Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas Seeks Revision of Gold Baggage Rules for NRIs

New Delhi: Rajya Sabha MP Dr. John Brittas has written to Union Finance Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, urging a revision of the Customs Baggage Declaration Regulations concerning gold ornaments carried by Non-Resident Indians (NRIs).
Under the current rules, female passengers are allowed to carry up to 40 grams of gold ornaments, and male passengers up to 20 grams, subject to value ceilings of Rs. 1,00,000 and Rs. 50,000 respectively. These limits were set in 2016, when gold prices were around Rs. 2,500 per gram. With current prices exceeding Rs. 11,000 per gram, the outdated value caps no longer reflect reality.
Dr. John Brittas noted that this mismatch between the weight allowance and the outdated value limits has caused confusion, frequent disputes at customs, and avoidable hardship for returning NRIs.
He has urged the Finance Ministry to remove the value caps and allow passengers to carry the prescribed weight—20 grams for men and 40 grams for women—irrespective of market price fluctuations, restoring clarity and fairness in the regulations.