NRI Gold Customs: Rules, Limits, and What You Can Bring Into India

When you're an NRI, a Non-Resident Indian who lives abroad but maintains financial ties to India. Also known as Non-Resident Indian, it means you’re eligible for special rules when bringing gold back home. The Indian government lets NRIs carry gold into the country — but only under strict limits. Go over those limits, and you’ll pay heavy customs duty. Skip the rules entirely, and you risk fines or even confiscation. It’s not about being sneaky — it’s about knowing what’s legal.

The key number to remember is 50 grams. That’s the maximum amount of gold jewelry an NRI can bring into India duty-free, as long as they’ve been outside India for at least six months. This applies to men and women alike. Any more than that? You’ll pay 10% customs duty on the excess. And if you’re carrying gold bars or coins — not jewelry — the rules get stricter. You can’t bring them in duty-free at all unless you declare them and pay the full duty. Many people think gold coins are treated like jewelry. They’re not. Gold bars? Even worse. The customs department treats them as raw material, not personal items.

Here’s what most NRIs miss: the 50-gram limit is per person, per visit. If you’re flying with your spouse and two kids, each person gets their own 50 grams. That’s 200 grams total — but only if everyone qualifies as an NRI. If your child is a minor, they still get the allowance, but you must prove they’re your dependent. And if you’ve already brought in gold in the last six months? That counts toward your limit. Customs doesn’t reset every year — they track it per trip. Also, if you’re returning after a short trip (under six months), you lose the duty-free benefit entirely. You’ll pay full duty on everything, no exceptions.

What about gold you bought in Dubai or Singapore? Same rules. It doesn’t matter where you bought it. What matters is how much you’re carrying, what form it’s in, and how long you’ve been outside India. Some people try to split gold across multiple family members to avoid duty. That’s risky. Customs officers check passport stamps, travel history, and even bank records. If they suspect you’re trying to bypass the rules, you’ll face delays, questions, and possibly penalties.

There’s one exception: if you’re returning to India permanently, you can bring in up to 1 kilogram of gold (in any form) — but you must declare it and pay duty. You also need to prove your change in residency status with documents like a visa cancellation, employment termination letter, or property purchase proof. This isn’t a loophole — it’s a formal process. Don’t assume you can just walk in with a suitcase of gold and call it a day.

And here’s the thing most guides don’t tell you: gold jewelry worn on your body counts toward your limit. If you’re wearing a heavy necklace, bangles, and earrings — the total weight of all those items is included. Customs doesn’t care if you’re "just wearing" it. They weigh it. So if you’re trying to sneak in 80 grams by wearing 40 grams and carrying 40 grams in a box? That’s still 80 grams. You’ll pay duty on the extra 30.

Bottom line: NRI gold customs isn’t complicated if you know the rules. Know your limit. Know the form. Know your travel history. Don’t guess. Don’t hope. If you’re over 50 grams, declare it. Pay the duty. Keep your receipt. It’s cheaper, safer, and way less stressful than getting stopped at the airport with a bag full of gold and no paperwork.

Below, you’ll find real posts from NRIs who’ve been through this — what they brought, what they paid, what surprised them, and what they wish they’d known before landing in India.