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Can I Carry It? — verified carry-on guide

🇮🇳 India Customs Guide

What customs allows you to bring into India — duty-free caps, banned and restricted goods, and medication rules, from official sources.

Fully verified · Authority: Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs / Mumbai Customs Zone-III · Last verified

Every section below carries verbatim quotes from official customs sources captured on the verification date.

Two different questions. Airport security screening (TSA/CATSA — can it go through the checkpoint?) is separate from customs (may it enter the country at all?). This page covers customs after arrival in India; for checkpoint rules, see the item guides.

Duty-free allowances

General Free Allowance ₹50,000 (Indian residents & tourists of Indian origin; foreign tourists ₹15,000; from Nepal/Bhutan/Myanmar variants). Within it: alcohol/wine up to 2 L; tobacco 100 cigarettes / 25 cigars / 125 g (packs must bear the COTPA pictorial warning). Gold jewellery (passenger abroad ≥ 1 year): men 20 g capped ₹50,000, women 40 g capped ₹100,000. Excess liquor incurs high customs duty (effective ~150% on wines/liquor per the Zone FAQ).

“Alcoholic Liquor or Wine up to two liters as part of free baggage allowance The Cost of Alcoholic Liquor or wines is included in free allowance of 50000 /- .”

“100 Cigarette sticks or 25 Cigars or 125 grams of Tobacco are allowed as part of the free baggage provided Every pack of cigarette or any othertobacco product shall have the specified pictorial health warning …”

“Gold Jewellery, as Baggage of a passenger who stayed abroad for a minimum period of one year Indian Male Passenger Jewellery upto a weight of 20 grams with value cap of Rs.50,000/- Indian Female Passenger Jewellery upto a weight of 40 grams with value cap of Rs.1,00,000/-”

“Tobacco and its products: 100 cigarette sticks or 25 cigars or 125 grams of tobacco are allowed as part of the free baggage. Alcoholic liquor or wine up to two liters as part of free baggage allowance.”

Prohibited & restricted goods

Prohibited and restricted items under Section 11 of the Customs Act, 1962 and the Mumbai Customs Zone-III FAQ include: firearms and firearm cartridges exceeding 50 numbers; cigarettes exceeding 100 sticks, cigars exceeding 25, or tobacco exceeding 125 grams; narcotics and psychotropic substances; goods violating legally enforceable intellectual property rights; specified live birds and animals; and wildlife products (wild animals including their parts and products, and ivory — import prohibited absolutely under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and CITES). Drones require Red Channel declaration. E-CIGARETTE IMPORT BAN: Under The Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act, 2019 (PECA 2019) and CBIC Circular No. 35/2019-Customs dated 1 October 2019 (implementing DGFT Notification No. 20/2015-2020 dated 26 September 2019 under ITC HS Code 8543), the import, export, transport, and storage of e-cigarettes, vape devices, e-liquids, refill pods, atomisers, and heat-not-burn products is prohibited absolutely — no personal-use or NRI exemption exists; all declared items are confiscated and non-declaration is subject to statutory penalties (up to 1 year imprisonment or ₹1,00,000 fine for a first offence; up to 3 years and ₹5,00,000 for subsequent offences).

“prohibited goods are liable to prosecution/penalty and confiscation of goods.”

“Annexure-I (prohibited/restricted) includes: firearms; cartridges of firearms exceeding 50 numbers; cigarettes exceeding 100 sticks, cigars exceeding 25, or tobacco exceeding 125 grams; narcotics and psychotropic substances; goods violating legally enforceable intellectual property rights; specified live birds and animals; wildlife products. — Mumbai Customs Zone-III FAQ (CBIC, official)”

“There is no prohibition on import of drones. However, passengers possessing drones have to opt for Red Channel and should declare the same.”

“The Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes (Production, Manufacture, Import, Export, Transport, Sale, Distribution, Storage and Advertisement) Act, 2019 prohibits production, manufacture, import, export, transport, sale, distribution, storage and advertisement of e-cigarettes.”

“Import of Electronic Cigarettes or any parts or components thereof including refill pods, atomisers, cartridges etc. under ITC HS Code 8543 is prohibited.”

“Wild Animals including their parts and products and ivory … Import prohibited absolutely.”

Medication & prescription drugs

Under Rule 36 of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945 (per CDSCO official guidance), small quantities of drugs — including drugs otherwise prohibited under Section 10 of the Act — may be imported for personal use provided the drugs form part of the passenger's bona fide baggage, are the passenger's property for exclusive personal use, are declared to Customs if directed, and the quantity of any single drug does not exceed 100 average doses. Travellers must carry medicines in original pharmacy packaging accompanied by a valid doctor's prescription from a Registered Medical Practitioner. For personal-use medication not carried in accompanied baggage (e.g., mailed or couriered), an advance application in Form 12-A with doctor's prescription must be submitted to CDSCO port licensing offices (Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad) to obtain a Form 12-B import permit issued within 1–2 working days. NDPS CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES: Narcotics and psychotropic substances are strictly controlled under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (Schedules I & II); cannabis and all cannabis-derived products (including CBD oils) are NDPS-controlled and prohibited from import with no personal-use carve-out.

“Small quantities of drugs, the import of which is otherwise prohibited under section 10 of the Act, may be imported for personal use: Provided that the drugs shall form part of the passenger's bona fide baggage and shall be the property of, and be intended for the exclusive use of, the passenger; Provided further that the quantity of any single drug so imported shall not exceed one hundred average doses …”

“For import of drugs for personal use not forming part of passenger baggage, application shall be made in Form 12-A accompanied by a prescription from a Registered Medical Practitioner … The permit in Form 12-B shall be issued on priority within 1–2 working days.”

Still being verified — nothing guessed

No known verification gaps remain for India as of . All core customs allowances, prohibited goods, and medication import rules are verified against official primary sources.

India customs FAQs

What is the duty-free allowance for India?

General Free Allowance ₹50,000 (Indian residents & tourists of Indian origin; foreign tourists ₹15,000; from Nepal/Bhutan/Myanmar variants). Within it: alcohol/wine up to 2 L; tobacco 100 cigarettes / 25 cigars / 125 g (packs must bear the COTPA pictorial warning). Gold jewellery (passenger abroad ≥ 1 year): men 20 g capped ₹50,000, women 40 g capped ₹100,000. Excess liquor incurs high customs duty (effective ~150% on wines/liquor per the Zone FAQ).

What items are prohibited or restricted at India customs?

Prohibited and restricted items under Section 11 of the Customs Act, 1962 and the Mumbai Customs Zone-III FAQ include: firearms and firearm cartridges exceeding 50 numbers; cigarettes exceeding 100 sticks, cigars exceeding 25, or tobacco exceeding 125 grams; narcotics and psychotropic substances; goods violating legally enforceable intellectual property rights; specified live birds and animals; and wildlife products (wild animals including their parts and products, and ivory — import prohibited absolutely under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and CITES). Drones require Red Channel declaration. E-CIGARETTE IMPORT BAN: Under The Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act, 2019 (PECA 2019) and CBIC Circular No. 35/2019-Customs dated 1 October 2019 (implementing DGFT Notification No. 20/2015-2020 dated 26 September 2019 under ITC HS Code 8543), the import, export, transport, and storage of e-cigarettes, vape devices, e-liquids, refill pods, atomisers, and heat-not-burn products is prohibited absolutely — no personal-use or NRI exemption exists; all declared items are confiscated and non-declaration is subject to statutory penalties (up to 1 year imprisonment or ₹1,00,000 fine for a first offence; up to 3 years and ₹5,00,000 for subsequent offences).

Can I bring medication into India?

Under Rule 36 of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945 (per CDSCO official guidance), small quantities of drugs — including drugs otherwise prohibited under Section 10 of the Act — may be imported for personal use provided the drugs form part of the passenger's bona fide baggage, are the passenger's property for exclusive personal use, are declared to Customs if directed, and the quantity of any single drug does not exceed 100 average doses. Travellers must carry medicines in original pharmacy packaging accompanied by a valid doctor's prescription from a Registered Medical Practitioner. For personal-use medication not carried in accompanied baggage (e.g., mailed or couriered), an advance application in Form 12-A with doctor's prescription must be submitted to CDSCO port licensing offices (Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad) to obtain a Form 12-B import permit issued within 1–2 working days. NDPS CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES: Narcotics and psychotropic substances are strictly controlled under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (Schedules I & II); cannabis and all cannabis-derived products (including CBD oils) are NDPS-controlled and prohibited from import with no personal-use carve-out.

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