Editor’s Note
The Indian government has revised its customs rules, doubling the duty-free allowance for gold jewellery in passengers’ personal baggage. This update aims to simplify the process for returning travellers.
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 now carry up to 40 grams of gold jewellery without any customs charges, while other passengers can bring up to 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.
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.”