Online shopping and getting stuff into India (Customs)
Well it is an important question in the world of today, more and more Indians are purchasing stuff online and importing it into India. But the question most people ask is the same. What about the customs duty?
Well to be frank with you, anything you have bought abroad and are bringing into India is chargeable as far as custom duties go except some duty free items like IT Products (Digital Camera, LCD Monitors,RAM,Processors etc., confirm the list though).
Seasoned ebay sellers and other online stores try to ensure that loyal Indian customers aren’t forced to shed customs at all. Remember you don’t need an IEC number to import stuff for personal use.
Here is what most companies do so that you don’t have to pay customs for importing stuff into India :
1. They mark the product as a gift on the customs declaration form of the package. This is illegal by the way , but there is no way to detect whether the thing is a gift or not. Unless the other person leaves an invoice inside the so called gift š
2. Even after declaring the commodity as a gift, Indian customs will still charge it if the price is above Rs.10000 , so these ebay sellers under-declare the value of goods. This is a double edged sword, as if the product is stolen it would mean that you would not get the right price from insurance, so this can lead to losses.
Now both these steps do save duty to the importer, but you should realise they are probably illegal and be ready for consequences. Also keep in mind the more expensive the courier, the more closely the customs will examine your package. They know that EMS and DHL aren’t used for low value items, hence these packages are scrutinised more than others. On the same time Airmail and Registered Airmail is more prone to theft especially in India.
Now the fact is most genuine importers don’t mind paying a little duty on the products they are importing into India, but the customs are so notorious that most try to circumvent them, because they know if their package is caught by Indian customs, there will be a lot more paying up to do! Also if you are importing in bulk and you don’t have an IEC, you are in big trouble.
Another question people have is what happens if the customs find your item chargeable, dont worry no one will send you to jail unless you are importing prohibited stuff. If your item is found chargeable, your package will be seized by customs and you will be sent a letter usually asking you for purpose of import etc. Be truthful while replying. If customs are satisfied with your reply, then they will calculate the appropriate customs duty and send the postman to your home who collects the duty and delivers your shipment. As easy as that. There is a small fine too for mis-declarations. Frequent mis-declarations will get you in trouble though. So be on the right side of the law. In case you have questions, feel free to ask via comments. Also this is not legal advice, hire a lawyer if you need legal advice.
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
@Nikhil I have no idea what happend to your package, but my guess is the customs guys in India must have “lost” the camera when they opened you package for inspections. By the way, I would suggest you to use AusPost Express Courier International to ship items to India from Australia. I use that all the time to ship stuffs to my family in India, it takes about 5 to 7 days to reach their doorsteps, although the ECI is a bit expensive than registered post, but its the safest and fastest option for high value goods.
I had ordered some cosmetics from US which was shipped via USPS and it claims that it is now at the Chennai Customs office….. how do I claim my shipment… any details would be helpful… thanku…
Hi WiseTechie, Your blog is amazing. I need some information regarding importing supplements.
I have a few friends there. So, i thought, I’l tell them to buy for me and then send them to me as a GIFT !!
So how much should this giftweigh and is there any limitation on its worth ?
Could you tell me what is the safest quantity of supplements to be imported without having any problems with the customs department ? 10 kg or 20 kg or even more ?
Also, whats the best means of importing ? Airmail or any other service ?? so that the customs care least about my package.
I live in Italy and i would like to ship 46″ LED TV to India. How much Indian customs will charge if i ship thru FedEx or DHL? Thanks for your help.
Tablet price + shipping(DHL) = 125$
Hi wiseTechie,Your blog was very helpful to everyone.I hope you will help me too š .I wanna buy a Tablet pc worth 125$ from china based website dhgate.com.The seller said that he will ship through DHL and will declare low price i.e below 40$ in the invoice to avoid custom duty.my question here is will there be any problem in doing so ? and what will be the custom duty for 125$ tablet ? (price includes shipping cost through DHL).Waiting for your reply.Thankyou š
i have bought 5 dresses & a handbag from a uk website (total value of ĆĀ£229)..& from another online shopping store i bought stockings worth ĆĀ£45…& another uk website from whom i bought 4 dresses & a bag, shoes n a pair of stockings…value of ĆĀ£161 (the latter being shipped in two packages)….I am very intrigued to learn if these items (for personal use only) will invite any duty & charges….?
if yes roughly how much….
last time i ordered from uk…n the parcel came in fine…
would it this time?
I recently bought a set of stickers which cost $100 and they company confirmed that they have shipped it through USPS, For $100 worth stickers how much will I be charged as custom fees ?
moreover I got this stickers as a prize and I did not pay any money, but the company will state that I have paid for it so it cannot be considered as gift.
But I wanted to know what will happen if I don’t want to pay the custom fees ?
After reading your post I wanted to ask if the seller if pricing the item low for saving customs duty. Do they ever provide an Original Bill / Invoice for the same item through another courier or not(for warranty)? Just like in-case of new Debit Card the bank send Card and Password in 2 separate couriers.
*****
I know it is kinda off topic, but don’t know where else to ask.
*****
I want to know if I buy an electronic or kitchenware from US site like ebay or others and the cost is lets say US 100$ and the moment at which I buy it through credit card(cc) the FX rate of Rs. is let say Rs. 48. So will I be paying Rs. 4800 to the credit card company or will there be additional costs like currency exchange rate or taxes or VAT.
Is the US $ charged will be FX rate of Rs. at the time i confirmed payment online or the time it is realized at the supplier/seller’s account?
Also, what is the best way to get it delivered for electronic US post, airmail or courier(UPS, FedEx)?
Thanks
I want to import around 2000gms weight of clothing (6-7items) costing around 3300 INR from china to india through dpex shipping method?
The company told me that they will declare as low value and of no commercial use.
Do i need to pay custom taxes for this order?
If so how much will i be charged?
And is it illegal to declare them as low value?
Hey! I bought a phone from ebay.com for 110.90 $ TOTAL COST.I tracked the item but it is stuck at the date 5 feb left los angeles.Now its 22 feb still I did not received the item yet.i askes the seller he told me the it might be with customs.Do you know how long does custom take it to transfer to it to my local post office? And how much custom duty they might charge? Do I have to call them and ask them to send it or they will send it by there own? Please help me! here is the tracking no. if you want lc478614183us.
PLEASE HELP ME !!!!!!!
@Sindhu In general, customs people know how much the imported goods are worth and your declared value may be overlooked if it looks like it is incorrect.
@Mayank Read comments above. It looks like USPS will hand it over to India Post which will ask you to pay customs on it. DHL and other private carriers seem to deal with customs themselves but bill you an additional agent fee apart from customs.
@Others We have no idea as to what will be customs fees for X item.
Good i hit this website. I was almost on the verge of buying a mobile phone from the eXpansys – Australia website. Often in India, most models dont hit our stores, hence was trying to buy online/import. Now after reading this post, i realise that its a fancy to import, but the cost / charges are simply not worth the risk & spending. Better be without this
I am in India as of now and I have ordered three hindi movie DVDs worth 1500Rs from BollymanUK website and they were dispatched through RoyalMail UK from their side. As per the tracking details provided the status on the RoyalMailUK website portrays that the DVDs have reached India from United Kingdom and they are in NewDelhi,India and are in process of being prepared to be dispatched for delivery. However, this status hasn’t changed for almost 15-20days and I havenĆ¢ā¬ā¢t received the items as yet.
My queries:
1) Are my DVDs with Indian customs or Are they stolen/misplaed?
2) If they are with the Indian customs then how should I get them released and whom should I approach regarding this matter?
Kindly respond to my queriesĆ¢ā¬Ā¦
Thanks in advance.
Dear all i bought some diy electronic material(one lcd monitor,some lenses etc..)total 14k indian rupee from a phillipines…he sent all item via EMS..now when i track the number..it is showing it reached my city kolkata..but in the last column it is written that
Record item customs information (Inb)
Retention reason : Awaiting proof of purchase/value from addressee …
Now what shd I do??where have to go and do those official formalities of giving declaration and paying duties if asked…
thanks for help
dear all Regarding the above case I recieved a letter from customs office
it is written that
pls submit invoice,,IEC,detail of goods
there is no invoice and IEC
what I have to do??
what if someone sends u from other country and u do not have IEC and stuff is personal item and not having invoice
Hi,
I have ordered a Lithium battery for my phone from hongkong seller through ebay.
It costs me around $5.50. Please confirm that if any custom duty will be charged to it in india or will be exempted as it is not of big value. What will be the custom duty charges if not exempted? Please suggest
Hi,
I am planning to take a second hand LED TV ($250) from Australia to India. Can you please tell me if I am allowed to take it as luggage as fragile item. Also please let me know if I need to clear/pay any kind of custom dut at Mumbai airport.
Hi wisetechie! I purchased a Graphic Card of $650 from US seller on ebay. And now it’s in customs office. How much duty do I need to pay for the same?
I bought some Panasonic and Sony Mini DV camcorders from eBay sites. Almost 20 camcorders, they are all used but in good condition. I have an IEC Code.issued by DGFT. All these camcorders had been detained by customs office. First they asked for invoice. I presented all invoices paid through eBay. Now they tell me that they are going to cease all my camcorders as used electronics goods are ban to be imported. Now what can I do? Even I told them, if I am liable to penalty, they can release my parcels with penalty charges.. But I am an ignorant thats why asking for any advice to recover my goods. Whether importing used camera is a ban in India? Can I recover my camcorders?
i want to buy a wacth timex from US site its 40$ and 20$ for shipping to delhi……………………………………….i want to know if i have to go to airport/customs to get the watch and if i have to pay any duty on that or ithe watch will come directly to my address in delhi and i dont have to pay any duty……………….and what if i buy it on on friends address in US then ask him to send it here to me in delhi……..then what are the possible options for sending it here by courier ( what all couriers optons i have )
Hi!
I had a very poor experience while importing a tablet pc from china via dhl. The device cost was rs.13000 & dhl charged me Rs.3500 as inbound charges for importing it.(I had got the parcel declared as Gift item with custom value of us$259).
The device I got was defective so I sent it back to China via airmail by declaring it as a gift item with custom value of Us$29.- This item was delivered to the concerned person in China(duty free) after 43 days causing mental tension as the parcel was not at all trackable & is still not trackable even after delivery.
Now I want to import another tablet pc from china so kindly guide me wether should I import it via dhl or by registered air-mail.
If by registered air-mail than should it be declared as Gift item with custom value of us$259 or undervalue.
What custom would be charged for usd259 tablet pc.
Do reply!
Hello,
Nice blog wisetechie… I want to buy sone coins from eBay.com for my personal collection but sellers says they loose coin parcel everytime to customs. May I know how indian custom dept are able to detect that coin is inside the packet even notes do reach my doorstep but coins they never reach… How to dupe them in this case wisetechie ? Pls Somebody help me in this case …
Awaiting your reply !
Hi,
I would like to buy a Mobile Phone from China from the http://www.fastcardtech.com website and the Phone Cost is near to 20000.Rs and they are gonna ship it for free even though they following courier services.
Normally it will takes 12 to 15 business days by EMS,
8 to 10 business days by DHL ,15 to 40 business days by airmail to arrived in there. So if i have a option to choose a courier service. what do i need to choose for low cost and in legal way? As i don’t want to skip the duty fees. And what is the duty fees for the for the Price mentioned the for the above product.
The information provided would be helpful from me thanks.
Thanks
Prasad
Hi,
I have bought a mobile phone of 409$ from china. i am from Orissa in India.how and when will i get the mobile if it got stuck in Customs??
Thanks
Vicky
Hi,
What would be the custom duty for importing 3 used lenses for SLR camera from ebay.com (Shops are in UK and Australia) that costs $45, $96 and $178 respectively? Who would collect the duty? Is it the postman who delivers the item?
Dear friend
i have purchased one vostok watch through ebay.com (cost of watch $69.9 and delevery charge is $15). Through isp web tracking i found that the recent location: “DIMC NEW DELHI 37” and event type: “Send item to domestic location (Inb)” on 1/5/2012. how long it will take to reach me in karnataka? what would be the custuom duty i have to pay and how to pay?
thank you very much
dear cj let me share my experience.
you have to regulerly check ips wb track.if it is upadetd regulerly.you are cool.if you see item retention….then you have to personally go to international post section,main post office section of your city and negotiate about the duty etc.simply bargaining..but if item retention is in any other city before reaching karanataka..then you have to contact customs clearing agent of that city..they will take a charge and clear your item.
hope none of this happens and the item simply reaches to ur doorstep with zero or minimum duty.
Hi. I did some online shopping on ASOS dot com for some apparel. The website is based in UK. My order was for ĆĀ£ 69 which is close to Rs 6000. I received my package today, however, my postman demanded I pay an additional Rs 2128. Can someone please explain to me why I am being asked for this additional amount?
Dear Sir,
I am a Gemologist and also a jeweler.
Just recently I bought a couple of pieces of Gold Jewelry from an online auction.
It was shipped through DHL. My shipment is in the hands of Bengaluru customs now.
The sender had declared it as Imitation and it was not, it was 14KT yellow gold. What should I do now ? Also I did like to this buying selling on a regular basis. Please help me find an answer for my queries.
Warm Regards-
Pradeep Gour
ti rhea…it is the duty that custom section of international post will collect from domestic post section.import duty that customs dept has charged after inspecting material inside the package.normally 6k garments do not attarct duty..but as I said indian customs is very inconsistent.
btw why order garmants from abroad when all those are made in delhi,tirupur,bangladesh,kolkata.all….
not only asos …zara,ck,tommy,h&m,abercrombie,roly,kappa,pull&bear all.u will get them in a fraction price as compared to the actual price tag in export surplus stores in delhi…bangalore,tirupur and kolkata.with 6k inr u will shop so much that u will be really tired to carry the bags.belive me.
just an info wanted to share.no offence.
to pradeep..sir I do not have any idea of gold import duty.but if you live in bangalore…just go to the department and negotiate.do not show rules or misbehave with them.you have to clear ur items skillfully.they will take duty and some extra money.thats it.I had a item stuck up experiance in customs section.I did so.
to rahul…20 usd normally wont attract any duty…but if they charge u will have to pay.
Hi willing to purchase Large spiked knuckles which will be declared as Belt buckles which they are technically called around 40$ including shipping from US through USPS First class
What can be the custom taxes inclusive on this purchase.Moreover is it legal to import online purchased knuckles to INDIA.Coz in many countries these have to be declared as belt buckles other wise very difficult to release at customs like Australia.
Question to Wisei techie.
Hi,
I purchased Mobile phone from China value of $223 plus shipment charges 38. The seller has shipped it as gift via EMS and Value declares as $48. My parcel was stuck in Mumbai Customs. Tracking details showing as Customs Retained Reason:Awaiting proof of purchase / value from addressee.
This is my first online purchase from International and I really don’t know what to. I am in Hyderabad..Please Help me…
Hello, Sir
I am in need of genuine advise for you.
I have ordered a product worth ĆĀ£55 from UK, and that product was sent to me by my wife who was at UK at the time of posting, the Item was described as worth of ĆĀ£55 and it was stated as gift now, it was sent through TNT courier and I was constantly tracking the product.
My product reached from London to Leigh, Leigh to Mumbai, Mumbai to Ahmadabad and from Ahmadabad I received a phone call that we received a courier for you and you will get delivery on Monday(Destination is PORBANDAR) but I will have to pay the duty of Rs. 1600. I have asked them that it was a gift plus there are no phone calls from Mumbai or Ahmadabad airport from custom staff that i need to pay duty and now you are coming up with duty of Rs, 1600 i agreed to pay them as if it was charged in real then its not courier people fault but i asked him that sent me all the proper documents where it states that i have to pay 1600 custom duty.
My questions
1) do i have to pay duty on gift for ĆĀ£55 item (Rs. 4800 approx)
2) if no how do i get a refund
3) was there really duty implied on my item or i am being scammed by the delivery people.
4) Also if there is genuinely duty paid then what should i actually pay, I mean it was wireless modem + router what is the percentage of custom duty should i be paying even if i have to pay????
Please answer me to this query as soon as possible please thanks.
Hey everyone! I’m a first timer in the matter of import. I’d be importing certain apparels and such stuff for personal use from U.S or U.k. Leather is included in the form of shoes. Reading this forum makes me feel I’d prefer DHL or FedEx. The thing is do u feel the goods might be chargeable by the customs? What about the leather? And if so, is there any way to avoid it? Also, is there any way I could pay up for custom duties online as it should be hard for me to leave college and personally go and get my items cleared up? Btw, informative site guys. Keep up the good work š
dear sir , i have purchased oakley juliet sunglass worth 290$ which have been shipped on 4th of Aug 12.
my question
1. how much duty will i have to pay??
2. will i recv the item at my location or ill have to clear it from custom personally.
to sankar.if you leave in mumbai go to the office dirctly and just convice the officers.I faced the same case.just bribe them may be 500 to 1k…….no worry ur item will be cleared but dont be rough with them be very nice with them….
if you are not confident or do not leave in mumbai….get a customs clearing agent….they do the job..take little,charge according to package value…dont worry
Hi All,
Want to share a personal experience with you all.
Recently I had bought 2 tablets PC from China. Both were priced at around 146USD. One was sent via Fedex and the other was sent via DHL. BTW I am in Bangalore. For the parcel sent using Fedex, the package came via Mumbai where the customs charged me Rs283 and I had to pay 300 as brokerage to Fedex.
The 2nd one came directly from Hong Kong to Bangalore where the Bangalore customs department held my package for 2 days and then charged me 2987. š
BTW both these items were quoted as sample and value was printed at 25USD.
I have ordered one more tablet again using Fedex and the same thing happened (charged 619 this time inclusive of brokerage by Mumbai customs).
After these 3 experiences, I feel that if you are getting an item from China then better to use Fedex as it comes via Mumbai and the Mumbai customs dept doesn’t seem to scrutinize your package value and charge you with customs duty of 16%. This is just an observation from my side and I am not claiming that you will always be charged less by customs when you ship using Fedex. š
I thought of sharing this as it might help others.
I am planning to order one more tablet this time and will use DHL to verify the same. š
@Hardik. Since your value amount is less then 5000 INR and was marked as gift then ideally you need not pay any duty. But if the customs is doubtful about the valuation of the gift then they may held up and charge you a good amount. But in that case you should get proper billing by customs. Also, I was wondering why did they charge you 1600. total customs duty is around 16.8% which does not come to 1600 (even considering the brokerage amount). You should try to get the detailed bill from TNT.
Hello Sir,
I have ordered a dj controller from China. I wanted to know how does the registered airmail of China Post actually work because they said that they going to ship it by registered airmail to India. I do not know how much customs I will have to pay, but they saying I need not pay as it is China Post. They have also given me a tracking number but everytime I enter that,it says not a suitable item.The value is around Rs 22000.What is the expected time it might take to reach Bangalore?They shipping it from Shanghai.
Please clarify my doubts for which I would be grateful.
Thanks
@Pranav- Registered mail should atleast take 17-20 days (you can expect more delay). Would advise you to use DHL/Fedex instead when you are importing costly items.
Regarding customs, it depends on how much the material was tagged in invoice. It will be 1st converted into INR and then 16.85% of tax would be levied on it.
Hi!
I was about to purchase an electric guitar worth around $500 from Amazon. Will there be any duty applied on that? If yes, how much? Any way to escape that?
hi everyone,
i just wanted to ask that i want to order screen guards for selling but only 100 in no the whole package cost around 6000 but the seller is telling me that he send it as a gift …….its http://www.alibaba.com
i am worried that if customs catch this item
help …………………….
Hi All,
I made an online purchase of a product from 409shop.com ( A HK site) worth $24.5. The seller shipped item through EMS as a gift and mentioned price as $10. While checking the EMS tracking site , it was showing that item reached India. 30-40 days after the purchase date , I got a registred mail from local Foreign Post Office saying that they have received a product and in-order to release the same I need to produce the following details :
1) Purchase order
2) Type of the item
3) IEC Number
4) Original bill / receipts
I collected all the required things and sent to local FPO with a covering letter. In another 2 week , I got the item in hand , that too by paying Rs.560 /- š
Just thought of sharing my experience.
I
hi i am planning to buy a pair of speakers for my car from a US based online shopping , which comes to like 130$ including shipping via USPS International Priority. do i need to pay Customs duty for this and also would i need an IEC license to get this imported, please let me know , i am very confused to buy it or not, as these kind of speakers are not available in India.
Regards,
Ali
What is the customs duty on tea? I want to import British tea brand for myself. Say If I were to order 500 tea bags in five boxes from an online store….
i am a big anime fan so i want to ship a set of imitation ring form japan to india it costs approx 2000 rs.will i be charged customs duty.i am buyim from ebay.
please help
Hi,
here from the above comments, everybody need to get their product without paying tax. But I am ready to pay customs duty, But how much they will charge me for a Iphone Worth $750.. ?
Hi..frnds..recently i hav purchased tablet from china thru china chian post..it costed about 76$ but unluckily i had to pay 2520rs as customs..so guys i would like to suggest that if ur planning to buy electronics like tablet/mobile/laptop from abroad think for twice…bcoz they attract the customs much..plz dont buy from abroad..its my peresonal suggestion only..