Customs Broker (CHA)

Filing bills of entry and shipping bills, working out the right customs duty and tariff heading, checking documents like invoices and packing lists, talking to customs officers at ports, airports and ICDs, and keeping clients' goods moving.

A day in the work
Your morning starts by checking which shipments arrived or are leaving. You collect the invoice, packing list and other papers from clients and check them for mistakes. Then you work out the tariff heading and duty, file the bill of entry or shipping bill online, and follow up with customs officers when a query comes up. Some days you go to the port, airport or container depot to see goods being examined or released. In the evening you update clients and keep your records in order.

1. Step 1 · Class 11–12Choose any stream. Commerce (accountancy, economics) helps, and so does strong English, because every customs document is in English. You need Class 12 to be allowed to work in a customs broker's firm.
2. Step 2 · After Class 12Do a graduation (B.Com, BBA, BA or similar). Many students also start as a trainee or assistant with a licensed customs broker while studying or just after. Staff who have not yet passed the G-card test get a temporary 'H card' from customs, which needs at least 10+2 and lasts up to 5 years.
3. Step 3 · G card (while working)Your employer's customs office (Deputy or Assistant Commissioner) holds a written test on customs law and procedure. You must pass within 4 attempts from your appointment, and then you get a G card. Only F or G card holders can sign bills of entry and shipping bills.
4. Step 4 · Build the qualification for a licenceTo apply for your own licence, you need to be a graduate and also have a professional degree or diploma (CA, CS, MBA, LLM, ACMA/FCMA, or a recognised customs clearance diploma). Or you need at least 2 years of customs work as a G-card holder.
5. Step 5 · Apply for the licensing examApply online on the CBLMS portal (cblms.gov.in) in the 'F Category Exam & License' option, in the window NACIN announces. For the 2026 exam the window was 14 Oct–13 Nov 2025 and the fee was ₹500. You must be an Indian citizen with Aadhaar and PAN, with no criminal case pending. You also need proof of assets of at least ₹5 lakh (reported; check the current notice). (reported — check with the official body)
6. Step 6 · Written and oral examThe written exam is computer-based: 150 multiple-choice questions in English or Hindi, 2.5 hours, +3 for a right answer and −1 for a wrong one. You need 270 out of 450. The 2026 paper was on 17 March 2026 and the result came on 23 April 2026. Those who pass sit an oral exam, where 60% is needed.
7. Step 7 · LicenceAfter the oral, pay the licence fee (₹5,000 in the 2026 notices, due within 2 months of the result) and complete the bond and security. Then the Commissioner of Customs grants the licence. The Commissioner must also be satisfied that you know English and the local language of the customs station.

• Work first, licence laterClass 12, then a job with a licensed broker (H card), then the G card. After 2 years as a G-card holder, you can apply for the F-card exam. You still need to be a graduate, so study alongside or part-time.
• Qualify firstGraduate, then add CA, CS, CMA, MBA, LLM or a recognised customs clearance diploma. Then sit the licensing exam directly and start your own firm or join as a licensed professional.
• Stay an employeeMany people never take the licensing exam. They work for a licensed broker, an exporter or importer's own customs desk, or a freight forwarder, with a G card or experience.

Fees from: Chennai Customs Public Notice 12/2026 (licence fee after exam) · CBLMS: Customs Brokers Licensing Regulations, 2018 · Dyal Singh College (DU) Fee Structure 2026-27 · KES' Shroff College Fee Structure 2026-27. Fees change every year — check the college's own fee page before you pay.

Earnings are modest for trainees and assistants, and rise with experience, a G or F card, and the client base you handle. Brokers at busy ports such as Mumbai, Chennai, Delhi or Kolkata, or those who run their own licensed firm, can earn far more, but income depends on how many clients you win and keep.

• Class 7–9Pick five things at home (phone, toy, spice, cloth, medicine). Check where each was made and guess how it reached India and from which port or airport. Write down what papers you think each shipment needs.
• Class 10–12Read the basics of foreign trade and customs in your Commerce or Economics textbook. Or find a free commerce or international trade course on SWAYAM and do the first unit.Open link ↗
• College or afterOpen the NACIN website, go to Examination > Customs Broker > Practice Test, and try the dummy question paper. See how much you already know and what you need to learn.Open link ↗

• A licence belongs to a person. A company or firm can be licensed if at least one director, partner or authorised employee has passed the licensing exam.
• Importers and exporters can clear their own goods without a broker, so customs brokers earn by being faster, cheaper and more reliable than doing it in-house.
• Customs rules, duty rates and the online systems change often. Expect to keep learning for your whole career.
• The old name 'Customs House Agent (CHA)' was replaced by 'Customs Broker' in the newer regulations, but many people still say CHA.