The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) said the changes aim to modernise baggage regulations, reflect current travel habits and reduce congestion at ports of entry. For Indian expatriates, especially those living in the Gulf where gold purchases are common, the move is being seen as a practical and long-awaited reform.
India has brought welcome relief to Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) by easing customs rules on carrying gold jewellery into the country. Under the newly notified Customs Baggage Rules, 2026, the government has removed long-standing value caps on gold jewellery and retained only weight-based limits, making the process simpler and clearer for travellers.
The revised rules were announced as part of the Union Budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on February 1 and came into effect from midnight on February 2. They replace baggage regulations that had been in force for almost a decade.
As per the new framework, female passengers of Indian origin returning to India can carry up to 40 grams of gold jewellery duty-free, while male passengers are allowed up to 20 grams. Unlike earlier rules, there is now no monetary ceiling attached to this allowance
Previously, although the same weight limits applied, they were linked to value caps of ₹100,000 for women and ₹50,000 for men. Jewellery exceeding these values attracted customs duty, and passengers often had to declare items at the Red Channel and produce purchase bills, leading to delays and confusion. The removal of the value cap is expected to reduce paperwork and uncertainty at airports.
The updated baggage rules also increase the general duty-free allowance for other imported goods. Indian residents, tourists of Indian origin and foreign nationals holding valid non-tourist visas can now bring goods worth up to ₹75,000 duty-free when arriving by air or sea, up from the earlier limit of ₹50,000.
Foreign tourists, however, have a separate allowance and can bring articles valued up to ₹25,000 duty-free, provided these are carried on their person or in accompanied baggage.
