Clearance of arriving passengers - CBEC's Customs Manual 2023 - Customs

2. Clearance of arriving passengers: 2.1 Airlines generally provide the Customs Baggage Declaration Form to the passengers in the aircraft itself. All passengers who come to India and have anything to declare or are carrying dutiable or prohibited goods must fill up the same clearly mentioning the quantity and value of goods brought. On landing, the passenger takes delivery of baggage, if any, from the conveyer belt and approaches the Customs where the passenger exercises the option of seeking clearance through the Green Channel or through the Red Channel. 2.2 The Green Channel or Walk Through Channel applies to passengers who have nothing to declare and are carrying dutiable goods within the prescribed free allowance. On the basis of their Oral Declaration/Declaration on Customs Baggage Declaration Form such passengers cross the Green Channel without any question being asked by Customs and exit the airport after handing over the Customs Baggage Declaration Form to the Customs Officer/Sepoy at the exit. 2.3 The Red Channel is meant for passengers who have something to declare or are carrying goods in excess of the duty free allowance. The passenger hands over Customs Baggage Declaration Form to the officer on duty at this Channel. In case the Form is incomplete the Customs Officer helps record the Oral Declaration (O.D) of the passenger and thereafter countersigns/stamps the same, after taking the passenger's signature. In order to identify the frequent short visit passengers the Customs Officer also scrutinizes the passport/ other travel documents of the passengers. The declaration of goods and their values is generally accepted and duty assessed. On payment of applicable duty the passenger is allowed clearance. 2.4 Any passenger found walking through the Green Channel with dutiable/prohibited goods or found mis declaring the quantity, description or value of dutiable goods at the Red Channel (the baggage is examined where misdeclaration is suspected), is liable to strict penal action including arrest/prosecution apart from seizure/confiscation of the offending goods depending upon gravity of violation detected. In case the passenger brings any goods in baggage that are essentially for commerce and not for personal use, or imports goods in commercial quantity, these goods become liable to confiscation and the passenger liable to strict penal action. Only bonafide baggage items for personal use or use by members of his family are allowed to be imported as baggage. In case of frequent short visit passengers and repeat offenders, the Customs officers would impose higher levels of fines and penalties and for deterrent effect even consider prosecution in a Court of law. [Refer Circular No. 08/2016-Customs dated 08.03.2018]