New Delhi :
Incoming passengers not carrying dutiable goods will not have to fill up customs declaration form from tomorrow under a new regime in which duty-free allowance of passengers has been marginally increased but those coming from China will no longer enjoy any duty-free allowance.
Hereafter, only flyers carrying prohibited and dutiable goods will have to fill up the declaration form.
The changes were announced by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley while presenting the Budget for 2016-17.
The duty free allowance of two litres of alcoholic liquor or wines, 125 cigarettes, 50 cigars and 125 gms tobacco for the passengers will continue.
The monetary limit for Indian passengers coming from any foreign destination, excluding Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar, has been increased from Rs 45,000 to Rs 50,000.
The duty free allowance for people coming from Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar has been increased more than two times to Rs 15,000 from Rs 6,000 at present.
Passengers from China can no longer bring goods duty free into India. Till now they were able to bring duty free goods of Rs 6,000.
The increase in allowance will be applicable for journey by air. Those coming to India from land borders will not be able to get any amount of free allowance, as per the new rules.
The duty free allowance for foreigners has also been increased to Rs 15,000 from the existing limit of Rs 8,000, from April 1.
All necessary arrangements have been made to ensure that new customs rules are followed properly, said Sanjay Mangal, Commissioner of Customs at Indira Gandhi International Airport today.
“We have written to all airlines that they should provide Customs Declaration Form to passengers carrying dutiable goods and that they should fill it up on board flights so that they do not have to stand in queue after deboarding,” he told PTI.
