The story
A tourist of foreign origin arriving in India by air or sea has a ₹25,000 general duty-free baggage allowance under the Baggage Rules, 2026—not an automatic ₹75,000. This applies to passengers other than infants, for eligible goods carried on the person or in bona fide accompanied baggage; Annexure-I goods are excluded. The CBIC notification sets out the conditions.
Who qualifies for ₹75,000?
For arrivals other than by land, the ₹75,000 general allowance covers an Indian resident, a tourist of Indian origin, or a foreigner with a valid visa other than a tourist visa who stays in India for more than six months. Infants are excluded, goods must be carried on the person or in bona fide accompanied baggage, and Annexure-I exclusions apply. These conditions belong together in the Gazette rule.
Passport nationality alone does not settle the category. CBIC’s traveller guide says tourists of Indian origin include Non-Resident Indians and Overseas Citizen of India cardholders. The Gazette defines a tourist as someone not ordinarily resident in India, entering for a legitimate non-immigrant purpose and staying no more than six months in any twelve-month period.
The practical difference is how much eligible baggage value receives the general exemption. The listed resident, Indian-origin and qualifying longer-stay foreigner categories receive a higher allowance than ordinary foreign-origin tourists. That does not make this a simple Indian-passport versus foreign-passport rule.
AI-generated conceptual illustration of used personal belongings; it does not establish how Customs will classify an item.
Land arrivals have a different rule
Passengers entering by land receive no general free allowance. The land provision permits only used personal effects required for daily necessities. Neither monetary tier should be applied to a land arrival, and the broader treatment of travel souvenirs should not be carried across to this narrower provision. See the CBIC notification.
This makes arrival route a necessary check before comparing shopping plans with an allowance. The Ministry of Finance summary also confirms that land arrivals have no general allowance.
The allowance is not a cap on everything you carry
Used personal effects needed for daily necessities and travel souvenirs receive separate treatment under the rule’s personal-effects provision, subject to the narrower land rule above. Goods imported for commercial purposes are not personal effects. The Gazette therefore should not be read as putting the entire contents of every bag under one value ceiling.
Some goods sit outside the general allowance. CBIC’s passenger summary identifies firearms, televisions, and gold or silver other than ornaments among them. Separate limits or restrictions may apply; exclusion from the general allowance does not itself mean every listed item is prohibited.
Children and families need separate checks
The rule defines an infant as a child not more than two years old. Infants have no general allowance, although used personal effects receive separate treatment. Passenger allowances cannot be pooled, so a family cannot combine individual allowances to cover one item. Both points appear in the official rules.
Before buying, establish each passenger’s category, age and arrival route, then check whether the goods qualify. CBIC says duty applies to dutiable value above the applicable allowance, but item classification and separate provisions still matter. These thresholds alone cannot determine a personal customs bill. For unusual origin, residence or visa circumstances, consult the official guidance rather than assuming a passport resolves eligibility.
Official sources checked 31 October 2026.
Sources and evidence
CBIC: Notification No. 14/2026-Customs (N.T.), Baggage Rules, 2026
CBIC: Customs Clearance of Passengers at a Glance
CBIC: Indian Customs Traveller Guide — ATITHI
Ministry of Finance via PIB: Government notifies Baggage Rules, 2026