GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT CUSTOMS

A tourist is a passenger.... - Who is not normally a resident in India. - Who enters India for a stay of not more than six months in the course of any twelve months period for legitimate non-immigrant purposes, such as - touring, recreation, sports, health, family reasons, study, religious pilgrimage or business. The term "Baggage" is defined as "Baggage that includes unaccompanied baggage but does not include motor vehicles". A passenger (tourist) is required to comply with certain provisions of the Indian Customs Law. The owner of any baggage shall, for the purpose of clearing it make a declaration of its contents to the customs officer (no written declaration is needed and oral declaration is usually acceptable). The rate of duty and tariff valuation, if any, applicable to the baggage shall be the rate and valuation in force on the date, on which a declaration is made in respect of such baggage. In respect of the goods personally brought in by the passengers it means approximately the retail price of the goods paid abroad. The prerequisites for treating any articles or goods as baggage is that they were in use of the passenger or were brought and paid for by the passenger. Personal and household effects are treated as baggage and can be imported freely without any restriction as to the value of the goods. However they should be imported in reasonable quantities. Goods in commercial quantities may be allowed to be imported as baggage based on the merits of the case. The baggage clearance at the major International Airports in India consist of two channels for clearance. Green channel: not having any dutiable goods to declare. Red channel: having dutiable goods to declare. Non declaration & wrongful declaration of the dutiable goods may attract confiscation of goods, fine or penalty. Serious offences like attempting to smuggle Gold, without declaration may lead to arrest & prosecution. The Indian Revenue Department has specified a list of items, including the size, that can now be imported duty-free as part of baggage. This list includes: Personal Jewellery 1 camera with film rolls not exceeding 20 1 video camera/camcoder with accessories and with video cassette not exceeding 12. 1 pair of binoculars. 1 portable colour television not exceeding 15 cms in size. 1 music system, including compact disk player (CD Player). 1 portable typewriter. 1 perambulator. 1 tent and other camping equipment. 1 Computer. ( laptop/notebook ) 1 Electronic Diary. 1 portable wireless recieving set. (transistor radio) Professional equipments, instruments and apparatus of appliances including professional audio/video equipment. Sports equipment such as one fishing outfit,one sporting firearm and fifty cartridges, one non powered bicycle, one canoe or range less than 51 metres long, one pair of skids, two tennis racket, one golf set(14pcs. with a dozen golf balls). 1 Cell Phone. These goods, other than those consumed during the stay in India, are re-exported(taken) when the tourist leaves India for a foreign destination