Ship boxes from United States to India
1 to 10 boxes, collected from your door in United States 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 States → 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
Students and returning professionals.
Leaving United States
Sending boxes out of United States
Most personal boxes leave the US with just a commercial invoice. You or an authorized agent, such as the courier, must file Electronic Export Information (EEI) in the Automated Export System when any one Schedule B number is worth more than $2,500, or when an export license is needed, whatever the value. The export rules' exemption for personal effects covers only baggage not shipped under an air waybill, so courier boxes follow the normal rules.
Documents
- Commercial invoice listing each item and its value, marked as used personal effects or a gift where true
- Sender's photo ID if the courier asks for it
- EEI filed in AES, which the courier can do as your agent, if one Schedule B number is over $2,500 or a license is needed. Household goods for your own use abroad are reported without Schedule B codes.
- Any export license, or OFAC authorization for an embargoed destination
Can't leave United States
- Items that need a Commerce or State Department export license, such as firearms and defense articles. EEI is required for these at any value.
- Goods for Cuba or Iran need US government authorization. For Iran, general licenses cover gifts up to $100 and the used household effects of people relocating there.
- Medicines that are controlled substances may need a DEA export permit, which also triggers EEI
- Couriers will not carry cash, aerosols, flammables, or loose lithium batteries
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 States to India: questions
How long does it take to ship boxes from United States 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 States?
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. Most personal boxes leave the US with just a commercial invoice. You or an authorized agent, such as the courier, must file Electronic Export Information (EEI) in the Automated Export System when any one Schedule B number is worth more than $2,500, or when an export license is needed, whatever the value. The export rules' exemption for personal effects covers only baggage not shipped under an air waybill, so courier boxes follow the normal rules.
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 States and import rules for India, checked against these official pages. Customs makes the final decision on every shipment.
- 1.Office of the Federal Register (eCFR) · 19 CFR Chapter I -- U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Department of Homeland Security; Department of the Treasury (opens in a new tab)
- 2.U.S. Customs and Border Protection · Prohibited and Restricted Items (opens in a new tab)
- 3.U.S. Census Bureau (eCFR) · 15 CFR Part 30 -- Foreign Trade Regulations (opens in a new tab)
- 4.Office of Foreign Assets Control, U.S. Department of the Treasury (eCFR) · 31 CFR Chapter V -- Office of Foreign Assets Control, Department of the Treasury (opens in a new tab)
- 5.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)
- 6.Chennai Customs Zone, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs · FAQ: Import of Gifts and Personal Imports through Courier (opens in a new tab)
- 7.Ministry of Finance, Department of Revenue · Baggage Rules, 2026 (Notification No. 14/2026-Customs (N.T.)) (opens in a new tab)
- 8.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)
- 9.Ministry of Finance, Department of Revenue · Annexure I: Customs (Budget 2026-27 changes, Tax Research Unit) (opens in a new tab)
- 10.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)
- 11.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)
- 12.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 States