Moving to India

Trünk offers a door to door move of your essential personal effects to India. It is the perfect moving system for shipping what is essential. If you are only moving a small amount of your valued goods or if you have a larger move via ocean, our essential move solution is a perfect add on to get what's needed there fast.

Support for Travelers Support for Unaccompanied Baggage Baggage Declaration Form

Used Household Goods and Personal Effects to India

Documents Required

• Original passport (copy of Passport duly certified is accepted for diplomats)
• Valued list of articles with date of purchase
• Baggage customs declaration signed by owner of the goods
• Packing list
• List of electronic items
• Authority letters (diplomats / non-diplomats, refer to agents for more information)
• Duty-free exemption certificate issued by diplomatic organization in India
• Original bill of lading (OBL) / sea waybill / copy of air waybill (AWB)
• Original residence permit (foreigners)
• Valid visa / PIO card for foreign nationals / Overseas Citizen of India card
• Employment letter / transfer letter / assignment letters

Specific Information

• The packing list must be stamped by the Consulate / the Embassy for diplomatic shipments.
• The owner of the goods must be present for Customs clearance.
• All shipments are subject to Customs examination unless a diplomatic shipment.
• All containers (except diplomat) are offloaded at the point of entry (POE) / (TOE) and reloaded into vans.
• Foreign nationals must possess a visa valid for 1 year.
• Indian nationals must have lived abroad for at least 2 years preceding transfer to India and intend to reside in India for a period of at least 1 year.
• Owner of the goods must have not must not have visited India for more than 180 days in the preceding 2 years.
• Air shipments must be dispatched from the origin airport within 15 days after the arrival of the owner of the goods in India.
• Sea shipments must be dispatched from the origin seaport within 1 month after the arrival of the owner of the goods in India.
• Shipments may arrive at the India airport / seaport 2 months prior to arrival of the owner of the goods; however, the shipment will be subject to demurrage or detention as applicable.
• Electronic items should be loaded in the front (opening side) of the container or lift-van
• A list of electronic items should be provided on a separate sheet.

Note: Customs regulations are the same throughout India. However, the regulations may be interpreted differently amongst the various Customs offices.

Restricted/Dutiable Items

• New items are subject to duties (invoice must be supplied).
• Customs duties are approximately 16.50% to be levied on the following items:
  • Televisions (Old technology
  • Video home theatres
  • Dishwashers
  • Domestic Refrigerators above 300L or equivalent
  • Deep freezers
  • Video cameras
• Firearms, ammunition and weapons
  • Restricted item must be included with the household goods shipment.
  • A license must be obtained prior to import.
• Duplicate items or items in sums of excess of Rs. 150,000 (Rs. 500,000 in Delhi and Mumbai) are duties of approximately 36.01 to 61%.
• Import of foodstuffs / edibles varies between different cities throughout India. Foreign nationals may be allowed import of foodstuff up to Rs. 1,000,000 in a year.
  • It is advisable to check with the respective destination agent and then include in the shipment.
• Plasma/LCD/LED Tvs of similar technology are dutiable at 38.5% duty whether used or new.

Prohibited Items

• Beef and beef products
• Narcotics, non-branded drugs and psychotropic substances
• Obscene literature, photographs or films
• Politically subversive literature

Cultural and Other Information

CIA World Factbook

Wikipedia Entry for India

Ship Personal Effects Safely with TrunkMoves

TrunkMoves is built for moves that are too large for airline baggage but too small for container freight. The goal is not only convenience. The goal is to keep the shipment in a more controlled environment from pack-out through delivery.

Parcel networks expose shipments to repeated vibration, drop events, orientation changes, and stacking pressure. That is why professional packaging teams rely on distribution-test logic such as ISTA sequences to judge whether packaging still protects the contents after the first hazard has already occurred. In practice, ISTA-style methods are employed by packing a representative shipment, then subjecting it to vibration, compression, and drops on faces, edges, and corners to confirm that the container, closures, and internal protection retain performance throughout transit.

Loose paper filler or crumpled paper is not recommended here for heavier or longer-lane shipments. Under sustained load and vibration, paper compresses, settles, and does not meaningfully rebound. That means the protective gap around the contents can disappear during transit. Better results come from resilient cushioning, structural fitments, and container systems that maintain geometry under load.

Explore next steps:

• Get a Quote
• International Shipping Guides
• Locations
• Ship Luggage Internationally
• Shipping Protection Guide
• International Personal Effects Shipping Guide
• Luggage Shipping Guide
• Containerized Parcel Shipping Guide
• Parcelized Freight Guide

• Ship Luggage Internationally