Taking my 2 month old bicycle from the US to India on plane as checked luggage. Do I have to pay import duty when I land in India?
I am an Indian citizen. Also, I will be taking my bicycle with me back to the US in August. The price of the bike is around $1600 and it isn't sold in India.
Best Answer
This is too late for the original poster -- sorry! -- but since this is a Q/A site it's worth answering. The Indian customs for travellers booklet says
Used personal effects (excluding jewellery) required for satisfying daily necessities of life
are free. You can try to argue your bike is such but I wouldn't hold my breath.
Also, your allowance is 35 000 rupee which equals 487 USD. How much is a bicycle worth used if new it was 1600 USD? Hard to say.
If you feel it's much more than 500 USD then since you are temporarily importing a rather valuable good, the answer is an ATA Carnet. There are two companies in the USA authorized to issue them, Roanoke trade and Corporation for International Business. The base fee for a good under $10K will be 235 USD. You need to present your carnet outgoing to US Customs and when entering a country, go through the red corridor to show your carnet to the relevant customs authority.
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Can I import bicycle from USA to India?
As per the Indian Baggage Rules (rather Baggage rule of any country), used bicycles do not make the baggage bonafide and therefore, you cannot import these bicycles as unaccompanied baggage.Can we import cycle to India?
You must not have resided in India for at least two years prior to importing your vehicle. Also, you must be planning to reside in the country for at least one year after this shift to become eligible for import. Transfer of bike or car must occur within six months of your shifting base.Can you import bicycle?
First, the import duty on bicycles in India is zero under the Agreement on South Asia Free Trade Area (SAFTA), which provides duty-free access to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka bicycle manufacturers in the Indian market. On the other hand, import duty in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka is 25 per cent and 30 per cent respectively.What is the custom duty limit in India?
For an Indian resident or foreigner residing in India or a tourist of Indian origin the upper limit for the total worth of items brought to India for duty-free allowance is Rs 50,000. It means if your baggage contains items chargeable by customs worth up to Rs 50,000 then you won't have to pay tax.How Much Electronics Can I Take to India in Hindi | By Ishan Sid
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