All passengers have to fill out Disembarkment / Embarkment cards while travelling on international flights.

Instructions for passengers to fill Disembarkment / Embarkment cards:

• All passengers entering India shall fill up D/E cards.
• Please ensure before appearing Immigration counter that your D/E cards is completely filled.
• D/E card should be filled only in BLUE or BLACK ink.
• All the columns in the cards should be filled up clearly and correctly.
• One character to be written in one box.
• Date of Arrival should be mentioned in appropriate columns.
• In case of foreigners, Visa number and type of Visa to be mentioned.
• Please mention Person of Indian Origin (PIO) card details and in case Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card holder details thereof.

Clearance Of Incoming Passengers (Green And Red Channels)
For the purpose of Customs clearance of arriving passengers, a two channel system has been adopted a Green Channel for passengers not having any dutiable goods and Red Channel for passengers having dutiable goods.
Do follow these rules and instructions while going through customs formalities.

• All the passengers shall ensure to file correct declaration of their baggage.
• Green channel passengers must deposit the customs portion of the disembarkation card to the custom official at the gate before leaving the terminal.
• Declaration of foreign exchange/ currency has to be made before the custom officers in the following cases :
  a. where the value of foreign currency notes exceed US $ 5,000 or equivalent.
  b. where the aggregate value of foreign exchange including currency exceeds US $ 10,000 or equivalent.
• Passengers walking through the Green Channel with dutiable/ prohibited goods are liable to prosecution/ penalty and confiscation of goods.
• Trafficking of Narcotics and Psychotropic substances is a serious offence and is punishable with imprisonment

Certain goods are prohibited (banned) or restricted (subject to certain conditions) for import and/or export. These are goods of social, health, environment, wildlife and security concerns.

While it is not possible to list all the goods, more common of these are:

• Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic substances.
• Pornographic material.
• Counterfeit and pirated goods
• Goods infringing on any of the legally enforceable intellectual property rights.
• Antiquities.
• Firearms and ammunition.
• Live birds and animals including pets.
• Plants and their produce e.g. fruits, seeds.
• Endangered species of plants and animals, whether live or dead.
• Any goods for commercial purpose: for profit, gain or commercial usage.
• Radio transmitters not approved for normal usage.
• Gold and Silver, other than ornaments (For import only).

Indian and foreign currency in excess of prescribed limits and Foreign currency in excess of US$ 5,000 in the form of currency notes or equivalent US$ 10,000 or equivalent in the form of currency notes, bank notes or travellers cheque is required to be declared on arrival. Foreign currency in excess of amount legally obtained or in the case of tourists in excess of the amount declared on arrival or in excess of the exempted limit of declaration at the time of departure.
Trafficking in Narcotic Drugs like Heroin, Charas, Cocaine or in Psychotropic substances is a serious offence and is punishable with imprisonment.
Export of most species of wild life and articles made from flora and fauna such as Ivory, Musk, Reptile skins, Furs, Shahtoosh etc. is prohibited.
For any clarifications passenger should approach the Regional Deputy Director (Wildlife Preservation) Govt. of India or the Chief Wildlife Wardens of State Governments posted at Calcutta, Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai. Export or Import in prohibited and restricted goods commonly leads to arrest

The Indian Customs Act empowers imposition of heavy penalties for those passengers who

• Attempt to walk through the Green Channel with prohibited, restricted or dutiable goods. Misdeclare their goods at the Red Channel.
• Attempt to export prohibited or restricted goods.
• Abet the commission of any of the above offences.

The Penal Provision may lead to:

• Absolute confiscation of goods.
• Imposition of heavy fine in respect of the concerned goods if these is released.
• Imposition of penalty on individual or concerned entities up to five times the value of goods or the duty involved.
• Arrest and prosecution including invocation of preventive detention in serious cases.

For more details and complete baggage rules visit the website
www.cbec.gov.in