Removals - some practical guidance

India is similar to other countries in terms of customs restrictions and timeframes, but there are a couple of differences to be aware of. Firstly, before items can clear customs, the owner has to be present in the country, and officials may want to see the owner’s original passport. Air shipments must be shipped within 15 days and surface shipments must be shipped within one month of the owner's arrival in India. Secondly, most electrical items are subject to duties and taxes.

All shipments are subject to customs examination, and customs duties are assessed based on the customs evaluation.

The moving company needs to supply customs or the destination partner with the following:

• Photocopy of the transferee's passport
• Packing inventory (with values and date of purchase)
• Certificate of shipment (Airway Bill for air freight, and Bill of Lading for sea shipments)
• Customs declaration form signed by the owner
• For corporate moves a letter of employment is useful
• For diplomatic consignments, a duty free exemption certificate can be issued by the Diplomatic Mission in India

The assignee may have to complete some formalities at the destination if required to attend the customs office.

Potential delays

As with elsewhere in the world, should items arrive on or around a public holiday, expect some backlog. India’s various public holidays include Good Friday in April, Independence Day in August and Diwali in November.

At times, cyclones may impact clearance and delivery schedules.

Timelines

Door to door sea container shipments take approximately six to seven weeks to areas such as New Delhi and Mumbai. Airfreight shipments door to door all over India take around 10 to 14 working days.

Restricted items

Restricted items include firearms, weapons and ammunition of any type (unless licensed in advance), politically undesirable literature, narcotics, obscene literature and pornographic materials. Dry food and alcohol are not prohibited, but are subject to tax and duties.

Information provided by James Hooper of Interdean. www.interdean.com.

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