India eases duty on gold jewellery, expands passenger baggage allowance
The Indian government has updated baggage rules for passengers landing in the country, increasing the limits on items they can bring without paying customs, including gold jewellery. A female passenger returning to India can carry up to 40 grams of gold jewellery without any customs charges, while other passengers can bring up 20 grams as part of their personal baggage. Other changes expand the customs-free allowance for general goods. Indian residents or tourists of Indian origin can now bring items worth up to Rs75,000 (Dh3,000) without paying customs, up from the previous limit of Rs50,000 (Dh2,000). Foreign tourists can bring goods worth up to Rs25,000 (Dh1,000) without customs charges, compared with the earlier limit of Rs15,000 (Dh601). During her India Budget 2026 speech on Sunday (February 1), finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman also proposed a reduction in tariffs on goods imported for personal use, cutting the rate from 20 per cent to 10 per cent. "To rationalise the customs duty structure for goods imported for personal use, I propose to reduce the tariff rate on all dutiable goods imported for personal use from 20 per cent to 10 per cent," she said.Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.Nupur Maheshwari, executive partner at Lakshmikumaran and Sridharan attorneys, told the Economic Times that the new baggage rules 2026 “modernise India’s duty‑free framework by raising thresholds for used personal effects, clarifying transfer‑of‑residence benefits, and other conditions.”Carrying gold to India? New customs rules likely as UAE NRIs push for changeGold smuggling surges in India as price spikes before festivalsUAE-based association asks for clarity on India's gold carrying rules
The Indian government has updated baggage rules for passengers landing in the country, increasing the limits on items they can bring without paying customs, including gold jewellery. A female passenger returning to India can carry up to 40 grams of gold jewellery without any customs charges, while other passengers can bring up 20 grams as part of their personal baggage.
Other changes expand the customs-free allowance for general goods. Indian residents or tourists of Indian origin can now bring items worth up to Rs75,000 (Dh3,000) without paying customs, up from the previous limit of Rs50,000 (Dh2,000). Foreign tourists can bring goods worth up to Rs25,000 (Dh1,000) without customs charges, compared with the earlier limit of Rs15,000 (Dh601).
During her India Budget 2026 speech on Sunday (February 1), finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman also proposed a reduction in tariffs on goods imported for personal use, cutting the rate from 20 per cent to 10 per cent. "To rationalise the customs duty structure for goods imported for personal use, I propose to reduce the tariff rate on all dutiable goods imported for personal use from 20 per cent to 10 per cent," she said.
Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.
Nupur Maheshwari, executive partner at Lakshmikumaran and Sridharan attorneys, told the Economic Times that the new baggage rules 2026 “modernise India’s duty‑free framework by raising thresholds for used personal effects, clarifying transfer‑of‑residence benefits, and other conditions.”
What's Your Reaction?
