worldcurrencies

Cash rules for India

Official currency INR

How much cash can you carry?

There is a ceiling here, not just paperwork. Taking out is capped at INR 25,000; you cannot declare your way past it. On the way in the duty is to declare above USD 5,000.

INR is a closed currency

Taking INR out of India is restricted regardless of amount.

Limits

Bringing cash in

USD 5,000

Reporting threshold. Carry what you like, declare above this.

Declare foreign currency above US$5,000 held as currency notes, or above US$10,000 counting notes, banknotes and travellers cheques together, on a Currency Declaration Form (CDF) on arrival.

Taking cash out

max INR 25,000

Hard ceiling. Carrying more is prohibited, not declarable.

Export of Indian currency is prohibited, with a concession: Indian residents travelling abroad may carry up to ₹25,000 in Indian notes. Tourists and NRIs may take out foreign currency only up to the unspent amount they declared on the CDF when they arrived.

How to declare

Use the Currency Declaration Form (CDF).

If you do not declare

Seizure and proceedings under the Customs Act and FEMA.

Specific routes

Sources: rules as of 22 September 2026. General information, not legal advice; check the official authority before travelling.