There is a certain ritual that every well-travelled Indian is all too familiar with — the agonizing wait in the arrivals hall, the nervous sweat as you approach the customs desk, the quick math of exactly what you have stashed away in your luggage.
Bottles of single malt whisky from a duty-free shop in Edinburgh.
A gold bracelet impulsively purchased in Dubai.
A brand-new laptop because the price tag abroad was simply irresistible.
For a long time, that math problem was solved by a ₹50,000 cap and a set of rules that were long, long overdue for an overhaul. Well, they've been overhauled.
India has revised its baggage and customs rules for 2026 in ways that will feel like a veritable gift to frequent flyers, foodies, and anyone who treats international airports as an extension of their shopping list. Here is your complete, no-nonsense guide to what's changed, what's stayed the same, and how you can arrive home with your head held high — and your luggage perfectly packed.
The duty-free allowance has leapt from ₹50,000 to ₹75,000 — a 50% upgrade that finally reflects the reality of how modern travellers shop.
Let's begin with the most obvious change. Passengers arriving in India by air or sea can now carry back items worth a maximum of ₹75,000 duty-free. This is a substantial increase over the earlier limit of ₹50,000. To put this into perspective, this is the difference between having to check in that special bottle of perfume or being able to take back a carefully selected bunch of gifts for all your loved ones.
As someone who has spent hours browsing airport shops, wine bars, and specialty food courts in foreign lands, this change is important to me. It now means that I can take back a bottle of aged Scotch whisky, a packet of carefully harvested saffron, a piece of aged Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese from a fromagerie in Bologna, and a designer scarf in my luggage without having to forego any of these in order to avoid an explanation at the customs desk.
| Previous Rule | New Rule (2026) | |
|---|---|---|
| Duty-Free Limit (Air & Sea) | ₹50,000 | ₹75,000 |
| Customs Duty on Excess Goods | 20% | 10% |
| Gold Jewellery Allowance (Women) | Value-capped | Up to 40g (no value cap) |
| Gold Jewellery Allowance (Others) | Value-capped | Up to 20g (no value cap) |
| Duty-Free Laptop (18+) | Not permitted | 1 new laptop, separate from allowance |
What happens if you do go over the limit? Previously, the customs duty on excess personal goods sat at 20% — a rate that could sting meaningfully on higher-value purchases. That rate has now been halved to 10%. It is a small but psychologically significant shift; rather than a punitive deterrent, it feels more like a sensible tax on enthusiasm.
For the traveller returning from a gastronomic tour of Japan with an extra bottle of premium sake, or from a weekend in Paris with a beautifully wrapped box of chocolates that pushed them just over the threshold, this change removes much of the anxiety around the customs counter. Shop a little more freely — the penalty for going over is now genuinely manageable.
Gold jewellery allowances are now purely weight-based, with all old value limits scrapped.
For those of you who like to indulge in a bit of jewellery shopping on foreign holidays – and in cities like Dubai, Istanbul, or Bangkok, who wouldn’t? – the rules on gold jewellery have been considerably simplified. The rules are now purely weight-based: Women are allowed 40g of gold jewellery duty-free, while other passengers are allowed 20g. Crucially, the old value limits that used to make these calculations so tricky have been scrapped altogether.
This is a welcome change. Gold prices keep fluctuating, and weight limits are much simpler to plan around than rupee values that keep changing with market trends on the day you arrive. Pack your jewellery, know your weight, and arrive home without a care.
One brand-new laptop now travels duty-free for every passenger aged 18 and above.
Here is a change that will bring a smile to the face of all you remote workers, content creators, and digital entrepreneurs who love to mix work with travel. Passengers aged 18 and above can now bring one brand-new laptop into India duty-free – and this is over and above the standard ₹75,000 duty-free allowance.
It’s a considered overhaul that recognizes just how integral a laptop computer has become to the modern working life. Whether you spotted a better price on a MacBook in America or tracked down a specialist computer at an electronics store in Tokyo, you no longer have to factor its value into your budget for bottles of wine and artisanal olive oil.
Some things remain unchanged — alcohol, tobacco, and gold bars each carry their own specific rules.
Amid all these positive changes, it is also important to understand what has not changed and why. A few key categories have their own set of rules, irrespective of the overall duty-free limit.
Alcohol & Tobacco — These have their own set of rules and are not included in the overall limit of ₹75,000. It is essential to understand the rules on these before you stock up on duty-free shopping.
Gold Bars & Certain Electronics — Gold in the form of bars and certain electronics are restricted. These cannot be freely imported under the new rules, irrespective of their value.
Land Border Arrivals — If you are entering India overland, the rules are different from those for air and sea arrivals. Check the applicable limits for your particular entry point before you leave.
Taken together, these changes offer a portrait of a policy regime playing catch-up with the needs of the modern, globally mobile traveller. The increased duty-free allowance, the reduced customs duty, the weight-based jewellery allowances, the laptop bonus – each is an improvement on its own. But taken together, they offer a truly more traveller-friendly arrival experience.
This is a welcome development for those of us who take every international journey as an opportunity to bring back a piece of the world's culinary delights, artisanal goods, and cultural riches. Shop wisely, know your limits, and return to Indian soil with the spirit of your adventure still intact – and not the stress of your luggage.
Always check the latest rules directly with Indian Customs before travel, as these are subject to further change.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is intended for general informational purposes only and reflects customs and baggage regulations as understood at the time of publication. Palate Pilgrim makes no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, or current validity of this information. Customs rules, duty-free allowances, and import regulations are subject to change without notice by the relevant government authorities. Readers are strongly advised to verify all applicable rules directly with the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) or their airline prior to travel. Palate Pilgrim accepts no liability for any loss, penalty, inconvenience, or expense arising from reliance on the information contained in this article.