India’s Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs (CBIC) quietly refreshed its international-traveller portal on 18 July to incorporate the Baggage Rules 2026 and the companion Customs Baggage (Declaration and Processing) Regulations. Although the legal notifications were issued earlier this year, the operational details—duty-free limits, jewellery weight caps and the long-awaited laptop exemption—are now accessible in plain language with downloadable FAQs. Key points include a uniform INR 75,000 duty-free allowance for residents and tourists of Indian origin, weight-based (rather than value-based) jewellery concessions of 40 g for women and 20 g for others, and an explicit waiver of duty on one laptop for passengers aged 18 plus. Transfer-of-residence benefits have been rationalised into a single tiered table, and new temporary-import certificates will speed the carnét-style movement of professional equipment—good news for project teams hand-carrying specialised tools. Of particular interest to business travellers is the portal’s new e-declaration module for unaccompanied baggage, integrated with the ICEGATE payments gateway, which allows duty to be settled online before arrival—potentially shaving hours off airport clearance. Customs has also confirmed that land-border travellers do not enjoy the general allowance, a detail often missed by companies routing staff through Nepal or Bhutan. Employers should update travel policies to reflect the higher allowances and advise employees to keep purchase invoices handy; random checks are expected as officers calibrate the new thresholds. Logistics teams moving laptops for short-term assignments should note that only one unit qualifies for the exemption per passenger.
