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Whattodeclareatthecustomswhile
travellingabroad

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NupurAnand,ETBureau Sep5,2011,05.00pmIST

Tags: passengers

Nepal

India

Holiday

duty

customsrules

Cox

StumbleU
Submit

Ascentialls

Returningfromaholidaymaynotbeasexcitingasgoingonone,butyoudocomebackbrimmingwith
stories,bagsladenwithgoodiesandcamerasloadedwithmemories.If,however,youaren'tcarefulabout
whatyouareluggingthroughtheairport,there'sachancethatyouendabeautifulholidayonasournote.
Manypassengers,unawareofwhattheyareallowedtocarryabroadorbringback,unwittinglybreachthe
lawandgetcaughtatthecustoms.
Claimingignoranceabouttherulesisn'tgoingtocuticewiththecustomsofficials,whowillimposeahefty
dutyontheitemsthatyouarecarrying.So,insteadofbuyingthingsatabargainabroad,youmightendup
payingmuchmorethanwhattheyareactuallyworth.Thefinanciallosscanmaryourholiday,nottomention
thehoursyouspendattheairportandthestresssuchanexperiencecancause.So,bepreparedaboutthe
thingsyoucancarrywhiletravelling.

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Beforeyoutakeoff

EnsuresafetywithprepaidcardsItprovides
convenience...

Ifyouaregoingoverseasonavacation,youcancarryonlyupto$10,000(Rs4.5lakh)ayear,nomatter
howmanytripsyoumake.However,ifyouaregoingonabusinesstrip,youcantakeupto$25,000(Rs
11.25lakh)ayear.TheonlytwocountrieswheretheseceilingsdonotapplyareNepalandBhutan,though
youcannotcarrycurrencydominationofoverRs500toeithercountry.

September26,2011

Traveller'schequesmakewayforforexcards
August4,2010

Travelsmart:Howmuchcashoneshouldcarry
andinwhat...
April12,2012

INDEPTHCOVERAGE
CreditCard

Foreignexchangecanbedrawn60daysbeforegoingonthetripandyoucangetitfrommoneychangers,
andatbanksandairports.RajivMenon,headofforeignexchange,Cox&Kings,says,"Don'tkeepthistask
fortheendoryoumayhavetoconvertyourcurrencyattheairport.Thiscanleadtoalossastherates
offeredbymoneychangersattheairportaregenerally34%higher."
Youcancarryamaximumof$3,000(Rs1.35lakh)asforeigncurrencyincash.Ifyouneedtotakemore
money,youwillhavetotakeitastravellers'cheques(TC)orprepaidtravelcards.Whiletravelcardsare
availableonlyatbanks,TCscanbetakenfromauthorisedmoneychangersandtraveloperatorstoo.ATC
ofuptoRs50,000canbepaidforincash,butforvaluesabovethis,youwillneedtopaythroughacheque
ordemanddraft.Prepaidtravelcardsalsoofferaninsurancebenefit.Menonsays,"Cardsareeasytocarry,
andiftheyarelost,theycanbeblockedsothatyoudon'tloseanymoney."
Togeteitherofthese,youwillhavetoproducecopiesofyourpassportandtickets.Youmayalsohaveto
fillupformsexplainingthepurposeofyourvisitanddeclarethatyouarenotcarryingmorethan$10,000.For
aprepaidtravelcard,youwillalsohavetofurnishacopyofyourPANcard.
Don'tworryifyousplurgemoreonyourvacationandrunoutofmoney.Youcanalwaysdependonyour
creditcard.However,youshouldavoidthisbecauseyouwillneedtopayacurrencyconversionchargeas
wellasatransactionfeeofRs90150everytimeyouswipeit.Also,youwillhavetoensurethatyoucan
payyourcreditcardbillbeforetheduedate,otherwiseyouwillbechargedaninterestontheoutstanding
amount.
Ifyouarecarryingjewelleryorotherexpensiveitemsabroad,youwillneedtodeclaretheseattheairportat
thetimeofdepartureandobtainanexportcertificatefromtheIndianCustoms.Thiswillensurethatyou
don'tpaydutywhenyoureturn.

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Whattodeclareatthecustomswhiletravellingabroadtimesofindiaeconomictimes
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OnceyoucomebacktoIndia,youcangothroughtwochannelsgreenorred.Ifyoudon'thaveanitemthat
islikelytoattractduty,youcangothroughthegreenchannel,otherwiseyouwillhavetogoviathered
channel.Atthelatter,youwillbegiventwodeclarationforms,oneforthecustomgoods(youmayneedto
paycustomsdutyforsomeitems)andtheotherforforeigncurrency.
Youneedtomentionifyouhaveforeigncurrencynotesworthmorethan$5,000oranequivalentamount.You
willalsohavetodeclareifyouhavemorethan$10,000asforeignexchange,includingcurrency,TCor
prepaidcards.

Floralsplendour:MughalGardens Kia,DaihatsumaydriveintoIndia
Don'tthinkthatbuyingitemsatdutyfreeshopsmeansyoucanescapethecustomsduty.Thisisonly
infullbloom!
totakeonMaruti
exemptforgoodsworthRs25,000.Youwillhavetopaydutyonthegoodsthatcostmorethanthisamount.
ThebeautifulMughalGardens(atreattonature WithKiaandDaihatsugettingreadytoenter
Youcannotcombinetheexemptionlimitfortwopeople.
lovers)awashwithtulipsandrosesbloomingall themarket,andTataMotorsplanningaproduct
Forinstance,ifyouaretravellingwithyourspouseandhaveboughtacameraworthRs40,000,itwillhaveto
aroundwillopentopubliconFebruary12.
onslaught,completionissettobecome
bedeclaredinthenameofonepersonandyouwillhavetopaydutyontheremainingRs15,000.The
Raceforthetopslot:BrezzavsEcoSportvs formidable.
customsdutyis35%,alongwithaneducationcessof3%,whichbringsthetotaltaxto36.05%.
TUV300
Hyundai'smostaestheticallypleasingsedan
'Genesis'

Someitemsareconsideredrestrictedproducts(seeHowtorun
clearofthecustomsattheairport)andtheadditionaldutyfortheseishigher."Inthecaseofrestrictedgoods,
suchasalcoholandcigarettes,theapplicabledutyismuchhigherat100%,besidestheeducationcess,"
saysSumitaSingh,managingpartneratlawfirmAscentialls.
However,youwillnothavetodeclareanythingifyouonlyhavepersonalitems,onelaptopandforeign
currencythatiswithinlimits.
Yourresponsibilityisnotoveronceyouwalkoutoftheairport.Youneedtodisposeoftheunusedforeign
exchangebecauseyouarenotallowedtokeepmorethan$2,000asforeigncurrencynotes.
Anycashinexcessofthisamountneedstobesurrenderedtoabankwithin90days.Ifitisintheformof
travellers'cheques,youcanreturnitwithin180daysofreturningfromabroad.However,youcanholdany
amountofforeigncoins.

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Readers'opinions(11)
Sortby: Newest | Oldest
Atultripathi(Noida)
27Sep,201504:28PM
howmuchgoldcanicarrybackwhilecomingfromdubaion3passports
Deepak(Montpellier)
24Jun,201501:09AM
ImtravelmontpellierfrancetonewdelhiinmonthofDecember2015...Nowiminmontpellierformyinternship
of6monthafterthatigetsalaryfromheresomyquestionisthatimonly21yrsoldndiwanttocarry.2700euros
incashitismyearningthereandialsotakemonthlysalaryslipfrommycompany.....Socanutellmehowmuch
amounticancarrywhiletravelingmontpelliertonewDelhiairport...For2700eurosthereisanychancesofpaid
taxforthatamountplzzztellme
jenny(singapore)
26Dec,201406:33AM
Myfriendwasretained@dubaicustomrightnowsincexmasday.Heholdingabanker'sdraft,thecustom
officersdunlethimgo,wanthimtogivemonithentheylethimgo.Whatisthisman...howcomestillhvtistypeof
thinghappenoverthere
bitty(newdelhi)
10May,201304:51PM
hellooji,canyouplstellme
whiletravellingabroadfromindiawhatarenewrulesfortakingourjewelleryand
cashmoneywithus?Howmuchgoldpersoncantakeasbelongingswithhim/her?andalsocash...whilecoming
backtoowncountryhwtodeclearandpaytaxonitplstellme.istheiranynewrules?
VijayRad(Melbourne)
07Sep,201110:10AM
Ifibuyalaptopformyparentsfromoverseas,thencanibringittoIndiaalongwithmypersonallaptop?Doihave
topayanyfee?Ifso,thenisthereanyotherwayofgettingaroundit?
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