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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
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