BAGGAGE RULES PERTAINING TO RESIDENTS Eligibility   A person holding a valid Indian passport and normally residing in India is referred to as a person resident under the Baggage Rules.   Articles Allowed     Residents are permitted to import the following articles subject to the specified limits:    I. Used personal effects: A. Used personal effects for satisfying daily necessities can be imported under this category.  Jewellery is not included under the head of personal effects. B. There is no value limit for import of these articles but they should be in reasonable quantities. C. One watch is regarded as personal effect and can be imported freely.   II. New Articles: A. New articles can be imported subject to the following limit either on the person or in the accompanied baggage of the passenger.  Articles cannot be imported as unaccompanied baggage and duty has to be paid at the specified rates, if imported in such manner.    B. Limit:    Passenger Returning after stay abroad of more than three days Returning after stay abroad of three days or less Coming from countries other than Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar or China 12 years or above Upto Rs. 12,000/- Upto Rs.    6,000/- Below 12 years Upto Rs.   3,000/- Upto Rs.    1,500/- Coming from Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar or china other than by land route 12 years or above Upto Rs.   3,000/- Upto Rs.      7,50/- Below 12 years Nil Nil    C. Duty Payable: Import of Articles in excess of the limit specified above will attract duty at the following rate: Basic Duty 50% Surcharge 10% Special Additional Duty 4% The total duty based on the above scale works out to 61.2%    D. Restricted Articles: The following articles are allowed to be imported by residents subject to the specified limit: Fire arms and catridges Upto 50 Cigarettes Upto 200 Cigars Upto 50 Tobacco Upto 250 gms Alcoholic liquor and wine Upto 1 litre each Gold and Silver can be imported only in the form of ornaments.    E. Permitted Articles: The following articles are allowed to be imported by residents without any restriction.  However, the total value of all the articles being imported should not exceed the Duty Free Allowance limit specified above. Bedding including blankets Invalid Chair Socks Bedsheets, Sleeping bag Jeans Shaving Kit Boiler Suit Lungis Sarees Blouses Neckties Salvars Dresses Nighties Shoe Polish Dentures Pants Shoe Brush Frocks Peticoats Spectacles Gloves Perfumes Tops Handkerchiefs Toilet articles Towels Hair Dryer Cosmetic in use Underwear dresses Hair Curler / Styler Suits Umbrella Hearing aids Shirts Walking stick Headgear Shoes       Additional Limit for Professionals Professionals coming to India are allowed to import the following articles at the specified scales: Indian Passenger Used Household Articles Professional Equipment Returning after three months Upto Rs.6,000/- Upto Rs.10,000/- Returning after six months Upto Rs.6,000/- Upto Rs.20,000/- Returning after a stay of 365 days during the preceeding two years on termination of his work (this concession was not availed in the preceeding three years) Upto Rs.30,000/-     Professional returning from abroad after termination of his work can import the following items at a concessional Customs Duty @ 25%, Surcharge @ 10% and Special Additional Duty @ 4% (total duty @ 32.6%): 1. Colour Television / Monochrome Television 2. Video Cassette Recorder / Video Cassette Player / Video Television Receiver 3. Washing Machine 4. Electrical / Liquified Petroleum Gas Cooking Range (other than Electrical / Liquified Petroleum Gas stoves) with not more than two burners and without any extra attachment 5. Dish Washer 6. Music System 7. Personal Computer 8. Air Conditioner 9. Refrigerator 10. Deep Freezer 11. Microwave Oven. 12. Video camera or combination of such video cameras with one or more of the following goods:   a.  Television Receiver; b.  Sound recording or reproducing apparatus; c.  Video reproducing apparatus. 13. Word Processing Machine 14. Fax machine      Household effects The following are included in the list of items which can be imported as household effects by professionals: Battery operated lights Grill Big thermos Juicer Blender Linen Crockery Liquidizer Cutlery Oven Dry or Steam Iron Portable Generator Egg beater Pressure-cooker Food carrier Rotissoire Glassware Toaster    Professional equipment Professionals like carpenter, welder, plumber, manson, etc., can import portable equipments, instruments, apparatus and appliances used in their profession.  However, items such as cameras, cassette recorders, dictaphones, personal computers, typewriters and other similar articles cannot be imported as professional equipment.    Photographic equipments like cameras, lens, battery charger, tripod, etc., can be imported free of duty by professional photographers as their personal baggage for using them in their profession.  Following types of cameras are permitted to be imported under this category:   i. Film cameras designed for film of not less than 35mm ii. Still cameras taking film of size 4" x 5" and above. iii. Photostat cameras iv. Microfilm cameras v. Photo composing cameras     Students of photography can import photographic equipment and cameras free of duty as part of their personal baggage and used abroad by them for the purpose of practical training.  The students are required to produce a certificate from the Indian Embassy abroad that they are bonafide students of photography and the above articles are their own property and used by them in the course of their training.    Jewellery Jewellery can be imported subject to the following limits:   Male Female Indian Passenger who was residing abroad for over one year Upto Rs.10,000/- Upto Rs.20,000/-    Gold 1. Gold includes primary gold and ornaments made of gold other than those studded with stones or pearls. 2. Passengers (including minor children) holding Indian passport or of Indian origin (excluding nationals of Pakistan or Bangladesh) can bring gold upto 10 kgs per passenger. 3. Passanger should have stayed abroad for atleast 6 months. Short visits upto 30 days duration are ignored. 4. Duty is payable in convertible foreign exchange @ Rs.40/- per gram of gold imported into India. Silver 1. Silver includes silver in any form including ornaments other than those studded with stones or pearls. 2. Passengers (including minor children) holding Indian passport or of Indian origin (excluding nationals of Pakistan or Bangladesh) can bring gold upto 100 kgs per passenger. 3. Passanger should have stayed abroad for atleast 6 months. Short visits upto 30 days duration are ignored. 4. Duty is payable in convertible foreign exchange @ Rs.500/- per kg of silver imported into India.

Other baggage rules...   •   Baggage Rules an Introduction   •   Baggage Rules Pertaining To Residents   •   Transfer of Residence   •   Duty Drawback and Refund of Duty   •   Import Of Certain Items   •   Import of Gold and Silver as Baggage   •   Import Of Cars and other Vehicles into India   •   Emigrating Indians - Formalities   •   Incoming & Outgoing DO's   •   Incoming & Outgoing Dont's   •   Baggage Rules   •   General information on "Baggage"   •   Baggage Rules Pertaining To Tourists   •   Baggage Handling   •   Baggage Concealment   •   Export of Certain Items   •   Import of Pet Animals into India   •   Emigration Check   •   International Credit Cards   •   Baggage Rules 1999   •   Protector of Emigrants