports.

· Electronic clearance order: After assessment and completion of Customs formalities, the proper officer will issue the clearance order through the FPO Import Application, which will be communicated electronically to the Postal Authority.

· Delivery only after Customs clearance: The Postal Authority must ensure that no postal article is delivered unless the Customs clearance order has been issued and applicable Customs duty has been paid/realised.

· Non-personal/commercial imports: Commercial or other non-personal imported goods will continue to follow the existing procedure under Circular No. 14/2018-Customs dated 4 June 2018.

Key takeaway: The circular moves personal postal imports toward a uniform, digital and RMS-based clearance system, with greater automation, targeted examination, electronic document queries and clearance, while retaining existing procedures for commercial postal imports.

[CBIC Circular No. 35 /2026-Customs dated 6 August, 2026]

Subject: Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for clearance of imported goods through Foreign Post Offices under the Postal Import Regulations, 2025.

In order to facilitate Customs clearance of postal imports through a technology-driven and risk-based system, CBIC has developed the FPO Import Application for processing personal postal imports in accordance with the framework envisaged under Postal Import Regulations 2025 issued vide Notification No. 18/2025 - Customs (N.T.) dated 28th March 2025. The objective is to provide a uniform regulatory and procedural framework for assessment and clearance of imported goods through Foreign Post Offices (FPOs).

2. The FPO Import Application for personal imported goods, which constitute the predominant share of postal imports handled through FPOs has been deployed and is presently operational at Bengaluru, Kochi, Mumbai FPO, APSO Mumbai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Chennai and Delhi. The FPO Import application has also been integrated with the Risk Management System (RMS), enabling automated risk assessment and system-based facilitation of postal import articles.

3. It has also been observed that jurisdictional field formations have issued Public notices/SOPs to facilitate Customs clearance at their respective FPOs. While such instructions address location-specific operational requirements, there is a need to ensure uniformity in Customs procedures across all FPOs.

4. In view of the above, the following procedure is prescribed for processing of personal imported goods at FPOs;

4.1 Receipt and Presentation of Personal Postal Articles

The Postal Authority shall electronically present the list of imported postal articles along with the postal articles, to the proper officer on the day of arrival at the Foreign Post Office. At present, the requisite information is provided electronically by Postal Authority which is received by FPO Import application under “Article Arrival Info” tab. On receipt of these details, the proper officer shall ensure that the postal articles are taken up for screening, inspection and further Customs processing without undue delay.

4.2 Customs Assessment and Examination

(i) Wherever Electronic Advance Data (EAD) is available, the proper officer shall undertake assessment of imported postal articles in a risk-based manner based on RMS instructions, prior to the arrival of the postal articles. In other cases, assessment shall be undertaken after presentation of the postal articles by the Postal Authority.

(ii) RMS selects postal articles for assessment and/or examination based on risk parameters, taking into account the declaration data accompanying the postal articles. Physical examination shall be restricted to consignments selected by RMS or otherwise identified on the basis of intelligence, regulatory requirements or discrepancies noticed during processing. However, in case of RMS facilitated articles, specific reason(s) for physical examination have to be mentioned in the scan report column provided in the FPO Import Application.

(iii) Where the proper officer considers that additional information or supporting documents are required for assessment, a Document Call Letter (D-Call Letter) shall be issued electronically through the FPO Import Application. The D-Call Letter shall be communicated to the importer or authorised agent through the registered e-mail address available in the system. In cases where electronic communication is not feasible or remains undelivered, the D-Call Letter may also be issued through the manual mode.

(iv) The D-Call Letter should clearly specify the information or documents required for assessment. Queries should be specific, relevant and, as far as practicable, consolidated into a single communication. Repeated or piecemeal requisition of documents should ordinarily be avoided.

(v) On receipt of the required documents or clarification, the proper officer shall examine the same and finalise the assessment expeditiously. Responses received may be processed and appropriately recorded in the system.

(vi) Where no response is received within 30 days of the date of receipt of the D- call letter, or the information furnished is inadequate for assessment, the proper officer may proceed to assess the goods on the basis of the declaration and other information available on record, in accordance with the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962.

(vii) Field formations shall periodically monitor the pendency of assessments to ensure timely clearance of postal articles and to minimise delays.

4.3 Clearance of Personal Postal Articles

Upon completion of assessment and other Customs formalities, the proper officer shall issue an order permitting clearance of the imported postal article through FPO Import Application. The clearance order shall be communicated electronically to the Postal Authority. In case of non-EAD articles, the proper officer may issue the clearance order manually until electronic processing is enabled for such articles in FPO Import Application. The Postal Authority shall ensure that no postal article is delivered unless such clearance order has been issued and the applicable Customs duty has been paid or realised in accordance with the prescribed procedure.

5. Processing of non-personal/commercial imported goods shall continue to be governed by the existing procedure prescribed under Circular No. 14/2018- Customs dated 04.06.2018.

6. Difficulties, if any, may be brought to the notice of the Board.

F. No. 456/02/2025-Cus.V