Buying and selling gold is a common occurrence for Indians- it may be in the form of jewelry, coins, biscuits and bars. It is an asset we love to invest on and adorn ourselves with the shiny jewelry. However, no matter the gender, age or purpose of buying or selling gold, there are a few guidelines you need to know about carrying gold in costly or cheap flights to India from USA. Flyopedia brings you the entire list of advice and recommendations that will make traveling with gold easier for you. Before we get into the details, here is why we think you need to know about the importance of these details and their direct impact in your life.

Why is it necessary for you to know the guidelines on transporting gold?

Gold has, in itself, been of a significant cultural impact in the lives of all Indian citizens. It is an expensive metal that is included in anything and everything auspicious in India- from marriages, celebrations, rituals and traditions. But there is more to it than that. India is also one of the top importers of gold, and one of the fastest growing importers, as of 2021. Gold is used from jewelries to investment options to reserve currencies.

How can I carry gold from the USA to India?

There are 2 ways in which you can carry gold from the USA to India. It is by carrying it duty- free during traveling or by importing gold by paying customs duty and carrying it as baggage. This is further explained below in 2 sections.

Duty free gold carried during travel

This is available when an Indian citizen has been living in the foreign country for more than a year. They are permitted to bring gold with them duty free, up to a certain value, no matter whether they are booking regular priced or cheap international flight tickets with Flyopedia.

• For males, the passengers can carry gold up to the maximum value of Rs. 50,000, i.e. approx. 8 g.
• For females, the passengers are allowed to carry gold up to the maximum value of Rs. 1,00,000, i.e. approx. 15 g.

Note:

The restriction of carrying gold duty free lies in the value of gold carried, not the weight of gold. To put it in simpler terms, male and female passengers can carry gold only up to the value of Rs. 50,000 and Rs. 1,00,000 respectively. This is because the price of gold is subject to change and the carrying weight changes accordingly.

Guidelines for carrying gold duty free

• Passenger has to be a citizen of India.
• He/ She/ They must have lived abroad for one year or more.
• The gold to be carried can only be used to make jewelry. Coins, biscuits and bars of gold made from duty free gold allowance are not permitted.
• The maximum duty free allowance for men is Rs. 50,000 and for women, it is Rs. 1,00,000.
• Gold exceeding this limit is subject to customs duty.

Carrying gold as baggage by paying customs duty

A passenger can bring less than or up to 1 kg of gold by paying customs duty. It is only permissible if you are a citizen of India with a valid passport and have been living abroad for a year or more.

Guidelines for carrying gold by paying customs duty

• When taking cheap flights to USA from India or vice versa, you need to declare gold at the customs checkpoint if it is not in the form of jewelry. You may be subject to penalty or imprisonment, if you have not otherwise.
• The gold carried can only be used for personal uses, not for the intent of business and selling it to make profits. If discovered otherwise, you may be subject to legal repercussions.
• While no law forbids you from wearing gold in transit, you should keep in mind that you can face legal repercussions if the gold you’re wearing is illegal and/ or created with blood diamonds.
• You need to have a valid receipt or invoice that solidifies the value of gold you are carrying with you, if it is in any form other than jewelry. This is because the tax is determined by the gold’s worth and if you don’t have the receipt on you, you might be liable to pay a greater charge.

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