In India, a customs house agent (CHA) is licensed to act as an agent for transaction of any business relating to the entry or departure of conveyances or the import or export of goods at a customs station. CHAs maintain detailed, itemized and up-to-date accounts. A CHA license may be temporary or permanent. CHA licensing regulations, 1984 No ceiling on the number of CHAs who may be appointed in a customs house A regular licence is preceded by a temporary licence. Criteria of experience and financial soundness must be met. A regular licence is subject to passing an examination, A minimum volume of business and compliance with Regulation No. 14. Changes in the constitution of a partnership or firm do not affect the operations of a CHA. Prescribed fees prevent overbilling by CHAs. Qualifications An applicant should: Hold a master's degree in LLM/MBA OR CA. Hold a pass in Form 'G' as an employee of the firm or company. Should have three years of experience in customs - clearance work. Should have bank-certified assets of Rs.5 lakhs. If there are more applicants than licenses, the Commissioner selects by seniority of holding a G pass. If two people have equal seniority, the older person will be preferred. An applicant needs to possess a pass in Form G for only one year with written authorization from the Commissioner. Clarifications A diploma in Customs clearance and freight forwarding offered by the University of Mumbai is not considered as "graduation" for the purpose of eligibility. An employee, partner or director of a CHA licensee authorized for examination under Regulation 9(5) may take three examinations in two years from the date of application by the licensee for examination. The level of knowledge of the local language must be determined by the Commissioners; the Regulations have no requirement. Knowledge of the local language by an authorized representative is considered sufficient. Proficiency in Hindi is desirable. A person passing an examination under Regulation 9(5) may apply for a CHA license when applications are requested, subject to other qualifications. Persons granted CHA licenses before the 1997 amendment requiring graduation would continue to qualify for renewal. Multimodal transport operators as CHAs Multimodal transport operators (MTOs) are appointed under the Multimodal Goods Transportation Act, 1993 by the Ministry of Surface Transport. Their work involves carrying goods by more than one mode of transport between India and abroad. This does not