Laptops, gold and gifts: Here are India's new 2026 Travel Baggage and Customs rules

In its Budget 2026, India has revised the rules governing what international passengers can bring into the country. Here are the key details for Indian expats and tourists who have been unsure about the limits on gold, laptops and other duty-free items.

India revises travel baggage rules. Female travellers can bring in jewellery made of gold weighing up to 40 grams, without paying any customs duty. Credit: Credits: Getty images and AAP Photos

On 2 February, the Indian government announced new travel baggage and customs rules for air and sea passengers.

India’s Union Budget for the 2026-27 fiscal year was presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, her ninth consecutive budget this year. Source: EPA / Credits: HARISH TYAGI/EPA/AAP

Under these norms, the duty-free allowance for international travellers has been increased from ₹50,000 to ₹75,000.

Significant changes have also been made to gold allowances, with the decades-old value cap removed.

Travellers can now carry gold jewellery based on weight: up to 40 grams for female passengers and up to 20 grams for all other passengers in bona fide luggage.

However, an official document clarifies, that items intended for personal use, including jewellery and other valuables required by travellers during their journey, are permitted duty-free.

And certain items including alcohol, cigarettes, televisions and gold or silver in any form other than ornaments remain excluded from any duty free list.

India-based Bipin Sapra from Ernst & Young, also a former Indian Revenue Service officer, explains how the value of gold has risen sharply over the years, making it logical for the government to remove the outdated value cap on gold jewellery under the revised baggage rules.

Bipin Sapra, a Partner in Indian Indirect Tax practice of Ernst & Young and leads the Indirect tax Policy for the firm. Prior to joining EY in 2007, he was an officer of Indian Revenue Service (Customs & Indirect tax) in India for 15 years. Credit: Credits: Bipin Sapra

"Gold values have risen and what government has done is removed the value cap which was in place before," he added.

"The new changes are only related to goods travellers are bringing into the country it does not apply to cash," he explained.

The revised rules also allow 18 year and above passengers to bring one new laptop or notebook free of customs duty in their baggage.

MUMBAI, INDIA - SEPTEMBER 1, 2007: Queue Increase as imigration counters has cut down immigration clearance time to ten minutes at CSIA, Mumbai Credit: Vijayanand Gupta/Hindustan Times via Getty Images

Issuing a press statement, the Indian government said "These measures reflect facilitative and revised provisions for international passengers and in line with new economic conditions, rising travel volumes and passenger expectations."

"These Rules will simplify procedures, enhance transparency, enable electronic and advance declarations and ensure smooth clearance," the statement further noted.

The government said that the changes have followed after consultation with stakeholders including ministries, airport operators and feedback from passengers.

"These rules are blanket rules for all the countries and there is no specific rule for Australia," Sapra added.

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