Customs Regulations             

On Arrival

• 1. Travellers who are not carrying any dutiable goods or high value articles or foreign exchange of U.S $1,000/-, all of which have to be declared, can walk through the green channel of customs. Others are required to go through the red channel.
  
  
• 2. A declaration providing description and value of baggage contents is to be made to the customs authorities.
  
  
• 3. Importation of personal jewellery, cameras, binoculars, tape recorders, transistors, radios, professional equipment etc., is permitted duty free provided they are re-exported at the time of departure. These items have to be carried by the passenger and cannot be sent as unaccompanied baggage. A Tourist Baggage Re-Export (TBRE) form is to be filled on arrival and must be produced along with listed articles before customs authority at the port of departure.
  
  
• 4. Foreign exchange in the form of currency notes, Travellers cheques or bank notes exceeding U.S. $ 1000/- imported by a tourist have to be declared by the tourist in the currency declaration form to facilitate re-export of the un-utilised amount.
  
  
• 5. Unlicensed and undeclared arms will not be allowed into the country.
  
  
• 6. Import of :
  a) 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars of 250 gms of tobacco
  b) Alcoholic liquor upto 0.95 litres is permitted duty free.
  
  
  On Departure
  
• 1. The TBRE form and the goods entered therein must be produced before customs for verification at the port of departure.
  
  
• 2. Goods worth a maximum of Rs.20,000/- may be exported, subject to certain limits including the following:
  a) Silverware upto a maximum of Rs.200/-
  b) Precious stones and jewellery (other than articles made wholly or mainly of gold) upto a maximum of Rs.15,000/- and
  c) Gold jewellery upto a maximum of Rs.2,000/
  
  
• 3 . The export of certain items from India is banned. This includes animal skins, ivory, antiques, gold coins, bullion, ingots and articles other than jewellery unless an export license is acquired.
  
  Other Formalities
  

• 1. Income tax clearance certificate is required at the time of departure if your stay has been for more than 90 days. For such a certificate,
  contact :
  Foreign Section,
  Income-tax Building,
  Nungambakkam High Road,
  Chennai - 600 034.
  
  
• 2. Foreign travel tax is Rs.150/- for neighboring countries (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka) and Rs.750/- for other overseas destinations. This is payable at the airport at the time of departure.
  
  
• 3. A valid health certificate is mandatory for all persons (including infants) arriving by air, sea or land who have been in a yellow fever infected area (even in transit) within the last six days.
  
  The yellow fever certificate becomes valid 10 days after the date of vaccination. A person arriving in India, who is accordance with these requirements will, in the absense of it, be quarantined for a period of upto six days.