Removals to India from the UK
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India lets people moving home bring their household goods in duty-free — up to a set value, after a set time abroad, and inside a set arrival window. Here is how the allowance works, what it leaves out, and how a move to India is priced.
Last updated: October 2026 · 4 min read
Written and fact-checked by the Removly editorial team · How we research prices
How much can you bring into India duty-free?
If you are moving your home to India after two years or more abroad, the Baggage Rules let you bring personal and household articles up to a total value of five lakh rupees without paying duty. That allowance sits on top of the normal passenger allowance.
- You must have lived abroad for two years immediately before you arrive.
- Short visits to India in those two years must add up to no more than six months.
- You can't have used this concession in the previous three years.
Customs can forgive a shortfall of up to two months if you came back early on terminal leave or for other special reasons. Shorter stays abroad get smaller allowances, and the rules tie those to Indian passengers — so if you are not an Indian national, confirm your position with Indian customs or your mover first.
Source: CBIC, Baggage Rules 2016 (as amended), rule 6. Rules change — check the current version before you ship.
What does the allowance leave out?
Two lists of goods sit outside the duty-free allowance. Pack them and you pay duty on them, whatever your total.
- TVs: flat-panel sets (LCD, LED and plasma) and colour televisions.
- Big appliances: fridges over 300 litres, deep freezers, dishwashers and home theatre systems.
- Other goods: firearms, gold or silver other than jewellery, alcohol over two litres and tobacco over set amounts.
Plenty of everyday kit is inside the allowance, though: washing machines, microwaves, cookers, air conditioners, computers and fridges up to 300 litres. A car is separate — after two years' continuous stay abroad you can bring one used car you've owned and used for a year, but it pays normal duty.
Source: CBIC, Transfer of Residence Rules at a Glance (Annexures I–III).
When must your shipment arrive?
Goods sent separately from you count as unaccompanied baggage. They must have been yours while you lived abroad, they can land up to two months before you arrive, and they must be sent within one month of your arrival.
Customs can extend those limits, with its permission, in circumstances beyond your control. One catch: the normal passenger allowance doesn't apply to unaccompanied baggage, so the transfer-of-residence allowance does the work for anything you ship. If your dates are uncertain, UK storage can hold the shipment until your timing fits.
Sources: CBIC Baggage Rules 2016, rule 8 · CBIC, Transfer of Residence Rules at a Glance.
What can't you bring into India?
Vapes are banned, and you can't bring them in. Satellite phones and GPS devices are illegal to own or use without a licence, and that may include handheld or cycling GPS units.
Declare anything that may be prohibited or dutiable, and declare cash over US$5,000 in notes, or US$10,000 in notes and travellers' cheques combined. Moving with a dog or cat? Two pets can come with you on a transfer of residence, with a health certificate and a quarantine check on arrival.
Sources: GOV.UK travel advice for India · CBIC, Transfer of Residence Rules at a Glance (pets).
How is a move to India shipped and priced?
Household moves can go in a container of your own or share space in one. Ask each firm which it is quoting for, and how that affects the timing.
We don't publish a price for India, because quotes are set on different bases — some port to port, some door to door. Get surveyed door-to-door quotes and compare them like for like, and see our international removal costs page for routes where prices are verified. Good export packing matters on a long sea journey.
Removals to India: FAQs
Can I bring my household goods into India duty-free?
Often, within limits, if you are moving your home there — check eligibility with Indian customs if you are not an Indian national. After two years or more abroad immediately before you arrive, India's Baggage Rules allow personal and household articles up to a total value of five lakh rupees free of duty, as long as your short visits to India in the previous two years added up to no more than six months and you haven't used the concession in the last three years.
When does my shipment have to arrive in India?
It can land up to two months before you arrive, and must be sent within one month of your arrival. Customs can allow longer in circumstances beyond your control, with its permission, so time the shipment around your own flight.
Can I take my television to India?
You can, but a flat-panel TV is not covered by the duty-free allowance — LCD, LED and plasma sets are on the excluded list, so expect to pay duty. Large fridges over 300 litres, dishwashers and deep freezers are excluded too.
Can I pack a vape or a satellite phone?
No. Vapes are banned in India and you cannot bring them in, and satellite phones and GPS devices are illegal to possess without a licence. Leave them out of both your luggage and your shipment.
How much does it cost to move to India from the UK?
There is no single figure we can stand behind: quotes depend on your volume, whether you share a container or book your own, and whether the price is port to port or door to door. A survey gives you a fixed, comparable price.