Thread: How many laptops I can bring from USA to India?

Hi all dear friends,

I am not sure enough whether I am placing this question in the right forum category or not. But I need to have this information.

One of my friends has flied to USA. While going to USA, he didn't take any laptop with him there. Now he is about to come back. The question is how many laptops he can bring with him while coming back to India?

I asked many people about this. Some say that he can bring ONLY 1 laptop and some say that he can bring 2 laptops as well. He has gone there on official trip. He is an IT guy.

He is currently bringing 1 laptop for his own with him. I want him to bring one more laptop for me. But I am not sure if there is any way for him to do it or not. Is it legal? Will it cost him some money from customs if he brings 2 laptops with him?

Can someone please guide me about this? Let me know if you need anymore details...

Thanks much,
Teja

with out box packing can bring two (pref one in checked in wrapped in clothes) or carry a laptop bag and a cabin bag (keep one in each with out box packing) can manage.
They will scan all hand bags too. but notebook in a hand baggage ,will not get attention.

Originally Posted by tolkapiam

with out box packing can bring two (pref one in checked in wrapped in clothes) or carry a laptop bag and a cabin bag (keep one in each with out box packing) can manage.
They will scan all hand bags too. but notebook in a hand baggage ,will not get attention.

Thanks for the reply.

But the thing is that, is it legal to do so? I mean, if they catch the laptops he will be hiding in the baggage, what would be the consequences? Will he be charged or punished for this in terms of money or any other way?

ONLY ONE DUTY FREE. ( +Free allowance Rs 25000/= electronic goods)
One laptop per passenger allowed.Please read the circular.
India Customs Baggage Rules: Laptop Rule

If you travel Economy, even laptop as extra hand baggage is NOT allowed.( depends on Airlines Baggage rules ).

IGNORANCE of the LAW/ RULES is Not acceptable defense.
Fine 100% of the catalog cost of Laptop can be levied. or confiscated.
( not the bill from Best BUY etc for $50/=!!!! discount sale )

Essbee just gave you the rules which are correct. Even this applies to genuine passengers who come back from abroad once in a while and not for "kuruvi's" who go to singapore twice a week.
your working laptop in laptop bag (not in new carton)or in hand luggage- whether it is lowly netbook or Asus 17"gaming laptop worth Rs 1 lakh generally allowed.
second laptop even with out box etc is a problem. Customs are quite tough on genune "too straight" passengers indeed.
when a International flight lands they need 10-15 bakras from 200-300 prospects trying to walk thro Green channel to achieve their daily duty+ chai pani cash!
(daily travelling hard core smugglers making deal with the Customs table is a different matter,once in a while they go to jail,you can not)
I have traveled abroad 100's of times alone (just with cabin baggage+laptop).
always bring back some thing checked in- value around Rs 15-20k ( LCD TV,LCD monitor,oven etc etc).
But better ask your friend to stick with his working laptop and not try extra.

Thanks a lot to both of you for sharing the details. So overall it seems like my friend might land in trouble if he carries 2 laptops without proper justification.

On the second thought, what I have heard of is there is something called "company letter for carrying laptop" which is issued from the organization you are working for or having the official trip for. It says that this particular laptop belongs to the organization and this is the letter of proof for the same. I have heard some of my friends had brought 2 laptops using the same thing.

On arrival to the airport, they show both the open box laptops. One as a personal laptop and other as a official or work laptop brought on the company letter. And the customs are a bit lenient in such cases and allow them to go out without any issues. I have just heard it and I am not much sure whether something like this really works out or not.

Do you guys have any idea about any such concept? Please share your valuable thoughts about the same.

A word of caution:
All checked in Baggage from abroad: the boxes are NOT locked.
In our Airports, laptops mysteriously disappear from the boxes!!
I lost one laptop when transferred to Jet Airlines flight
Next time :
I brought Sony Vaio as hand baggage neatly packed and carried along with other items. ( AA nly One Bag was allowed 7 or 8 Kg).

He should have declared the office laptop, to customs In INDIA,.A note would have been made in the Passport, or a Rubber stamp by Airport customs in the letter, produced by the /employee !

The saving in cost not worth, as usual Warranty for a year or two, is not available for laptops purchased abroad.( If purchased with CREDIT CARD may be allowed here . Check out. )

Originally Posted by essbebe

He should have declared the office laptop, to customs In INDIA,.A note would have been made in the Passport, or a Rubber stamp by Airport customs in the letter, produced by the /employee !

Thats the catch. He HAD NOT declared anything at Indian airport while going to US. So will it be fine if he tries to bring one additional laptop along with his own newly bought laptop? I mean it can be stated that the company is transferring it from USA to India. Thats the sort of content would be in that company letter I guess. Like, "This laptop belongs to this organization and is a company property carried by this person".

But then I am not much sure whether it will be safe or not? And now after hearing what essbebe had said and witnessed, I am actually worried.

Any other solution guys? Or any other thoughts?

If an office colleague or friend is in same flight , he can account it as his free allowance. ( if he does not have a laptop)

Originally Posted by essbebe

If an office colleague or friend is in same flight , he can account it as his free allowance. ( if he does not have a laptop)

That would have been done. But unfortunately that's not the case. There won't be anyone along with him while coming back...

What is the laptop brand and model selected ? What is the price now ?
Is he buying an older model or reconditioned one at lesser price ? or waiting for Thanksgiving Sale ?
with OS included. as part of OEM ( without CD ) or buy separately ??
( minimum $100/= for Windows 7_)

Originally Posted by Teja

Thanks a lot to both of you for sharing the details. So overall it seems like my friend might land in trouble if he carries 2 laptops without proper justification.

Delete the words in bold: there is no "proper justification.*"

One laptop means one laptop. It doesn't matter who it belongs to or what it it used for.

When people think about ideas like "what about company letter saying it belongs to them" the answer is how absurdly easy this would be to fake, and that customs laws are just not that easy to get around. Think: if it's easy it won't work



*except, of course, for declaring and paying the duty.

The custom official is someone who is very smart. He has seen all the tricks. Plus s/he is trained in psychology - not as a subject - but as a profession. The official can immediately detect who is lying, trying to cover up, etc.

Many times one will hear a story that they got off carrying 'x' amount of merchandise, etc. This is an indulgence by the officer. S/he has chosen to overlook the irregularity. Sometimes you may get lucky.

Originally Posted by essbebe

What is the laptop brand and model selected ? What is the price now ?
Is he buying an older model or reconditioned one at lesser price ? or waiting for Thanksgiving Sale ?
with OS included. as part of OEM ( without CD ) or buy separately ??
( minimum $100/= for Windows 7_)

He will be getting a new laptop for me ordered directly from the dell store. This is through the deals2buy site. Model is Dell XPS and with OS included. i5 processor, 4GB RAM, 500GB HDD and Nvidia 1GB. Cost is around 700$.

Thanks Nick_H and just4kix for your thoughts. So from the overall responses here, it seems like someone with 2 laptops might get in trouble at customs And specially if the customs officer is not in a good mood. So I think I will have to drop the idea of getting 2 laptops with one person. Because if they will get to the rules, they can keep the laptop with them which would result in a big loss to me.

On a second thought, I heard that customs people settle such cases with 20$ bribe. Hehe. So I don't know what to do. Bribing is illegal, but well then, god knows...

Xps15?

seems price difference of U.S $300/= Check about International warranty. and other details.

Originally Posted by essbebe

Xps15?

seems price difference of U.S $300/= Check about International warranty. and other details.

Yeah, XPS15. The actual price is 800$, but through the coupon code it's 700$. Here is the link if you want to have anymore details: Dell XPS15 - Deals2Buy

But seeing the responses here, I guess I won't be able to bring it to India because of the custom rules n all. Thats so bad...