New Baggage Rules 2026 Explained: How much gold, jewellery and duty-free goods can you carry into India?

New Baggage Rules 2026 Explained: If you have ever stepped off an international flight into India with your heart thumping as you approached the customs channel, you are not alone. For years, baggage rules have felt like an unsolved puzzle: part rumour, part regulation, and part airport folklore. From whispered warnings about gold limits to confused debates over duty-free allowances, arriving passengers often relied more on guesswork than clarity.

That uncertainty is exactly what the Baggage Rules, 2026 seek to address.

From February 2, 2026, the Government of India made the new framework effective. It marks one of the most comprehensive overhauls of India’s customs baggage regime in decades. Alongside the Customs Baggage (Declaration and Processing) Regulations, 2026 and a consolidated master circular, these rules sweep away a maze of older notifications and overlapping instructions.

The intent is clear: make arrivals smoother, rules easier to understand, and disputes at customs counters far rarer. The changes reflect how Indians actually travel today — more frequently, more digitally, and with far less tolerance for ambiguity. From higher duty-free limits to simplified jewellery rules, the new system aims to replace anxiety with assurance.

What Are the Latest Duty-Free Allowance Limits Under Baggage Rules 2026?

One of the most significant updates is the long-overdue revision of general duty-free allowance limits. For years, travellers argued that the earlier caps no longer matched real-world prices of electronics, clothing or even modest gifts. The 2026 rules finally acknowledge that gap.

Here is how the new allowances work for passengers arriving by air or sea:

One important clarification removes a long-standing grey area: passengers entering India through land borders are not entitled to any general duty-free allowance, regardless of nationality. This explicit rule is expected to drastically reduce on-the-spot disagreements.

What Exactly Counts as Duty-Free Baggage?

The 2026 rules make a cleaner distinction between personal items and new purchases.

Used personal effects — such as worn clothing, toiletries, personal accessories and everyday items required for travel — are fully exempt from duty. These do not count towards the value-based allowance.

New goods, including gifts and overseas shopping, are assessed under the general duty-free limit applicable to the passenger category. If the total value exceeds the threshold, customs duty may apply on the excess amount.

Certain items continue to sit outside the general allowance and are governed by separate conditions. These include alcohol beyond prescribed quantities, tobacco products above notified limits, firearms and ammunition, gold or silver in forms other than jewellery, and large consumer electronics such as televisions.

How Much Gold and Jewellery Can You Carry From Abroad Now?

Jewellery has historically been the most nerve-wracking part of international arrivals, largely because earlier rules mixed weight limits with value caps, leaving room for subjective interpretation.

The Baggage Rules, 2026 finally simplify this.

Eligible Indian residents and tourists of Indian origin who have stayed abroad for more than one year can now bring jewellery duty-free purely on a weight basis:

There is no value cap anymore. By removing valuation disputes and focusing only on weight, the new system sharply reduces ambiguity at customs counters — a change many frequent flyers will quietly celebrate.

What Were the Earlier Jewellery Limits?

Under the previous regime, jewellery allowances were tied to both weight and value. Gentlemen passengers could bring up to 20 grams valued at Rs 50,000, while lady passengers were permitted 40 grams valued at Rs 1,00,000. These value caps often triggered disagreements, especially as gold prices climbed.

The revised rules reflect present-day realities by eliminating the value ceiling altogether, making compliance far easier to understand.

What’s Changed for People Returning to India Permanently?

The Transfer of Residence (TR) provisions have also been rationalised under the 2026 rules. Instead of fragmented lists and confusing exemptions, entitlements are now directly linked to how long a person has lived abroad.

The focus here is consolidation. A single value cap and a clearer list of permissible articles replace multiple older notifications, making relocation planning far more predictable.

Yes, and with welcome clarity.

Each passenger aged 18 years or above is now explicitly allowed to carry one laptop duty-free. While this was broadly accepted earlier, its formal inclusion removes any lingering scope for interpretation.

Pets also receive clear recognition. When imported in compliance with applicable animal quarantine and import regulations, they are treated as duty-free under the new baggage framework — a relief for families relocating with animals.

How Will Digital Declarations Change Airport Experience?

Supporting the new baggage framework are the Customs Baggage (Declaration and Processing) Regulations, 2026. These introduce electronic filing of declarations for both accompanied and unaccompanied baggage through ICEGATE and designated applications.

Green and Red Channel procedures are now standardised nationwide, and nearly 35 older circulars have been merged into a single operational guide. The objective is speed and consistency: fewer paper forms, fewer contradictory instructions, and shorter queues at arrival halls.

What Should Travellers Keep in Mind Before Landing?

For most Indian residents arriving by air or sea, the key numbers are straightforward: Rs 75,000 duty-free allowance, full exemption for used personal effects, one laptop per adult passenger, and weight-based jewellery concessions if eligibility conditions are met.

Foreign tourists should keep the Rs 25,000 cap in mind and should also declare excess goods honestly to avoid penalties. Crew members and professionals travelling with equipment benefit from clearer rules, even if their allowances remain limited.