Customs rules
Customs baggage allowance for India, 2026
Independent site, not a government service. General information, not customs advice.
Choose the passenger type and the value of goods you are carrying. The result shows the free allowance and how much would have to be declared.
Baggage: value above your free allowance
Value above the allowance
₹45,000
| Free allowance | ₹75,000 |
| Status | Declare the excess |
Duty on the excess is not computed: see the Baggage Rules, 2026 for excluded goods, jewellery and transfer of residence.
The Baggage Rules, 2026 came into force on 2 February 2026 by Notification 14/2026-Customs (N.T.), replacing the 2016 rules. Under rule 5, a resident, a tourist of Indian origin, or a foreigner with a valid visa other than a tourist visa, not being an infant and arriving other than by land, may clear goods up to ₹75,000 free of duty. A tourist of foreign origin, on the same terms, has ₹25,000. A passenger arriving by land gets only used personal effects duty free. A passenger aged 18 or above, other than crew, may also bring one new laptop or notepad free of duty. Under rule 6, a resident or tourist of Indian origin who has lived abroad for more than one year may bring jewellery up to 40 grams if a female passenger, or 20 grams otherwise. Crew in rule 11(2) may bring gift articles for personal or family use up to ₹2,500. Transfer of residence has ceilings from ₹1.5 lakh to ₹7.5 lakh by length of stay. Read the rules for the exact conditions.
Tariff and rules read by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and sources
The allowances in one table
| Passenger | General free allowance |
|---|---|
| Resident | ₹75,000 |
| Tourist of Indian origin | ₹75,000 |
| Foreigner with valid visa, not tourist visa | ₹75,000 |
| Tourist of foreign origin | ₹25,000 |
| Crew member | ₹2,500 |
| Arrival by land border | None |
Transfer of residence, Appendix I
| Stay abroad | Ceiling |
|---|---|
| From 3 to 12 months | ₹1.5 lakh |
| At least 1 year in the preceding 2, not used in the preceding 3 years | ₹3 lakh |
| 2 years or more | ₹7.5 lakh |
What the free allowance does not cover
Annexure I of the Baggage Rules, 2026 (Notification 14/2026-Customs (N.T.)) lists what sits outside it: firearms, cartridges above 50, cigarettes above 100 sticks, cigars above 25 or tobacco above 125 grams, alcohol or wine above two litres, gold or silver in any form other than ornaments, and televisions.
Things worth reading in the rules
- The allowance covers goods on your person or in bona fide accompanied baggage, and one passenger cannot pool it with another (rule 5).
- Unaccompanied baggage follows rule 10, with time limits around your arrival.
- Pets are regulated by rules from other authorities (rule 9), and currency by the Foreign Exchange Management regulations (rule 8).
The Press Information Bureau release gives the same main figures. When goods are sent to you rather than carried, see personal imports.