Silver Allowance for Travellers to India (2026)
India has no separate duty-free silver allowance. The jewellery allowance of the Baggage Rules 2026 covers jewellery of any precious metal, so silver jewellery shares the same limit as gold: 40 g for a woman and 20 g for other passengers who have lived abroad for more than one year. Silver bars and coins get no free allowance and must be declared. A passenger of Indian origin or with an Indian passport, back after at least six months abroad, can bring up to 10 kg of silver (including ornaments) at the concessional rate: 10% basic customs duty since 13 May 2026, plus a cess that press reports put the total at about 15%.
Reviewed October 2026 from official sources (listed below). Rules change — check with customs before you travel.
Estimate
Values your silver at today's international price. Customs value silver at the tariff value CBIC fixes every fortnight, so the duty you pay can differ. This is an estimate only. An estimate, not a customs assessment.
Duty-Free Silver Allowance in India
| Traveller | Duty-free allowance | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Woman (resident or tourist of Indian origin) abroad more than 1 year | 40 g of jewellery, gold and silver together | Rule 6, Baggage Rules 2026. "Jewellery" covers gold, silver, platinum and other precious metals, so silver jewellery counts towards the same 40 g as gold jewellery. |
| Man or any other passenger, abroad more than 1 year | 20 g of jewellery, gold and silver together | Rule 6, Baggage Rules 2026. Same shared limit across precious-metal jewellery. |
| Abroad less than 1 year (short trips) | No jewellery allowance | Used personal jewellery needed on the trip is duty-free. New silver jewellery is dutiable. |
| Indian passport holder or person of Indian origin abroad 6 months or more ("eligible passenger") | No extra free silver. Up to 10 kg at the concessional rate | Silver in any form, including ornaments but not ornaments studded with stones or pearls. Short visits to India totalling up to 30 days do not break the six months. |
| Anyone: silver bars and coins | None | Gold or silver in any form other than ornaments is excluded from the free allowances and must be declared. |
| Foreign tourist | Used personal jewellery only | A ₹25,000 general allowance applies to other goods. Foreign nationals who are not of Indian origin cannot use the concessional silver rate. |
Duty on silver above the allowance
An eligible passenger can bring up to 10 kg of silver per person, including ornaments, at the concessional rate. An eligible passenger is someone of Indian origin or holding a valid Indian passport who arrives after at least six months abroad. Notification 15/2026-Customs raised the basic customs duty on this silver from 5% to 10% from 13 May 2026. A cess is added: press reports put the total at about 15%, but we could not confirm the exact cess on passenger silver. Ornaments studded with stones or pearls are not covered by the concessional rate.
Customs value silver at the tariff value notified every fortnight, not at your invoice. Only jewellery above your free allowance is dutiable; bars and coins are dutiable in full.
Declaring silver: ATITHI app and the red channel
Declare dutiable goods electronically on Form CBD-I through the ATITHI app or ICEGATE, up to three days before arrival, then go to the red channel. Silver bars and coins must always be declared, whatever their weight. Walking through the green channel with undeclared silver can lead to confiscation and a penalty.
Since 16 May 2026, DGFT Notification 17/2026-27 lists silver bars as restricted imports. The notice does not say how this applies to passenger baggage, so check with customs before you carry bars.
Silver and gold jewellery together
The 40 g and 20 g limits are for all precious-metal jewellery. A woman bringing 30 g of gold jewellery has only 10 g left for silver jewellery. Heavy silver items such as anklets or a set of bangles soon pass the limit, so expect to pay duty on most new silver jewellery.
Practical tips
- Keep invoices showing weight and purity, and proof of how long you have lived abroad.
- Many identical new pieces, or silver carried for someone else, can be treated as commercial and seized.
- Take an export certificate (Form CBD-III) for valuable jewellery you take abroad and plan to bring back.
- Rates changed in May 2026. Check CBIC or ask customs before you travel.
Silver price in India today
Live rates →| Fine silver (999) | ₹1,931 / tola | ₹1,65,552 / kg |
|---|---|---|
| Sterling (925) | ₹1,788 / tola | ₹1,53,289 / kg |
Bringing Silver to India: FAQ
How much is 1 kg of silver worth in India today?
About ₹1,65,552 for 1 kg of fine (999) silver at the international price converted to INR (Oct 26, 2026, 15:36 UTC). Customs use their own notified or assessed value, and shops charge more, so treat this as an estimate.
How much silver can I bring from Dubai to India?
Silver jewellery shares the duty-free jewellery limit with gold: 40 g for a woman and 20 g for a man who has lived abroad for more than a year. Above that, a passenger with an Indian passport or of Indian origin who has been abroad six months or more can bring up to 10 kg of silver at the concessional rate of 10% basic duty plus a cess (about 15% in total, as reported). Bars and coins are dutiable from the first gram.
Is there a separate silver allowance in India?
No. The Baggage Rules 2026 define jewellery as articles made of gold, silver, platinum or other precious metals, so one weight limit covers them all. Silver in any form other than ornaments gets no free allowance.
How much silver can an NRI bring to India?
An eligible passenger, abroad for at least six months, can bring up to 10 kg of silver including ornaments at the concessional rate. Only the jewellery allowance (40 g or 20 g, shared with gold) is duty-free.
Do I need to declare silver coins in India?
Yes. Gold or silver in any form other than ornaments must be declared, on Form CBD-I through the ATITHI app or at the red channel.
Silver Travel Allowance in Other Countries
Sources: Referencer: FAQ on Baggage Rules 2026 (jewellery definition; silver excluded from free allowances) · SCC Online: Baggage Rules 2026 key provisions · Chennai Customs: passenger clearance FAQ (10 kg silver for eligible passengers) · TaxGuru: text of Notification 15/2026-Customs (silver for eligible passengers, 5% to 10%) · TaxGuru: Notification 16/2026-Customs (AIDC) · TaxGuru: DGFT Notification 17/2026-27 (silver bars restricted) · IIFL: silver import duty and carrying limits in India, 2026. Information, not legal advice: customs officers decide on the spot, and rules change. See also: silver price in India · gold allowance for India · where silver is cheapest.