ATITHI Indian Customs Guide: How to Declare Goods Before Arrival

Updated: August 28, 2026

ATITHI Indian Customs Guide: How to Declare Goods Before Arrival

ATITHI is the official Indian Customs online system for international passengers to declare baggage, currency and certain regulated items before clearing Customs in India. Under India's Customs Baggage Declaration and Processing Regulations, 2026, passengers carrying dutiable or prohibited goods must make the applicable electronic declaration before entering the Green Channel.


The current ATITHI portal goes beyond a simple baggage form. Travelers can use it for Baggage & Currency Declaration, Export Certificates, Temporary Import Certificates and Pet Import Declarations. Transfer of Residence filings are also linked through the Customs electronic system.


If you are arriving with goods over your duty-free allowance, gold bullion, excess jewellery, a drone, satellite phone, certain food or plant products, large amounts of currency or another declarable item, ATITHI can help you complete the declaration before you reach the Customs hall.

Quick answer: You do not need to file an ATITHI baggage declaration merely because you are entering India. It is primarily for passengers who have dutiable or prohibited/declarable goods. The 2026 rules allow an accompanied-baggage declaration to be filed electronically up to three days before arrival, and it can be updated until your date and time of arrival.

Table of Contents

ATITHI App Indian Customs

What Is ATITHI?

ATITHI is an official Indian Customs web and mobile application operated under the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC).

The Customs Baggage Declaration and Processing Regulations, 2026 define India's Customs “automated system” as:

  • ICEGATE
  • The applicable web application
  • The ATITHI mobile application

ATITHI is therefore not simply a travel-information app. It forms part of the official electronic Customs declaration process.

ATITHI is for Customs. It is different from an airline check-in app, immigration form, e-Visa application or airport-security declaration.

Who Needs to Use ATITHI?

Under the 2026 Customs regulations, passengers arriving in India who are carrying dutiable or prohibited goods must declare their accompanied baggage electronically before entering the Green Channel.

ATITHI is particularly relevant if you are carrying:

  • New goods exceeding your available duty-free allowance
  • Gold or silver requiring declaration
  • Jewellery beyond the applicable exemption or personal-use treatment
  • A drone
  • A satellite phone
  • Currency above declaration thresholds
  • Pets
  • Meat, dairy, fish or poultry products requiring declaration
  • Seeds, plants, fruits, flowers or other planting material
  • Prohibited or restricted goods requiring Customs attention

Think of ATITHI as the electronic version of telling Indian Customs: “I have something to declare.”

Who Does Not Need to File an ATITHI Baggage Declaration?

If you are arriving with only:

  • Normal used personal belongings
  • Goods completely within your applicable duty-free entitlement
  • No declarable currency
  • No restricted or prohibited goods
  • No other item listed on the Customs declaration

you generally do not need to file a baggage declaration merely because you are arriving in India.

The 2026 rules define the Green Channel for passengers who are not required to report to the Red Channel.

Do not file “No” declarations simply because you think every international passenger must use ATITHI. The requirement is tied to what you are carrying.

What Can You Do on the ATITHI Portal?

The current official ATITHI portal offers several passenger services.

ATITHI Service What It Is For
Baggage & Currency Declaration Declare dutiable baggage, regulated items and currency before Customs clearance
Export Certificate Record qualifying personal belongings taken out of India and intended to be brought back
Temporary Import Certificate For eligible tourists temporarily bringing qualifying high-value personal effects into India
Pet Import Declaration Advance declaration and NOC process for eligible pet dogs and cats
Transfer of Residence Links passengers relocating to India to the applicable ICEGATE process

What Is the ATITHI Baggage Declaration?

The official form is known as CBD-I — Indian Customs Declaration Form.

It asks for information including:

  • Passenger name
  • Passport number
  • Nationality
  • Date of arrival
  • Flight number
  • E-ticket number
  • PNR
  • Mobile number
  • Email address
  • Local address
  • Address abroad
  • Number of bags including hand baggage
  • Country from which you are arriving
  • Countries visited during the previous six days
  • Value of goods subject to duty assessment

The form then asks whether you are carrying specific categories of goods.

What Does ATITHI Ask You to Declare?

The current CBD-I declaration asks passengers whether they are carrying the following:

Item Declared on CBD-I?
Pets Yes
Jewellery beyond applicable treatment/allowance Yes
Prohibited articles Yes
Television Yes
Gold bullion Yes
Meat / meat products Yes
Dairy products Yes
Fish / poultry products Yes
Seeds / plants / fruits / flowers Yes
Other planting material Yes
Satellite phone Yes
Indian currency above ₹25,000 Yes
Foreign currency notes above US$5,000 equivalent Yes
Aggregate foreign exchange above US$10,000 equivalent Yes
Drones Yes

If you answer “Yes” to the applicable declaration questions, the official form directs you to report to a Customs officer at the Red Channel.

ATITHI

How Does the ATITHI Currency Declaration Work?

Currency is handled through a separate Currency Declaration Form.

You generally need the Currency Declaration Form if:

  • Foreign currency notes exceed US$5,000 or equivalent, or
  • Total foreign exchange, including currency notes, bank notes and travelers' cheques, exceeds US$10,000 or equivalent.

These are declaration thresholds, not maximum amounts you are forbidden to bring into India.

The current baggage declaration also asks whether you are carrying more than ₹25,000 in Indian currency.

For detailed currency rules, use current RBI guidance because eligibility to carry Indian rupees can depend on residence, route and other conditions.

Do You Declare Gold and Jewellery Through ATITHI?

Yes, where the applicable declaration threshold or Customs treatment requires it.

The current form asks separately about:

  • Jewellery beyond the amount treated as daily necessities or applicable special allowance
  • Gold bullion

For jewellery, the form can request:

  • Total weight of personal jewellery
  • Total weight of jewellery being carried

Gold bullion is separately listed as a declaration item.

Do not assume wearing gold means it never needs to be declared. Customs considers whether jewellery is a bona fide personal effect, applicable special jewellery allowance and the circumstances of the journey.

Do You Declare Food, Plants or Seeds on ATITHI?

Some categories are specifically listed.

The declaration asks whether you are bringing:

  • Meat
  • Meat products
  • Dairy products
  • Fish
  • Poultry products
  • Seeds
  • Plants
  • Fruits
  • Flowers
  • Other planting material

These categories can involve Animal Quarantine, Plant Quarantine or other regulatory agencies in addition to Customs.

A Customs declaration does not automatically mean the food or plant will be confiscated. It allows the relevant authorities to determine whether it may enter India and under what conditions.

Do You Need to Declare a Drone or Satellite Phone?

Yes. Both drones and satellite phones are specifically listed on the 2026 Indian Customs declaration.

This is important because declaration and permission are separate issues.

Drone

India's current DGFT policy generally prohibits ordinary import of complete drones, with limited authorized exceptions.

Satellite Phone

Satellite phones are tightly regulated and may require telecommunications and security authorization.

ATITHI is not a permit application that automatically makes a drone or satellite phone legal. If prior authorization is required, obtain it before traveling.

Can You Declare a Pet Through ATITHI?

Yes. ATITHI has a dedicated Pet Import Declaration service.

The official portal currently states that eligible passengers bringing pets should apply for an advance No Objection Certificate at least seven days before arrival.

The ATITHI portal describes the passenger pet facility as covering a maximum of:

Two pets per passenger, limited to cats or dogs under the applicable passenger process.

The 2026 Customs regulations also require travelers to declare in advance the details of:

  • AQCS No Objection Certificate, or
  • Applicable DGFT import authorization

Do not wait until landing to begin the pet-import process. The advance NOC requirement is different from an ordinary baggage declaration.

What Is an ATITHI Export Certificate?

The Export Certificate is useful when you are leaving India with valuable personal belongings that you intend to bring back.

For example, you might take abroad:

  • Expensive camera equipment
  • Professional equipment
  • Specialized instruments
  • Other identifiable high-value personal effects

Under the 2026 regulations, passengers who want duty-free clearance when bringing qualifying articles back into India can declare those articles before departure.

Customs may then issue an Export Certificate in CBD-III.

How Long Is the Export Certificate Valid?

The 2026 regulations say the certificate is valid until:

  • The passenger's first arrival back in India, or
  • Six months

whichever occurs first.

The Export Certificate helps show that the item was already taken out of India by you rather than purchased abroad during your trip.

What Is an ATITHI Temporary Import Certificate?

This service is aimed primarily at tourists temporarily bringing qualifying valuable personal effects into India and intending to take them back out.

The official ATITHI portal gives examples such as:

  • Cameras
  • Laptops
  • Instruments
  • Other high-value personal effects

Under the 2026 regulations, a tourist may be issued a Temporary Baggage Import Certificate in CBD-IV.

The qualifying article must generally be re-exported:

  • At the tourist's first departure from India, or
  • Within six months

whichever is earlier.

A Temporary Import Certificate is not a way to bring merchandise into India duty-free and leave it there. The duty-free temporary treatment depends on taking the goods back out.

Can You File Transfer of Residence Through ATITHI?

The current ATITHI portal includes Transfer of Residence among passenger services but directs applicable filings through ICEGATE.

Transfer of Residence is relevant to eligible passengers relocating to India and can provide separate Customs treatment for qualifying household and personal goods.

It is different from:

  • A normal ₹75,000 passenger allowance
  • Temporary import
  • A tourist's ordinary baggage

How Early Can You File an ATITHI Baggage Declaration?

Up to three days before arrival.

The Customs Baggage Declaration and Processing Regulations, 2026 allow accompanied-baggage declarations to be made electronically up to three days before the passenger's arrival.

You can also declare:

After landing but before entering the Green Channel.

The official ATITHI portal summarizes the process as:

Declare your baggage and currency before arrival, or after you land but before you enter the Green Channel.

Best practice: If you already know you have something to declare, complete the filing before departure or during the three-day pre-arrival window instead of trying to complete everything in the arrivals hall.

How Do You File an ATITHI Customs Declaration?

  • Open the official ATITHI Customs website or app.
  • Select Baggage & Currency Declaration.
  • Enter your passenger and passport information.
  • Enter flight and arrival details.
  • Enter your baggage information.
  • Declare the value of applicable dutiable goods.
  • Answer the questions about gold, drones, satellite phones, food, plants, currency and other listed items.
  • Upload or provide supporting documents where required.
  • Review the declaration carefully.
  • Submit the declaration.
  • Keep the electronic acknowledgement accessible on your phone.
  • Present your baggage to Customs at the Red Channel or other notified Customs area when required.

What Documents Should You Have Ready?

The exact documents depend on what you are declaring, but useful records can include:

  • Passport
  • Flight details
  • PNR
  • E-ticket
  • Purchase invoices
  • Receipts
  • Gold or jewellery documentation where relevant
  • Currency details
  • Pet NOC
  • Import authorization
  • Prescription or medical documentation
  • Other regulatory approvals

Keep invoices for expensive new goods. Customs may need to establish the assessable value rather than simply accepting an estimate.

Do You Still Need to Go Through the Red Channel After Filing ATITHI?

Yes, when your declaration requires Customs verification.

The 2026 regulations state that a passenger who has made the applicable declaration must present the baggage to the Customs officer at:

  • The Red Channel, or
  • Another Customs-notified area

for verification and examination where applicable.

The CBD-I form specifically instructs passengers to report to the Red Channel if they answer “Yes” to the listed pet, jewellery or regulated-goods questions.

Filing ATITHI is not permission to bypass Customs. It is the declaration that tells Customs what needs to be assessed or checked.

Can You File ATITHI and Then Use the Green Channel?

If you are required to declare goods for duty or are carrying a listed prohibited/declarable category, the regulations direct you to the Red Channel or applicable Customs area.

The Green Channel is intended for passengers who are not required to report to the Red Channel.

For a complete explanation, read India Customs Red Channel vs Green Channel.

Can You Change an ATITHI Declaration After Filing It?

Yes, within the permitted period.

The 2026 regulations specifically clarify that passengers who make an electronic accompanied-baggage declaration may update the details:

Until the date and time of their arrival.

This can be useful if:

  • Your flight changes
  • Your baggage changes
  • You buy something after filing
  • The value of goods changes
  • You discover something else that needs declaration

Who Files ATITHI for a Passenger Under 18?

The 2026 regulations say that for a passenger who has not reached 18 years of age, the declaration may be filed by:

  • A family member, or
  • A legal guardian

If the minor is traveling alone, the regulations allow the passenger to file the declaration.

Can ATITHI Be Used for Unaccompanied Baggage?

The new Customs framework also includes an electronic form for unaccompanied baggage.

The relevant form is:

CBD-II — Unaccompanied Baggage Declaration Form for Import.

It requests detailed information about:

  • Passenger identity
  • Transfer of Residence status
  • Country of consignment
  • Port of shipment
  • Transport documents
  • Containers
  • Imported articles
  • Value

The regulations allow the electronic declaration to be made up to three days before the unaccompanied baggage arrives.

Does ATITHI Calculate or Remove Customs Duty?

ATITHI does not create a new duty exemption.

Your customs entitlement is determined by India's:

  • Baggage Rules
  • Customs tariff
  • Applicable exemptions
  • Passenger category
  • Nature and value of the goods

The current ATITHI site includes Customs resources such as a duty calculator, but the final Customs treatment is determined under the applicable law and Customs assessment.

Declaration and exemption are separate. Filing correctly does not mean you will necessarily owe duty, and owing duty does not mean you did anything wrong.

Does Declaring a Prohibited Item on ATITHI Make It Legal?

No.

If an item is prohibited under Indian law, declaring it does not override that prohibition.

The declaration simply prevents you from falsely representing that you have nothing to declare.

Customs may:

  • Detain the item
  • Refuse entry
  • Require re-export
  • Confiscate it where the law provides
  • Take further legal action in serious cases

ATITHI is a declaration system, not an import licence.

Common ATITHI Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake Better Approach
Thinking every passenger must file File when your baggage or currency requires declaration
Filing after entering the Green Channel Declare before entering the Green Channel
Thinking declaration legalizes a prohibited item Check import permission before travel
Waiting until arrival to begin pet approval Apply for the required pet NOC in advance
Ignoring connecting-country purchases Update the declaration before arrival
Guessing the value of expensive goods Keep invoices and receipts
Using Green Channel after declaring a listed item Follow the Red Channel instructions
Thinking $10,000 is a currency import ban Treat it as an applicable declaration threshold

What Happens After You Arrive in India?

  • Complete immigration.
  • Collect your checked baggage.
  • Keep your ATITHI declaration available.
  • Proceed to the Red Channel when required.
  • Present baggage and supporting documents to Customs.
  • Allow Customs to verify or examine the goods if required.
  • Pay applicable duty where assessed.
  • Complete any additional regulatory clearance if necessary.
  • Leave Customs only after your baggage is cleared.

The regulations state that declarations are subject primarily to risk-based evaluation, so not every declaration necessarily produces the same inspection process.

Bottom line: ATITHI makes Indian Customs declarations easier, but it does not replace Customs rules. Use it when you have dutiable or declarable goods, currency over the applicable thresholds, pets or other listed items. You can file accompanied-baggage declarations up to three days before arrival, update them until you arrive and then report to the Red Channel when required.

Official Sources

Bottom Line

ATITHI is now one of the most useful Indian Customs tools for international travelers who have something to declare.

You can use it to handle baggage and currency declarations, obtain or apply for applicable export and temporary-import documentation, and begin the pet-import process.

For ordinary accompanied baggage, the most important rules are:

  • You may file electronically up to three days before arrival.
  • You can update the declaration until your date and time of arrival.
  • If your baggage requires declaration, file it before entering the Green Channel.
  • Passengers with declared goods must still report to the Red Channel or other Customs-notified area when required.
  • ATITHI does not make prohibited goods legal.

For travelers carrying only normal used personal effects and goods fully within their permitted allowance, ATITHI is not a mandatory arrival form that everyone must complete.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the ATITHI app for Indian Customs?

ATITHI is an official CBIC web and mobile application used for passenger Customs services including baggage and currency declarations, export certificates, temporary import certificates and pet import declarations.

Is ATITHI mandatory for everyone traveling to India?

No. It is not a universal arrival form for every international passenger. Under the 2026 Customs regulations, passengers carrying dutiable or prohibited goods must make the applicable electronic declaration before entering the Green Channel.

When should I file an ATITHI declaration?

An accompanied-baggage declaration may be filed electronically up to three days before your arrival in India. The ATITHI portal also allows applicable declaration after landing, provided it is completed before entering the Green Channel.

Can I update my ATITHI declaration?

Yes. The 2026 regulations allow an electronically filed accompanied-baggage declaration to be updated until the passenger's date and time of arrival.

What do I need to declare on ATITHI?

The current form includes applicable dutiable goods, jewellery beyond applicable treatment, gold bullion, televisions, drones, satellite phones, meat and dairy products, fish and poultry, plants and seeds, pets, prohibited goods and currency above specified declaration thresholds.

Do I need ATITHI if I am carrying only normal clothes and a used phone?

Generally no, assuming you have no dutiable, prohibited or otherwise declarable goods. ATITHI is not required merely because you are an international passenger.

Do I have to declare a drone on ATITHI?

Yes. Drones are specifically listed on the current Indian Customs baggage declaration. Declaration does not replace any DGFT or other authorization that may be required to legally import the drone.

Do I have to declare a satellite phone?

Yes. Satellite phones are specifically listed on the Customs declaration and can also require prior telecommunications and security authorization.

Can I declare gold through ATITHI?

Yes. The Customs declaration asks about applicable jewellery and gold bullion. Gold and jewellery are subject to separate baggage allowance and duty rules, so declaring the item does not automatically mean it is duty-free.

Do I declare food on ATITHI?

The current declaration specifically asks about meat and meat products, dairy products, fish, poultry products, seeds, plants, fruits, flowers and other planting material.

How much currency requires an ATITHI declaration?

A Currency Declaration Form is generally required when foreign currency notes exceed US$5,000 equivalent or aggregate foreign exchange exceeds US$10,000 equivalent. The baggage declaration also asks whether Indian currency exceeds ₹25,000.

Can I bring more than US$10,000 to India?

The US$10,000 figure is a declaration threshold rather than a simple maximum import limit. If total foreign exchange exceeds the threshold, complete the applicable Currency Declaration Form.

Do I need to use the Red Channel after filing ATITHI?

If your declaration involves goods requiring Customs verification or one of the categories for which the form instructs you to report, yes. The 2026 regulations require declared baggage to be presented at the Red Channel or another Customs-notified area for clearance.

Can I file ATITHI and walk through the Green Channel?

Not when you have goods requiring Red Channel reporting. The Green Channel is for passengers who are not required to report to the Red Channel.

Can I declare a prohibited item and then bring it into India?

No. Declaring a prohibited item does not make it legal. Customs can still detain, refuse, confiscate or otherwise deal with the item under the applicable law.

What is the ATITHI Export Certificate?

It allows eligible travelers departing India to record qualifying personal belongings they intend to bring back, helping establish their eligibility for duty-free re-importation. Under the 2026 regulations, the certificate is valid until the first return to India or six months, whichever is earlier.

What is an ATITHI Temporary Import Certificate?

It is intended for eligible tourists temporarily bringing qualifying valuable personal effects into India and taking them back out. The applicable temporary import generally lasts until the tourist's first departure or six months, whichever is earlier.

Can I declare my pet using ATITHI?

Yes. ATITHI includes a Pet Import Declaration. The official portal currently says eligible passengers should apply for the advance NOC at least seven days before arrival and describes the passenger facility as covering up to two pet cats or dogs per passenger.

Can ATITHI be used for Transfer of Residence?

The ATITHI portal includes Transfer of Residence among its traveler services and directs applicable TR filings through ICEGATE.

Can I use ATITHI for unaccompanied baggage?

The 2026 Customs system includes CBD-II for unaccompanied baggage. The electronic declaration may be filed up to three days before the baggage arrives, subject to the applicable rules.

What happens if I cannot file ATITHI electronically?

The 2026 regulations allow the Assistant Commissioner or Deputy Commissioner of Customs, in cases where an electronic declaration has not been made, to permit declaration in another manner on arrival.

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