You can carry up to 40 g of gold jewellery (women) or 20 g (men) into India duty-free after living abroad a year or more — it’s weight-based now, the old rupee value cap is gone. Above that, a reduced customs duty (about 6%) applies.
Only the grams above your allowance are charged, up to 1 kg per passenger. The rate depends on how long you were abroad and how you pay:
~6%Abroad 1 year+, paying in foreign currencyThe reduced rate most returning NRIs qualify for.
~15%Eligible, but paying in Indian rupeesHigher than the foreign-currency rate — pay in foreign currency if you can.
~38.5%Abroad less than 6 monthsNo free allowance; the standard rate applies to all of it.
Coins and bars get no free allowance and are dutiable from the first gram. Work out your figure with the customs duty calculator at today’s live rate.
Bringing gold without paying customs
There is no separate “tax-free” scheme — your weight allowance is the tax-free limit. Stay within 40 g (women) or 20 g (men) of personal jewellery and there is nothing to pay. Go over it and you simply declare the extra and pay the reduced duty. Either way the rule is the same: declare honestly.
Green channelWithin your free limit. Nothing to pay — keep your bill ready in case you’re asked.
Red channelOver the limit. Declare it and pay the duty. Honest is always safer and cheaper.
Flying to India with gold? Send this to a friend
R RatesToday
Carrying gold to India? The full journey, step by step.
From the shop to the airport exit — and the one step that really matters.
IN THE GULF
STEP 01
Buy and keep the bill
Keep the invoice and hallmark. Customs use them to value your gold.
STEP 02
Check in
Wear your gold or keep it in your hand baggage. Never in check-in luggage.
STEP 03
Declare if it’s a lot
If your gold’s value tops the local declaration limit, fill the customs form before you fly. (e.g. UAE AED 60,000 · Qatar QAR 50,000.)
STEP 04
Board and fly
Keep your gold with you. The hard part is done.
ARRIVING IN INDIA
STEP 05
Land and show your passport
You’re in India. Next comes the main step.
STEP 06 · THE MAIN STEP
Customs: green or red
GREENWithin the free limitNothing to pay. Keep your bill ready.
REDOver the free limitDeclare and pay the reduced duty (about 6% if abroad a year+ and paying in foreign currency). Honest is always safer.
STEP 07
Pick up your bags
Collect your luggage after customs.
STEP 08
Walk out, all done
Your gold is home, the right way.
Check your gold duty before you fly
ratestoday.in/c
Limits & duty change in Budgets. Guidance only — verify with Indian Customs (CBIC) and declare honestly.
Save it to post on your WhatsApp status or Instagram — on a phone it shares straight to your apps.
Buying in the Gulf to carry home?
Gulf gold is tax-free with low making charges, so even after the reduced customs duty most travellers still save versus Indian retail — see the honest math in is gold cheaper in Dubai? Check the live comparison and country rules:
In 2026 it is weight-based: up to 40g of gold jewellery for women and 20g for men who have lived abroad for a qualifying period (generally a year or more). The old rupee value cap is gone. Anything above is charged a reduced customs duty. Confirm your exact case with the calculator and Indian Customs (CBIC).
Yes — within your weight allowance there is nothing to pay. That allowance is your tax-free limit: 40g (women) or 20g (men) of personal jewellery after a year or more abroad. Walk through the green channel with your bill ready. Above the limit you declare it and pay duty.
It depends on three things. If you have been abroad a year or more and pay in foreign currency, it is a reduced rate of about 6%, up to 1 kg per passenger. Paying in rupees is higher (about 15%). If you have been abroad under six months there is no free allowance and the standard rate (about 38.5%) applies. The calculator works out the exact amount at today's live gold rate.
Allowances stack per eligible person, so a couple can bring up to about 60g duty-free (40g + 20g). Each traveller must genuinely carry their own and meet the time-abroad condition. Children only count if they too have lived abroad for the qualifying period.
No. Coins and bars get no duty-free allowance — they are dutiable from the first gram. The weight-based free allowance is for personal jewellery. Keep invoices and hallmark/purity certificates.
If you are within the free limit, use the green channel — no declaration needed, just keep your bill handy. If you are over the limit, use the red channel and declare it. Declaring honestly is always safer and cheaper than being caught not declaring.
Yes — the allowance and duty are national. Only enforcement intensity varies (Kerala airports check hardest), and your departure country changes the paperwork, not the limit.
Children only add to the family total if they too have lived abroad for the qualifying period — confirm a child’s case with CBIC. General guidance reviewed for 2026; customs rules change and individual cases vary, so always confirm the current allowance and duty with Indian Customs (CBIC) before travelling. Calculator figures are estimates at today’s live rate.