Hi all, Want to bring back guitar(s) and spare parts -- like knobs, pups, etc -- from the US to India. My question is: Do i have to pay extra at customs? How much? And, what to declare and what not to declare? Please help. Sumit
Going by the rule, you must declare anything that you brought abroad, and did not consume there. If you are bringing just a guitar and a few parts in your bag, just walk out the green channel. No one would bother you. If you are bringing guitarS(>1), then you must declare.
Thanks, Ranjan. Suppose I am bringing a second-hand strat and quite a few parts, how much do i have to pay extra? Repeat question for one strat and one acoustic-electric.
I can not tell you exactly, because I have never paid at customs.. have always managed to get in through the green channel. But I think you should expect to pay between 20 and 30 percent of the amount you declare to the customs. Only declare the guitars. And have the bills for the guitars. Have the parts inside the luggage. Even if they check and find it, say that you took it to US with you. You can manage with some haggling.
u r free uptill 25k INR. Just bring the small parts in hand and if it's somewhere near 50k, just tell them this was purchased frm india which u bringing back .. like we do for camera stuff n all :beer: (such an ugly advise to save customs :rock: , hehehehahahahohooo) . Bombay is ok to pass .. dunno abt Del n all.
firstly the allowance is Rs. 14k not 25k. If its a used guitar you won't have a problem. Tell them you took it to the US with you and you're just bringing it back. Small parts can be kept in your bag. You can pretty much walk through the green channel. Keep the receipts for the parts. I don't suppose knobs and pickups could cost you more than Rs. 14k. If the pickups however do cost a lot try and obtain receipts that don't state the real amount. Retailers usually oblige. Walking through the red channel means you WANT to declare something. You can't turn back once you're in and say you wanna walk through the green. Getting caught with something in the green channel is alright cause you can always haggle your way out of it. Do not crap your pants, the customs officers aren't the interpol and you've done nothing wrong. Cheers
HEHEHEHEHEHE. Thanks a lot axeman, Sachoo and Ranjan. One last stupid question: Do they allow guitars as hand baggage, like they do in most airlines in India? p.s: Axeman, Dylan fan? Me too.
Most airlines do allow it. I've travellled with one on board say 15 times but have been disallowed three or four times as well. If you're flying BA, American Airlies, United, Delta, I'm pretty sure you won't have problems. I've had problems on Virgin Atlantic flights and Emirates. Get a good gig bag cause sometimes they just dump it in one of the coat lockers on the plane. I've been lucky enough to have mine travel on a business class seat most of the time. If you're planning to check it in with the rest of your baggage I would recommend buying a good Flightcase. Not a hard case. A Flightcase. Yes huge Dylan fan an Dylan record collector.
thanks again Hi Axeman, Thanks again. Am flying BA, but economy. yep, know the diffference between flight case and hard case. good to meet a fellow Dylan fan AND guitar fanatic.
nvr knew (if tht was changed) .. last oct it was 25 for sure coz no one questioned. hey johnny, was tht all ok.. i mean..mainly the security check
