Representative image
NEW DELHI: You can loosen your purse strings a little more abroad. Travellers flying into India will now have enhanced duty-free limit, which for resident Indians has been hiked from Rs 50,000 to Rs 75,000. What’s more, duty-free import of one laptop for passengers above 18 years has now been allowed under Baggage Rules, 2026, which came into effect from Feb 2. No general duty-free allowance is available for passengers entering India through land borders, regardless of nationality.Jewellery allowance has also been simplified. “Special allowances for jewellery have been prescribed solely on weight basis by removing outdated value caps, under which eligible returning residents/tourists of Indian origin (after stay abroad for more than one year), are allowed duty-free jewellery purely on a weight basis,” a govt statement said. Men are allowed to import jewellery up to 20 gram duty-free while female passengers can import up to 40 gram.The transfer of residence benefits has also been simplified and modernised by having only a single rationalised list of duty-free articles, with an overall value cap as per eligibility.Duty-free allowance for resident Indians, tourists of Indian origin and foreigners with an Indian visa (other th-an tourist) is now Rs 75,000. For tourists of foreign orig-in, it’s Rs 25,000. For crew me-mbers, the same is Rs 2,500.“The facility of issuance of temporary baggage import certificate or export certificate for temporary carriage of goods brought in or taken out, respectively, have been envisioned for hassle-free clearance,” the govt statement added.Used personal effects like clothes and travel souvenirs are duty-free. New goods like gifts purchases abroad qualify according to new limits. Goods above the duty-free limit are dutiable under normal customs provisions unless specifically exempted by the law. These allowances apply only to goods carried on the passenger’s person or in bona fide baggage.Some items are not part of duty-free allowances and have separate conditions or limits. These include alcohol and spirits beyond specified volumes, tobacco products beyond allowance threshold, gold or silver in forms other than jewellery, and large electronic goods like televisions.
