Explore Indian customs regulations, tariffs, and import requirements to ensure seamless international shipping with expert customs support.
Fast and reliable shipping estimates.
The term "Customs Duty" refers to the tax imposed on your goods while transported across international borders. The objective of customs duty is to protect each country's economy, residents, jobs, environment, etc., by controlling the flow of goods, especially restrictive and prohibited goods, into and out of the country.
Every good has a predetermined rate depending on multiple factors and considerations. Countries determine customs value based on Harmonized Tariff Code, Material of Good, Manufacturing origin, the purpose of use, etc. Customs duty is calculated on the value of goods and includes freight cost, cost of insurance, and any other cost invoice in the transportation of goods.
Understanding the customs rules and regulations is imperative while shipping a product or cargo overseas. Below are some primary guidelines that exporters/importers should follow while shipping internationally.
Review the list of prohibited items before you ship, as each country may have restrictions on certain items to be imported. For example, India prohibits the shipping of drones or electronic cigarettes into the country.
Shipping used products as gifts is not allowed. Customs duty will be charged with additional fines and penalties if you do. When moving back to India, shipping used items is only permitted with accompanied baggage.
If you move back to India, you are eligible for exemption from customs duties under Transfer of Residence. All you would need to do is apply for Transfer of Residence and provide all the required documentation for the clearance. Forgetting to do this can cost you customs duty on the shipment.
At SFL Worldwide, we specialize in international shipping, and with our extensive experience in the USA to India shipping, we can assist in shipping any commodity to India.
Various factors determine how much customs duty charges and taxes on imported goods. Your customs duty is calculated based on Harmonized Tariff Code. Each product has a unique HTC code. It is crucial to mention the HTC code on the commercial invoice of any shipment. This will allow customs officers to determine accurate customs duties on products. If the HTC code is missing or entered incorrectly, you may face an inaccurate customs duty with additional penalties.
The true answer is that there is no way to avoid customs duties for any imported product from a foreign country. However, there are a couple of ways to prevent customs duty depending on the value and your shipment type. The customs duty is a percentage determined by the total purchase value of the product paid in a foreign country and is not dependent on quality, size, or weight.
In addition to the HTC code, it is essential to classify the reason for shipment – is your shipment a gift, sample, commercial shipment, or personal item under transfer of residence? Depending on the type of shipment, the Indian customs provides relief on customs duty charges.
Anyone who has settled abroad and contemplating a return or planning an extended stay in India can use the transfer of residency for relaxed customs rules regarding the import of their personal belongings.
Those returning or planning an extended stay in India should consider using transfer of residency to take advantage of relaxed customs duties. This facility allows the importer of personal or household to avoid paying customs duty on certain qualified items and pay reduced customs duty of certain items. Persons taking transfer of residence are no longer subject to any minimum stay requirements in India.
TR process allows eligible candidates to avail duty-free import on certain household goods and reduced customs duty on others.
If household articles are used, the TR process will allow standard depreciation depending upon the type and age of the article.
To claim the transfer of residence, "Foreign nationals" must have a:
One-year resident visa from the date of arrival into IndiaMust get a resident permit card within two weeks of arrival into India.Minimum stay of 2 years abroad, immediately preceding the arrival date on the transfer of residence.Total stay in India on a short visit during the preceding 2 years should not exceed 6 months.Passenger or family members have not availed this concession in the preceding 3 years.A passenger (including foreign nationals) returning after a minimum stay of two years or more, be allowed clearance free of duty for used personal and household articles, up to the aggregate value of Rs. 500,000/- Five Lakhs, provided the total stay in India on a short visit during the two preceding years should not exceed six months and has not availed this concession in preceding 3 years.
| Items | Duty Estimate |
|---|---|
| Tube Color Television | 15.45% |
| Video Home Theatre System | 15.45% |
| Refrigerators of capacity above 300 liters or its equivalent | 15.45% |
| Deep Freezer | 15.45% |
| Cinematographic films of 35 mm and above | 15.45% |
| Cigarettes, Cigars, Tobacco | 15.45% |
| Hard Liquor (Whisky, Rum, Gin, Vodka, Brandy, Bourbon, Cognac etc.) | 160% |
| Mild Liquor (Wine, Cinzano, Campari, Sherry, Champagne etc.) | 160% |
| Beers (Made from Malt) | 103% |
| Gold including bars, coins & ornaments (restricted up to 1 Kg) | Rs: 2,837/10 gm |
| Silver (restricted up to 10 kgs) — Duty per 1kg | Rs: 3,615 / Kg |
| Firearms (including AIR GUN) & CARTRIDGES EXCEEDING 50 | 103% |
| Flat Panel (LCD/LED/Plasma) Television | 36.05% |
| Video camera or combination with TV Receiver, Sound recording/reproducing apparatus, Video reproducing apparatus | 36.05% |
Your trusted logistics partner for hassle-free door-to-door shipping and moving services.
Carminie Bachan
1 year ago
I had the best experience with SFL Shipping. My packages was delivered faster than I expected. I wi definitely be using them again. Also Sunny was extremely helpful and courteous responded my email very efficiently. Thank you Sunny Trivedi.
Manoj Kumar Reddy
1 year ago
I used SFL World wide to ship my package to India, Rahul Karelia helped with whole process. It was easy and quick, thanks for your service.
Mon Pal
1 year ago
Needed to send a 3 page document for signature from US to Greece and SFL was able to send for 1/5 of the price and it arrived in 3 business days. The return Greece to US was less of a discount, but still a substantial savings. Once I requested a quote a personal guide contacted me via email to see if I needed anything and sent me the link to fill out the form. Super easy and will be using SFL going forward. Thanks Rahul for making this so easy!
Kaushal Acharya
1 year ago
SFL worldwide provides outstanding shipping service from USA to India! Reliable, prompt and professional. The process was quick, efficient, and hassle-free. Detailed packaging details were provided like box size or box type to pick based on requirements. The customer support team was friendly and helpful. Highly recommend!
Kavya Chowdary
1 year ago
I've recently used SFL Worldwide to ship documents . I'm in Dallas, TX and initiated a shipment from Dallas to India. Worked with "Naman" he gave me good instruction and cleared all the queries regarding shipment .
United States
India
Canada