Talk To Our Expert
Get Free Consultation
Compliance Expert
SIMS Registration (Steel Import Monitoring System) is a mandatory online registration that Indian importers must obtain from the DGFT before importing notified iron and steel products covered under Chapters 72, 73 and 86 of the ITC-HS Code. Applied for through the DGFT portal using your Importer Exporter Code (IEC), the system generates an automatic registration number after payment of a ₹500 fee, valid for 75 days.
This registration number must be produced at Customs at the time of clearance. Without it, notified steel shipments cannot be cleared, making SIMS a compliance requirement rather than an optional certification.
The Steel Import Monitoring System (SIMS) is an online advance-registration mechanism operated by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, in coordination with the Ministry of Steel. It requires importers to submit shipment-level details of notified steel and iron products before the goods physically arrive in India.
In simple terms: if your business imports steel products, pipes, tubes, wires, or certain railway/tramway iron items, you cannot clear the shipment at Customs unless you first register the import on the SIMS portal and hold a valid registration number for that consignment.
SIMS is not a one-time business license like an IEC or a BIS certificate. It is a per-shipment (or, under recent SARAL SIMS provisions, per-year for small importers) advance intimation system, closer in nature to an import monitoring registration than a product-quality certification.
The Government of India introduced SIMS to build a real-time, advanced database of steel imports entering the country. The core objectives are:
SIMS operates under the legal authority of the Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act, 1992, read with the Customs Act, 1962, and is periodically updated through DGFT notifications and trade notices that revise the covered product list and procedural requirements.
SIMS registration applies to any business or entity bringing notified steel products into India, including:
A valid Importer Exporter Code (IEC) and DGFT portal login are prerequisites — SIMS registration itself is filed against your IEC, not as a separate standalone business license.
SIMS registration is mandatory for iron and steel products classified under the following chapters of the ITC (HS) Schedule-1 Import Policy:
| ITC-HS Chapter | Product Category | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Chapter 72 | Iron and steel (primary products) | Ingots, billets, blooms, flat-rolled products, bars, rods, angles, wire rod |
| Chapter 73 | Articles of iron and steel | Tubes, pipes, fittings, structures, wires, fasteners, railway track material |
| Chapter 86 | Railway/tramway iron & steel items | Rails, fishplates, sole plates, and certain rolling-stock steel components |
The exact list runs to several hundred tariff lines at the 8-digit HS code level (the count has expanded over successive notifications, from roughly 500+ lines in earlier years to higher figures in recent Ministry of Steel updates), so importers should always cross-check the current HS code against the live dropdown list on the DGFT SIMS module rather than relying on a static count, since the schedule is amended periodically.
Air-freighted steel consignments are generally exempt from SIMS registration, as they are treated as low-volume or emergency shipments under the current framework.
Since the migration to SIMS 2.0, the application has moved to a simplified, integrated DGFT interface. Here is the current filing sequence:
The SIMS application must be filed before the Bill of Entry is submitted to Customs, and sources indicate this window generally opens somewhere between roughly two months and a few days ahead of the expected arrival date. Because different official references cite slightly different cut-offs, importers should confirm the exact permissible filing window against the live DGFT SIMS portal or the current trade notice before planning shipment timelines, rather than relying on any single fixed number of days.
Under the current framework, the government fee for SIMS registration is a flat charge per application, though the fee structure has been revised over time and importers should verify the applicable amount at the time of filing.
| Fee Component | Amount / Basis |
|---|---|
| Standard application fee | ₹500 per application (flat, per recent DGFT/Foreign Trade Policy updates) |
| Payment mode | Online, through the DGFT portal payment gateway |
| SARAL SIMS (MSME) option | One-time annual fee route for eligible small importers (see below) |
| Refund on cancellation | Not available once an application is finally submitted (only unsubmitted drafts can be withdrawn without charge) |
| Stage | Typical Duration |
|---|---|
| Registration number generation | Instant/automatic upon final submission and fee payment |
| Validity of registration number | 75 days from the date of issue |
| Filing relative to shipment arrival | Must be completed before the Bill of Entry is filed with Customs |
| Renewal | No 'renewal' in the traditional sense — a fresh application is filed for each new shipment/consignment once the prior registration lapses or is used |
SIMS registration is consignment-specific in most cases. If your shipment does not arrive within the 75-day validity window, or if shipment details change materially, a fresh SIMS application is generally required, since modification of a submitted application is not currently supported.
SIMS 2.0: All SIMS operations now run through a unified, upgraded DGFT interface with a simplified data-entry form (reduced field count) and mandatory Aadhaar OTP or DSC-based authentication linked to the IEC.
SARAL SIMS (new provision for small importers): Eligible MSME importers bringing in smaller consignments may opt for a one-time annual-style registration instead of filing separately for every shipment, subject to an overall annual quantity cap — a meaningful simplification for low-volume, repeat importers.
Coverage expansion: The list of HS codes under SIMS continues to be revised through periodic Ministry of Steel and DGFT notifications, so the applicable tariff-line list should always be checked against the live portal dropdown rather than an older static list.
Notified steel and iron products falling under the SIMS schedule cannot be cleared through Indian Customs without a valid, current SIMS registration number reflected in the Bill of Entry. In practice, this means the shipment is held at the port until registration is completed, resulting in demurrage costs, delayed delivery to customers, and potential scrutiny under the Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act and Customs Act.
Since SIMS is a monitoring and compliance requirement rather than a discretionary certification, importers are advised to build the registration step into their shipment planning well before the vessel or consignment departs.
SIMS registration looks straightforward on paper, but a single wrong HS code, a missed filing window, or an incomplete field on a non-editable form can hold a shipment at port for days. Silvereye Certifications handles the process so your import schedule stays on track, not the paperwork.
Silvereye Certifications works with actual-user importers, trading houses, CHAs and Advance Authorization holders across India's steel import supply chain, bringing the same structured compliance approach applied to BIS, CDSCO, BEE, PESO and EPR registrations to SIMS filings — accurate, documented, and built to avoid customs-side surprises.
Navigating HS code classification, portal authentication and filing windows can be time-consuming for importers managing multiple shipments. Silvereye Certifications assists steel importers with end-to-end SIMS registration support — from HS code verification and documentation to portal filing and customs coordination — helping ensure consignments clear without avoidable delays.
Speak directly with our compliance experts and get professional guidance for BIS, BEE, CDSCO, EPR, WPC, TEC/MTCTE, EMI/EMC Testing and other regulatory approvals.
Explore our certification and compliance solutions.
See what our clients say about our compliance and certification services.
Silvereye helped us complete our BIS Certification quickly and professionally.
Their CDSCO team handled all documentation and approvals without delays.
Excellent support for EPR Registration and annual compliance management.
Very responsive team. Our registration was completed before expected timelines.
Silvereye helped us complete our BIS Certification quickly and professionally.
Their CDSCO team handled all documentation and approvals without delays.
