Nothing to declare! Flyers not to fill customs form from tomorrow

New Delhi: Passengers coming to India and not carrying dutiable goods will not have to fill up customs declaration form from tomorrow.

Flyers carrying prohibited and dutiable goods will only be filling up such declaration form, which was earlier mandatory for all passengers coming to the country.

The move is part of a new and simplified measure announced by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley while presenting the Budget for 2016-17.

All passengers who come to India and have anything to declare or carrying dutiable or prohibited goods need to fill up the 'Indian Customs Declaration Form', as per the new rules which will come into force from tomorrow.

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 here 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.

Foreigners' duty free allowance has also been increased to Rs 15,000 from the existing limit of Rs 8,000, from April 1.

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 limit to bring duty-free goods worth Rs 6,000 for passengers of Indian origin and coming from China has been taken away. The duty-free allowance for people coming from Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar has been increased to Rs 15,000, more than two times the limit of Rs 6,000 at present.

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, the rules said.

The monetary limit for passengers of Indian origin coming from any foreign destination, excluding Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar, has also been increased. Now such passengers can bring duty free goods worth Rs 50,000 from tomorrow instead of Rs 45,000 at present.