Ship boxes from United Kingdom to India
1 to 10 boxes, collected from your door in United Kingdom and delivered to the door in India. Price up front, customs paperwork prepared for you.
- Typical transit
- 4–7 business days
- Duty-free up to
- There is no general duty-free threshold for courier boxes, and used personal items are dutiable too
United Kingdom → India
Enter a weight to see your price.
Who ships on this route
- Students heading to or home from university
- People returning home after time abroad
Diaspora and student demand.
Leaving United Kingdom
Sending boxes out of United Kingdom
Sending your own belongings out of the UK is straightforward for everyday things. The courier prepares the export paperwork from your packing list. The UK rules that matter most are export licenses for antiques and art, and the import rules where the boxes land.
Documents
- Itemized packing list with a fair value for each item, marked as used personal effects or gift
- Sender's passport or ID
- The receiver's tax or ID number if the destination requires one
- A UK export license from Arts Council England for any object of cultural interest that needs one; a digital copy is attached to the export declaration
Can't leave United Kingdom
- Objects of cultural interest, such as antiques and artworks, need a UK export license to leave Great Britain for any destination outside the UK. Arts Council England runs licensing, including an Open General Export Licence, and can confirm whether an item needs its own license.
- From Northern Ireland, cultural objects going directly to non-EU countries need an EU export license, and those going to the EU need a UK license. Arts Council England issues both.
- Medicines containing controlled drugs: other countries have their own import laws, so check with the destination's embassy before sending any.
- Items made from protected species (CITES), such as exotic leather, furs, or some wooden instruments, may need permits. Check with the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) before you ship.
- Couriers won't carry cash, weapons, or dangerous goods.
Arriving in India
India customs, in short
- Duty-free threshold
- 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.
- Import tax
- IGST (Integrated Goods and Services Tax) at 18% on goods imported for personal use, or 5% on medicines for personal use, charged on the CIF value plus customs duty. Basic customs duty on personal imports (tariff heading 9804) fell from 20% to 10% on April 1, 2026, and a 10% social welfare surcharge on that duty now applies. Together that is about 31% of the CIF value. Alcohol, tobacco, printed books, and motor vehicles fall outside this heading and pay their own rates.
- Who pays
- Shipments are sent DAP. The receiver pays any duties and taxes before or on delivery. The courier may add a clearance or disbursement fee.
- Moving there?
- Under the Baggage Rules 2026, people moving their home to India can bring personal and household goods they owned abroad free of duty, including one unit each of listed items such as a TV, fridge, washing machine, or laptop. Indian residents and people of Indian origin get up to INR 1.5 lakh (about $1,560) after 3-12 months abroad, INR 3 lakh (about $3,130) after at least a year abroad in the last two years, and INR 7.5 lakh (about $7,820) after two years or more, with conditions. Foreigners on a non-tourist visa get the same amounts based on their stay in India. The relief is claimed on unaccompanied baggage declared on form CBD-II, not on regular courier imports.
Not allowed into India
- Aerosols, spray cans, and compressed gas cylinders
- Flammable liquids and solids: fuel, lighter fluid, paint, nail polish, matches
- Loose or spare lithium batteries and power banks not installed in a device
- Cash, gift cards, checks, and other negotiable items
- Firearms, ammunition, replicas, and weapon parts
- Perishable food, and meat, dairy, or fresh produce
- Cannabis, CBD, and THC products, even where they are legal at origin
- E-cigarettes, vapes, and their parts
United Kingdom to India: questions
How long does it take to ship boxes from United Kingdom to India?
Typically 4 to 7 business days door to door after pickup, plus any time customs in India takes to clear the shipment.
Do I pay duty on used belongings sent to India?
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. Shipments are sent DAP. The receiver pays any duties and taxes before or on delivery. The courier may add a clearance or disbursement fee.
What paperwork do I need to send boxes from United Kingdom?
A commercial invoice listing what's in each box and what it's worth today. Onvoyo prepares it from your contents list for you to review and approve. Sending your own belongings out of the UK is straightforward for everyday things. The courier prepares the export paperwork from your packing list. The UK rules that matter most are export licenses for antiques and art, and the import rules where the boxes land.
What KYC documents do I need to receive a courier package in India?
Any one valid ID that shows your name and address: Aadhaar, passport, PAN card, or voter ID. If the address on it is different, the courier records your delivery address at handover. That shortcut covers personal shipments up to a CIF value of INR 50,000 (about $520).
Is there a duty-free limit for gifts sent to India?
Only for life-saving medicines and rakhi, up to INR 10,000 (about $104) per consignment. Since December 2019, other gifts by courier or post are allowed only with full duty paid, which is about 31% of the CIF value from April 2026.
How much duty will my family pay on a box of personal items?
From April 1, 2026: 10% basic customs duty, a 10% surcharge on that duty, and 18% IGST on the total. That comes to about 31% of the CIF value (goods plus shipping and insurance). Medicines pay 5% IGST instead of 18%.
Official sources
Export rules for United Kingdom and import rules for India, checked against these official pages. Customs makes the final decision on every shipment.
- 1.Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, Animal and Plant Health Agency, and Border Force · Bringing food into Great Britain (opens in a new tab)
- 2.Home Office · Travelling with medicine containing controlled drugs (opens in a new tab)
- 3.Department for Culture, Media and Sport · Exporting or importing objects of cultural interest (opens in a new tab)
- 4.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)
- 5.Chennai Customs Zone, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs · FAQ: Import of Gifts and Personal Imports through Courier (opens in a new tab)
- 6.Ministry of Finance, Department of Revenue · Baggage Rules, 2026 (Notification No. 14/2026-Customs (N.T.)) (opens in a new tab)
- 7.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)
- 8.Ministry of Finance, Department of Revenue · Annexure I: Customs (Budget 2026-27 changes, Tax Research Unit) (opens in a new tab)
- 9.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)
- 10.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)
- 11.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)
Going the other way? Ship boxes from India to United Kingdom