The simplest way to send Diwali gifts to India from abroad is to order them from an Indian store and pay from your own country, so the gift never crosses the border. If you post or courier a gift instead, Indian customs treat it as an import: gifts are prohibited unless full duty is paid.
The duty depends on the route (post or courier) and the declared value: the Mumbai postal FAQ gives 30.98 percent, while an older Chennai courier FAQ gave 53.6 percent. Ask the carrier for the exact landed cost before you send.
That surprises families who grew up hearing about a duty-free ₹5,000 gift limit. Customs says it does not apply to gifts sent by post or courier. Below, each rule comes with its source and the date we checked it, 12 October 2026, and anything we could not confirm is left out.
The dates to plan around in India are Dhanteras on Friday 6 November, Diwali (Lakshmi Puja) on Sunday 8 November and Bhai Dooj on Wednesday 11 November. Check your local panchang, because Bhai Dooj can fall a day earlier abroad.
Is there a duty-free limit for gifts sent to India?
No, not for post or courier. The Postal Appraising Section of Mumbai Customs Zone-I says on its FAQ page that importing goods by post or courier, where customs clearance is sought as a gift, is prohibited, except for life-saving drugs and medicines and Rakhi. The same page says a gift can still be cleared on payment of the full duty, and that no exemption applies to items declared as gifts.
That position comes from DGFT Notification 35/2015-2020 (12 December 2019) and CBIC Circular 04/2020-Customs (21 January 2020). Chennai Customs' courier FAQ answers the question "Are gifts up to ₹5,000 exempt from duty?" with a plain no, and says Rakhi is excepted but not gifts related to Rakhi.
So Diwali, Dhanteras and Bhai Dooj gifts are not covered. The ₹1,000 allowance for personal imports does not rescue a gift either, according to Mumbai. The US Postal Service's India page puts it simply: import duty is chargeable even if the articles are received as free gifts.
How much duty will your relative pay?
The Mumbai Foreign Post Office (postal) FAQ gives the gift rate for parcels sent by post as 30.98 percent: Basic Customs Duty of 10 percent, a surcharge of 10 percent of that duty, and IGST of 18 percent on the value plus both.
It notes that the basic duty on gifts fell from 20 percent to 10 percent from 1 April 2026. The value used is CIF, the cost plus insurance and freight, so the postage you paid counts towards the duty.
| Declared value (CIF) | Duty at the Mumbai postal rate of 30.98 percent |
|---|---|
| ₹1,000 | ₹309.80 |
| ₹2,000 | ₹619.60 |
| ₹3,000 | ₹929.40 |
| ₹5,000 | ₹1,549 |
| ₹10,000 | ₹3,098 |
That is our arithmetic from the Mumbai postal formula, not a courier quote, and a gift sent with love can arrive with a bill attached. India Post also collects a delivery charge with the duty, ₹100 for a parcel and ₹30 for a packet, says the same page.
The rate depends on the route, and the sources differ. Chennai's courier FAQ, a file posted in October 2025, shows 53.6 percent for gifts (20 percent basic duty plus 28 percent IGST), while Mumbai's postal FAQ reflects the April 2026 cut and shows 30.98 percent.
We use 30.98 percent in the table only as an example for a postal parcel, not as the rate for every gift. Before you send anything, ask the carrier for the exact landed cost, and if it quotes a different figure, ask which notification it is using.
Whatever the rate, declare the true value. Mumbai Customs warns that duty is assessed on the value declared at booking, and that wrong values can bring delays, wrong assessments and penalties. Tell your relative before the parcel leaves, too. Duty is collected from the receiver at delivery, and Chennai Customs says many gifts are refused at the door because recipients assume gifts from relatives are duty-free.
The route that avoids customs: order inside India
When you buy from an Indian retailer and have it delivered to an Indian address, the gift is a domestic delivery, not an import. IGP's home page says it serves people abroad: it offers INR, USD, CAD, GBP, AED, AUD, NZD, SGD and EUR as currencies and says same-day delivery is available in over 400 cities.
FNP and similar gifting sites take overseas orders, but check the delivery cities and dates at checkout.
We name IGP only because its page says so; other Indian retailers work the same way. Amazon.in also delivers to Indian addresses. Whether your overseas card works at its checkout is worth testing before you fill a basket, because we could not open Amazon's payment help page and so do not state its card rules.
What you give up is control: gifting sites show availability by product, pincode and order cut-off time. Enter your relative's pincode first and read the delivery date before you pay.
What to buy: six gifts that deliver well
Pick the budget first, then the person. These tiers are planning guides, not product prices.
| Budget | What fits |
|---|---|
| Under ₹500 | A small diya set, a box of sweets, a scented candle, a handwritten card |
| ₹500 to ₹1,000 | A puja thali set, LED lights, a dry fruit pack, a door hanging |
| ₹1,000 to ₹2,500 | A brass or copper lamp, a sweets and dry fruit hamper, a home-decor piece |
| ₹2,500 to ₹5,000 | A larger hamper, a serving set, a small appliance the family asked for |
| Above ₹5,000 | A gift shared among siblings, or gold or silver from a jeweller in India: ask for the purity in writing and look for the BIS hallmark |
Brass or copper diya set
A diya set suits almost every home. Check the weight and finish, and choose a flat, stable base. Never leave a lit diya unattended, and keep it away from children, curtains and dupattas.
Puja thali set
A ready set saves relatives a hunt for small bowls before Lakshmi Puja. Check the material, the diameter and what is included (katori, diya, incense stand).
Dry fruit gift box
A safe choice for older relatives and for families who avoid heavy sweets. Check the net weight and the packing date, and keep a sugar-free option in mind.
Sweets box
Sweets are part of every Diwali visit, so a box is rarely wasted. Choose a brand your family knows, and check the best-before date and whether it needs a fridge.
LED string lights
Lights make a home look festive for little effort. Check the length, the plug for Indian sockets and whether they are made for outdoor use. Switch off at the MCB before anyone touches a switchboard.
Rangoli colour and stencil kit
Good for children and grandparents who like to join in. Check that the colours are described as non-toxic, and read the age rating for small parts.
See ideas on Amazon.in
What not to post from abroad
These are the rules we could verify. Your own carrier may differ, so read its India page too.
- Sweets, dry fruits and other food. Australia Post's India page says food of any kind is prohibited on its International Courier service, and that foodstuffs need the receiver to hold the necessary permissions and paperwork. The US Postal Service says perishable or edible items go only by airmail. We found no published Indian rule exempting a box of gift sweets, so order food in India.
- Medicines. Customs names only life-saving drugs and medicines, plus Rakhi, as exceptions to the gift ban, and Australia Post prohibits all medications on International Courier to India.
- Gold, silver and jewellery. The US Postal Service lists articles of gold or silver, precious stones and jewellery as prohibited for India. We found no customs page on how a gold gift is treated, so we leave it out. Buy from a jeweller in India.
- Cash. Both the US Postal Service and Australia Post list currency as prohibited.
- Perfume and anything with a battery. Australia Post bans perfume and battery-powered devices on International Courier to India, which rules out battery-powered LED diyas on that service. It also says electronics are fully dutiable.
Ship-by dates: how early to order or post
We found no published Diwali cut-off on the customs pages or the IGP and FNP home pages, so we count back from published delivery times. Take Thursday 5 November as the arrival date, so the gift is there for Dhanteras on the Friday. Business days exclude weekends, and customs holds can add more.
| Route | Published time | Latest start for arrival by Thu 5 Nov |
|---|---|---|
| Order from an Indian gifting site | Delivery date shown at checkout for the pincode | Whatever date checkout offers |
| US Postal Service, Priority Mail International | 6 to 10 business days for many major markets, and customs delays can add more (usps.com) | Post by Thu 22 Oct |
| Canada Post, Xpresspost, from the Toronto, Montreal or Vancouver processing facility to India | 10 to 11 business days from the facility, plus 0 to 6 extra business days for your postcode area (canadapost.ca) | Post by Wed 21 Oct if no extra days apply; Thu 15 Oct with 4 extra days |
| Canada Post, Tracked Packet, from the same facilities | 11 to 12 business days from the facility, plus the same extra business days (canadapost.ca) | Post by Tue 20 Oct if no extra days apply; Wed 14 Oct with 4 extra days |
Treat those as last dates, not targets. Canada Post counts its days from the processing facility (Toronto, Montreal or Vancouver) that handles your postcode, not from your own city, and says to add extra business days for that facility for both Xpresspost and Tracked Packet.
Its tables give 0, 1, 2, 4 or 6 extra days for Montreal and 0, 1 or 4 for Toronto and Vancouver, so look yours up on Canada Post's delivery standards pages. We use the same method for both services: the first date assumes no extra days, the second assumes 4, and each further extra day moves the date one business day earlier.
The dates in the table are between two and ten days from today, 12 October. We could not open Royal Mail's India page, so we quote no UK figure; check your carrier's own page.
If you post a gift anyway
- Tell the recipient first. They pay the duty at delivery, and couriers need ID. Chennai Customs lists Aadhaar, passport, PAN or voter ID for courier KYC, and Australia Post says the receiver completes KYC online, with details matching the parcel.
- Declare the true value on the customs form.
- Add the recipient's mobile number and email. The US Postal Service says India Post asks for them.
- Keep it small and non-food. A lighter parcel costs less in duty, because postage counts in the value.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a duty-free limit for gifts sent to India?
Not for post or courier. Mumbai Customs says gifts imported that way are prohibited except life-saving drugs and Rakhi, and can be cleared only on payment of full duty. The old ₹5,000 gift limit does not apply.
How much is customs duty on a gift sent to India?
It depends on the route and the declared value. The Mumbai postal FAQ gives 30.98 percent of the CIF value, which includes postage, from 1 April 2026, while Chennai Customs' older courier FAQ shows 53.6 percent. Ask the carrier for the exact landed cost before you send.
Can I send Diwali sweets to India from abroad?
We would not. Australia Post bans food on its courier service to India and the US Postal Service limits edibles to airmail. Order sweets from an Indian store for delivery in India.
What is the best way to send Diwali gifts to India from the UK, US or Canada?
Order from an Indian retailer such as IGP, which says it takes orders from abroad (FNP and similar sites take overseas orders too, but check the delivery cities and dates at checkout), and pay from your own country. The gift is then a local delivery, with no duty and no customs hold. Check the delivery date for your relative's pincode.
When should I send Diwali gifts to India?
Dhanteras is Friday 6 November and Diwali is Sunday 8 November. For a parcel to arrive by 5 November, post by 22 October with the US Postal Service, or between 14 and 21 October with Canada Post, depending on the extra processing days for your postcode. For an Indian store, use the date shown at checkout.
Your next step: choose the gift and your relative's pincode today, and read the delivery date before you pay. For ideas, see our Diwali gift ideas for family and Diwali gifts under ₹500, and for brothers and sisters, Bhai Dooj gifts to India from abroad.
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