Customs Rules: Ignoring airport rules while returning from abroad can prove costly for any traveler. The law at the airport is the same for everyone, be it a common passenger or the Chief Minister of a state. The latest example of this is seen at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in Delhi. Here, the customs department has imposed customs duty and a fine of Rs 50,000 on Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. After this incident, discussions regarding customs baggage rules in the country have intensified. Everyone who travels abroad must understand that there is a rule due to which even the Chief Minister had to pay challan.

What happened to Bhagwant Maan at Delhi airport?

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann his wife Dr. was returning from a personal visit to Paris, the capital of France, with Gurpreet Kaur. After landing at Delhi airport, he and his staff were exiting through the green channel. Customs officials then stopped them.

According to sources in the customs department, he had some new luxury items bought from Paris. It includes expensive clothes, shoes, belts and some jewelry. The total value of these goods was more than the tax free limit set by the government. As per rule this goods was not declared in advance. For this reason, the customs officials issued Rs 50,000 currency in violation of the rules. He was allowed to leave the airport only after paying this amount. However, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) termed the action as politically motivated.

How much is the tax or penalty?

In India, taxes and penalties are imposed on the baggage of passengers arriving from abroad under the Customs Act, 1962. Under this, special rules have been made for carrying goods, which are called Customs Baggage Rules. Baggage Rules, 2016 were earlier applicable in the country. The government has implemented the new Baggage Rules, 2026 from February 2, 2026, completely replacing the 10-year-old rules. Bhagwant Mann has been prosecuted under the basic principles of this Act. Under the new rules (2026) the limit of goods coming into India from abroad has been fixed as follows.

• Duty-free limit (free allowance): Under the new rules, an Indian citizen can bring new goods worth up to Rs 75,000 (for gift or personal use) without paying any tax. Earlier this limit was Rs 50,000.
• When tax is levied: If the total value of the passenger’s luggage is more than 75,000 rupees, he has to go to the red channel. There, on any additional amount above Rs 75,000, customs duty (tax) of around 38.5 per cent has to be paid.
• When penalty is imposed: If someone has Rs. 75,000 worth of goods and tries to pass through Green Channel by concealing them (as alleged in Bhagwant Mann’s case), if caught, is considered misdeclaration/smuggling. In such a situation, the tax has to be paid and a penalty of up to 100 percent of the tax evasion amount can be imposed.

What is the difference between Green Channel and Red Channel at Airport?

There are two different channels for customs clearance at the arrival terminal of an international airport.

• Green Channel: This route is for passengers who do not have any baggage on which customs duty is applicable. That is, the passenger has baggage within the prescribed limit. Bhagwant Maan was passing through this channel.
• Red Channel: This route is for passengers who have excess baggage, contraband, commercial goods or large amounts of gold and cash in excess of the prescribed limit. Here the passenger himself has to tell the officials what baggage he is carrying.

What are the restrictions on bringing laptops, alcohol or gold jewellery?

The customs department has also made strict rules regarding electronic goods, liquor and gold.

• Electronic Goods (Laptop/iPhone): Any passenger above 18 years of age can bring a laptop/iPhone absolutely free of charge. But bringing in more than one laptop or new items for commercial use will have to pay duty.
• Your old/personal phone: If the phone you are using abroad (with the box open and for your personal use), you can keep it in your pocket and bring it to India without any tax. There is no restriction on this.
• New Packed iPhone: If you are buying a new iPhone for someone from abroad, as per Indian government rules, you can bring the new item up to ₹75,000 duty free. What if the phone is more expensive than ₹75,000? Suppose you bought an iPhone worth ₹1,20,000 from abroad. In such a case, as per the rules, no tax will be levied on ₹75,000, but you will have to pay customs duty (tax) at the airport on the remaining amount (₹45,000).
• Alcohol and Cigarettes: Any passenger can carry a maximum of 2 liters of liquor and 100 cigarettes. If there is more than one bottle, the goods may be confiscated and fined.
• Gold Ornaments: If an Indian returns after staying abroad for more than a year, women are allowed to bring gold jewelery up to 40 grams and men up to 20 grams tax-free. There is no discount on gold coins or biscuits.

Under the new rules, passengers are no longer required to fill paper forms at the airport. The Customs Department advises that travelers can digitally declare their baggage in advance on the government’s Guest App or ICEGATE portal 3 days prior to their arrival in India. This avoids any unpleasant situations or inadvertent fines at the airport.