The Indian government has made a major change in the rules for bringing gold from abroad, due to which Indians living in Dubai and UAE are very happy. Under the new Baggage Rules implemented from 2 February 2026, now custom duty exemption will be available not on the price of gold but on its weight. With this, passengers will not have to worry about the fluctuations in the price of gold and they will be able to easily buy jewelery for themselves.
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What are the new Baggage Rules 2026?
According to the new rules, Indian travelers staying abroad for more than a year can now bring gold up to a certain weight without paying custom duty. Earlier this limit was fixed in rupees, due to which when the price of gold increased, one could bring less gold.
Male Passenger: Now you can bring gold jewelery up to 20 grams without duty.
Female Passenger: Now gold jewelery up to 40 grams can be brought duty free.
General Allowance: The exemption limit for other goods (such as electronics) has been increased from Rs 50,000 to Rs 75,000.
It is important to note that this discount is applicable only on jewellery. There will be no exemption on gold coins or bullion and full tax will have to be paid on it.
What impact is this having on Dubai buyers?
After this change, Indian buyers are now buying more openly in UAE. Earlier people used to worry about rising rates lest their gold go above the exemption limit. Now that the weight is fixed, this fear has ended. Khaleej Times report states that people are now buying complete wedding sets from Dubai and are giving more priority to jewelery rather than coins. Gold in Dubai is still cheaper than in India, which also leads to savings.
How easy will custom clearance be?
According to the Finance Ministry, relaxation based on weight will reduce disputes with customs officials at the airport. Earlier, there was often debate regarding the duty on changing gold prices. Now weighing is easy and will also save time. For the convenience of passengers, arrangements for digital custom declaration have also been made, which will enable faster completion of the immigration and customs process at airports like Delhi and Mumbai.
