Incoming people must declare over Rs 10k

Further tightening the customs rules to check bringing cash, the government said passengers flying into India will have to declare Indian currency exceeding Rs 10,000 being brought by them.

According to new rules under Customs Baggage Declaration (Amendment) Regulations, 2014, which will be implemented from March 1, passengers while entering into India also have to declare number of baggages, including hand baggage.

Besides, in future an Indian citizen would need to fill up the immigration form only when he or she goes out of the country, and there will be no need to fill immigration form for returning from abroad.

All passengers coming to India will have to fill up a new “Indian Customs Declaration Form”, which will seek details that will be different from the detachable perforated strip which is a part of the immigration card at the moment.

The form carries additional fields for declaration of dutiable and prohibited goods, which will help authorities in checking customs duty frauds and keep a record of gold jewellery and bullion being brought into the country, customs officials said.

For the first time, travellers will be asked to specifically declare prohibited articles, gold jewellery (over free allowance), gold bullion and Indian currency exceeding Rs 10,000 in the new form. A passenger will have to give details of countries visited in the past six days and mention the passport number on the new form, which was not required earlier.

However other declaration, like satellite phones, foreign currency exceeding $5,000 or equivalent, aggregate value of foreign exchange including currency exceeding $10,000 or equivalent, and meat products have been retained in the new format.