You must declare anything beyond your personal duty-free allowance: dutiable goods worth more than Rs 75,000, gold or silver above the duty-free limit, gold bars or coins (always dutiable), and foreign currency cash over USD 5,000 (or over USD 10,000 including traveller’s cheques). You must also declare any prohibited or restricted items, such as satellite […]
What Must You Declare at Indian Customs on Arrival? (2026) Read More »
Never put power banks or spare lithium batteries in checked luggage — they are cabin-only by aviation safety rules. Also keep cash, jewellery, laptops, phones, passports, essential medicines, keys, fragile items and important documents with you in the cabin. Checked bags can be lost, delayed or opened, and airline liability for a lost bag is
What You Should Never Pack in Checked Luggage (2026) Read More »
Yes. You can lock your checked luggage on flights in India, and most travellers do. Cabin bags are usually left unlocked because screening staff need quick access. TSA-approved locks matter mainly for trips through the United States, where security can open them with a master key. In India, CISF or airline staff may still ask
Are Luggage Locks Allowed on Flights in India? (2026) Read More »
The Green Channel is for passengers with nothing dutiable or restricted to declare, meaning you are within the free allowance (Rs 75,000 for most adult travellers). The Red Channel is for anyone carrying dutiable or restricted goods, or value above the allowance. Walking through Green when you should use Red is an offence under the
Green Channel vs Red Channel at Indian Customs (2026) Read More »
For domestic flights inside India, you generally do NOT need a consent letter to travel with a child who has a different surname — but carry the child’s age proof and any document linking you (birth certificate, passport). International travel is different: some countries and airlines ask for a notarised consent or authorisation letter when
Travelling With a Child of a Different Surname: Consent Letters (2026) Read More »
Keep in your cabin bag anything valuable, fragile, or lithium-powered: power banks and spare batteries, phones, laptops, medicines, documents, and one change of clothes. Put in checked baggage anything sharp, bulky, or over 100ml of liquid: full-size toiletries, tools, and most aerosols. A few flammables are banned from both bags entirely. Updated June 2026 ·
Checked vs Cabin Baggage: What Goes Where? (2026) Read More »
Yes — you can bring your personal laptop, phone and gadgets into India. One laptop and your in-use phone are customarily treated as personal effects within the Rs 75,000 duty-free allowance, so there’s usually no duty. Brand-new, sealed or multiple identical high-value items can be taxed — declare them via the Red Channel and keep
Bringing Laptops, Phones & Drones Into India: Customs Rules (2026) Read More »
The stamp or punch on your boarding pass is the CISF’s proof that you and your cabin bag cleared the security check. The gate agent re-checks it before letting you board, so an unstamped pass gets you turned back. This is still standard at most Indian airports in 2026 — it has not been universally
Why Is Your Boarding Pass & Cabin Bag Stamped at Security in India? (2026) Read More »
When you fly back to India in 2026, the General Free Allowance lets Indian residents, NRIs, OCI cardholders and foreigners on non-tourist visas bring in goods worth up to Rs 75,000 duty-free (Rs 25,000 for foreign tourists of non-Indian origin), per CBIC Baggage Rules 2026. That covers used personal effects plus gifts and souvenirs, along
India Customs Duty-Free Allowance for Returning Travellers (2026) Read More »
For a domestic flight in India you must carry an original government-issued photo ID along with your confirmed ticket or boarding pass; it’s checked at terminal entry, security and the boarding gate. The most reliably accepted IDs are Aadhaar (including mAadhaar), passport, driving licence and Voter ID, with PAN and a few others also on
Which IDs Are Valid for Domestic Flights in India? (2026) Read More »
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