Gold and silver can be imported as baggage by:

1. any passenger of Indian Origin (even if he is a foreign national except Pakistani/Bangladeshi national), or

2. a passenger holding a valid passport, issued under the Passport Act, 1967,

who is coming to India after a period of not less than six months of stay abroad; and short visits, if any, made by the passenger during the aforesaid period of six months shall be ignored if the total duration of stay on such visits does not exceed thirty days.

Other conditions are:

1. The duty shall be paid in convertible foreign currency.

2. The weight of gold (including ornaments) should not exceed 10 kgs. per passenger. The weight of silver (including ornaments) should not exceed the quantity of 100 kgs. per passenger.

3. The passenger should not have brought gold or other ornaments during any of his visits (short visits) in the last six months i.e. he has not availed of the exemption under this scheme, at the time of short visits.

4. Ornaments studded with stones and pearls are not allowed to be imported.

5. The passenger can either bring the gold or silver himself at the time of arrival or import the same within fifteen days of his arrival in India as unaccompanied baggage.

6. The passenger can also obtain the permitted quantity of gold or silver from Customs bonded warehouse of State Bank of India and Metals and Minerals Trading Corporation subject to conditions (i) and (ii) above. He is required to file a declaration in the prescribed Form before the Customs Officer at the time of arrival in India stating his intention to obtain the gold from the Customs bonded warehouse and pay the duty before clearance.

   S.No.	Description of Goods	Rate
   1	Gold bars, other than tola bars, bearing  manufacturers or refiners engraved serial  number and weight expressed in metric  units and gold coins	` 300 per 10 gms.+ 3% Education Cess
   2	Gold in any form other than at Sl. No. 1 above   including tola bars and ornaments, but  excluding ornaments studded with stones or pearls	` 750 per 10 gms. + 3% Education Cess
   3	Silver	` 1,500 per kg. + 3% Education Cess

Any person can bring into India from a place outside India foreign exchange without any limit. However, declaration of foreign exchange/currency is required to be made in the prescribed Currency Declaration Form in the following cases:–

i. Where the value of foreign currency notes exceeds US $ 5,000/- or equivalent

ii. Where the aggregate value of foreign exchange (in the form of currency notes, bank notes, traveller cheques etc.) exceeds US $ 10,000/- or its equivalent

Import of Indian Currency is prohibited. However, in the case of passengers normally resident in India who are returning from a visit abroad, import of Indian Currency up to 7,500 is allowed.

Domestic pets like dogs, cats, birds, etc. are permitted to be imported. A passenger may import pets (dog and cat only) up to two numbers only at one time subject to production of required health certificate from country of origin and examination of the said pets by the concerned quarantine officer. Imports of pets over and above this quantity shall be allowed only against an Import sanitary permit issued by the department of animal husbandry and dairying or against an import licence issued by the DGFT.

As per Rule 10 of the Baggage Rules, the members of the crew engaged in foreign-going vessels are not considered as tourists or returning Indians and therefore duty free allowance available in various rules is not available to them every time when they return to India.

Crew members are required to submit the correct declaration before Custom authorities with respect to currency, gold ornaments and electronic goods, etc. in their possession on arrival as well as departure.

Crew members are allowed to bring items like chocolates, cheese, cosmetics and other petty gift items for their personal or family use up to a value of 600 only at the returning of the aircraft from foreign journey. However, a crew member on final pay off or at the termination of his engagement with the Airline shall be eligible for allowances as a common passenger.

The permission given to passengers of age 18 years or more to bring one laptop without payment of duty on arrival into India is not available to members of crew arriving in India.

Chapter 6

1. Firearms and ammunition

2. Live birds and animals including pets

3. Plants and their produce e.g. fruits, seeds

4. Endangered species of plants and animals, whether live or dead

5. Any goods for commercial purpose: for profit, gain or commercial usage

6. Radio transmitters not approved for normal usage

7. Gold and silver, other than ornaments (for import only)

8. Indian and foreign currency in excess of prescribed limits:

- foreign currency in form of currency notes in excess of US$ 5000 or equivalent and foreign currency in the form of currency notes, bank notes or travelers cheques in excess of US$ 10000 or equivalent is required to be declared on arrival.

- foreign currency in excess of amount legally obtained or in the case of tourists in excess of the amount declared on arrival or in excess of the exempted limit of declaration at the time of departure.

9. Trafficking in Narcotic Drugs like Heroin, Charas, Cocaine or in Psychotropic substances is a serious offence and is punishable with imprisonment.

10. Export of most species of wild life and articles made from flora and fauna such as Ivory, Musk, Reptile skins, Furs, Shahtoosh, etc. is prohibited. For any clarifications passenger should approach the Regional Deputy Director (Wildlife Preservation) Govt. of India or the Chief Wildlife Wardens of State Governments posted at Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai.

Chapter 8

The Indian Customs Act empowers imposition of heavy penalties for those passengers who:

1. attempt to walk through the Green Channel with prohibited, restricted or dutiable goods;

2. mis-declare their goods at the Red Channel;

3. attempt to export prohibited or restricted goods;

4. abet the commission of any of the above offences.

The penal provisions relating to searches, seizure and arrest are covered in sections 100 to 110 of Chapter XIII of the Customs Act, 1962. Penal provisions relating to confiscation of goods and imposition of penalties are covered in sections 111 to 127 of Chapter XIV of the Customs Act, 1962. Accordingly, penal provisions may lead to:

1. absolute confiscation of goods, or

2. imposition of heavy fine in respect of the concerned goods if these are released;

3. imposition of penalty on individual or concerned entities up to five times the value of goods or the duty involved

4. arrest and prosecution including invocation of preventive detention in serious cases.