Can I send food to India?
Yes, with conditions.
Sealed, packaged, shelf-stable food in personal quantities only. FSSAI clearance isn't needed for personal use, but the receiver may sign Form 7. No fresh or perishable food, meat, or dairy.
For every Onvoyo box: Only sealed, shop-bought, shelf-stable food. Express couriers don't carry perishable food: nothing fresh, frozen, meat, dairy or produce.
More rules for India
Allowed with conditions
- Packaged food
- FSSAI's import rules don't apply to food for personal use within the value customs allows, but the receiver may have to sign a Form 7 declaration that it won't be sold. Perishables and plant or animal material can't be cleared under the courier rules.
Quantity limits
- Food for personal use
- Outside FSSAI's import rules within the value customs allows; the receiver may need to sign FSSAI Form 7.
Before you ship to India
- Tax-free limit
- There is no general duty-free threshold for courier boxes, and used personal items are dutiable too. The courier rules allow duty-free gifts of up to INR 10,000 (about $104) per consignment, but since December 2019 only life-saving medicines and rakhi may be imported as gifts by courier or post. Any other gift can still come in if the receiver pays the full duty.
- Receiver ID
- KYC document (Aadhaar, passport, PAN card, or voter ID) needed. Courier KYC rules accept any one valid ID that shows the receiver's identity and address. If the ID shows a different address, the courier records the delivery address at handover, and that completes KYC. This address shortcut covers individuals' documents, gifts, and low-value shipments up to a CIF value of INR 50,000 (about $520). Commercial imports also need an Importer Exporter Code (IEC).
- Transit
- 3-6 business days from the Middle East, Europe, or Asia; 4-8 from North America
Questions
Can I send food to India?
Yes, with conditions. Sealed, packaged, shelf-stable food in personal quantities only. FSSAI clearance isn't needed for personal use, but the receiver may sign Form 7. No fresh or perishable food, meat, or dairy.
Ask about a specific item
Official sources
- 1.
Chennai Customs Zone, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs
FAQ: Import of Gifts and Personal Imports through Courier (opens in a new tab) - 2.
Ministry of Finance, Department of Revenue
Annexure I: Customs (Budget 2026-27 changes, Tax Research Unit) (opens in a new tab) - 3.
Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (ECCS courier advisory)
Notification No. 9/2025-Integrated Tax (Rate), dated 17 September 2025 (opens in a new tab) - 4.
Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO)
Procedure for Permission to Import Small Quantities of Drugs for Personal Use (opens in a new tab) - 5.
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)
Food Safety and Standards (Import) Regulations, 2017 (compendium, version V, 1 June 2022) (opens in a new tab) - 6.
Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine and Storage (Plant Quarantine Management System)
Mail: PQ Requirements; Import Inspection and Clearance of Plants and Plant Materials (opens in a new tab) - 7.
Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC)
Courier Imports and Exports (Electronic Declaration and Processing) Regulations, 2010 (last updated 30 June 2022) (opens in a new tab) - 8.
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (National Tobacco Control Programme)
The Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes (Production, Manufacture, Import, Export, Transport, Sale, Distribution, Storage and Advertisement) Act, 2019 (opens in a new tab) - 9.
Archaeological Survey of India
The Antiquities and Art Treasures Act, 1972 (opens in a new tab) - 10.
Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC)
Customs Baggage (Declaration and Processing) Regulations, 2026 (Notification No. 15/2026-Customs (N.T.)) (opens in a new tab) - 11.
Ministry of Finance, Department of Revenue
Baggage Rules, 2026 (Notification No. 14/2026-Customs (N.T.)) (opens in a new tab)
General guidance, not legal advice. Customs in India makes the final decision on every box.