purchased rupees before trip
Nov 26th, 2003, 09:43 AM
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purchased rupees before trip
I understand you can not take rupees into or out of India.I purchased 11,500 repees for my trip to India before getting my paperwork from the tour agent. I am wondering if I am going to have problems from India customs. Has anyone else flown into the country with rupees?
Nov 30th, 2003, 04:46 AM
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I think your information is old, as India has been liberalizing its foreign exchange rules. Non-Indians are allowed to bring up to US$2,500 in foreign currency into India (whether in cash or travellers checks); you can also bring higher amounts, but you have to register it. (The US has similar restrictions, take a look at a US customs form.) I am mot sure there is a limit at all on the amount of Rupees you can take in or out; the Indian government was more concerned in the past with converting Rupees to other currencies as they were trying to control the value of the Rupee. Take a look at the website for the US Embassy in Delhi at http://newdelhi.usembassy.gov/wwwhacsirr.html
I have routinely brought several hundred dollars worth of Rupee notes into and out of India and have never even been questioned about it. I would not be at all concerned about 12,000 Rupees. Theoretically, you are also supposed to keep all the receipts you get when you exchange money to show on your departure so they can see how much currency you have exchanged; however in 10 years of travelling in India for both business and pleasure I have never once been asked to produce exchange receipts. Again, I think this is a holdover from when India had quite strict rules on foreign exchange.
I have routinely brought several hundred dollars worth of Rupee notes into and out of India and have never even been questioned about it. I would not be at all concerned about 12,000 Rupees. Theoretically, you are also supposed to keep all the receipts you get when you exchange money to show on your departure so they can see how much currency you have exchanged; however in 10 years of travelling in India for both business and pleasure I have never once been asked to produce exchange receipts. Again, I think this is a holdover from when India had quite strict rules on foreign exchange.
Nov 30th, 2003, 07:04 AM
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To Cicerone: Does that mean that I, as a US citizen, technically speaking, can't bring into India more than USD $2500.00 in cash/travelers checks? Is this really true? I know the common practice but is this the actual law?
Dec 1st, 2003, 05:26 AM
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According to the web site Cicerone quoted, this is the case technically, but nobody has ever checked my bag, wallet, etc. to see what I am carrying and besides why carry loads of cash or travellers cheques when it is so easy to get money from ATMs in India these days.
Dec 3rd, 2003, 05:38 AM
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To the best of my knowledge, it is the law. Many countries (including the US where the limit is US10,000) impose limits on the amount of cash or cash equivalents that can be brought into a country. India's limit seems low, but the cost of living is less there as well. As noted above, no one seems to have actually been questioned about this at immigration or had wallets inspected. You can always also get cash from credit card advances, ATM (a bit thin on the ground in India in my experience) and hotels and many shops take credit cards, so the actual cash limit should not cause you any problems.
