Customs and Baggage
Customs
Visitors are usually asked if they have anything
to declare on arrival. You should not bring
in more than US$10,000 in cash without declaring
it. Likewise, video and camera equipment and
other expensive, easily sold items should
be declared on arrival. If the customs officers
issues you are Tourist Baggage Re-export Form
(TBRE) detailing the items declared and their
value, these items must be shown when leaving
the country. If currency was declared and
noted when entering the country , exchange
receipts must be shown on departure if you
take less than declared amount out. India
allows one bottle of spirits, 200 cigarettes
and a reasonable amount of gifts to be imported
free of duty.
Souvenirs can be exported from India without
restriction. Only Rs.2,000 worth of gold and
up to Rs.10,000 worth of manufactured jewellery
or precious stones can be exported without
the permit. Any object over 100 years old
needs an export certificate from the Director
of Antiquities, Archaeological survey of India.
India is a signatory to CITES and the export
of ivory, animals and snake skins and products
made from them is forbidden. CITES certificates
can be issued by the Deputy Director of Wildlife
Preservation in the major cities. They should
fill in the Disembarkation card handed over
to them by the airline during the course of
the flight. There are two channels for Customs
clearance :
Green Channel
For passengers not in possession of any dutiable
articles or unaccompanied baggage.
Red Channel
For passengers with dutiable articles
or unaccompanied baggage or high value articles
to be entered on the Tourist Baggage Re-Export
Form.
Exports of Antiquities
Antiquities which include sculpture, paintings
or other works of art & crafts, illustrative
of science, art, crafts, religion of bygone
ages & of historical interest which have
bee in existence for not less than one hundred
years may not be exported out of India. Manuscripts,
or other documents of scientific, historical,
literary or aesthetic value in existence for
not less than seventy five years; art treasures-
not necessarily antiquities but of artistic
& aesthetic value, also cannot be exported
out of India. For Clarifications on the antiquity,
tourists can contact the following authorities.
