[ronaldfurtado]

Hi, I live and work in the UK. I am a regular on here but i read much more than i write,soaking up all the knowledge that is on here!! I have planned to return to india in exatly 22 months. But before i depart from here i would like to know if its possible to bring back with me one of the british classics. Triumph, Norton or an Enfield. I have an enfield in india and would love to have another bike. I am wondering what are the import requirements. Can i not import a vehicle if its over 3 years old? I was planning on riding the bike to india...3 month tour through europe and once i am in india i can handle the paper work as i know alot of people in my local state RTO who can do things when paid.

[Randhawa]

Anything more then 3yrs old is not permitted into India. If you can pay the fine in the range of 100-300% then there is a chance.

If you come by road then you will have to get the paperwork done for the bike as well and also produce paper work to show your date of return back to Europe with the bike. Or you have a big chance to get your bike seized at the border crossing. There is a Uk registered Celica which was seized by the Customs Attari/Wagha border Amritsar and its been there for last three years.

I just hope you don't end up like other people who thought they knew people in RTO and now their bikes are being seized and auctioned.

[ronaldfurtado]

Is it not possible even if i transfer residence to india permanently? As i remember my dads friend who worked in portugal who returned back to india in the late 1990's and returned with his left hand drive merc.

[Spitfire]

Legally you cant. Illegally you can.

But these days the government has got smarter. Not worth the effort if you need to keep hiding. The local RTO can do jack when the big fish come swimming.

[ronaldfurtado]

Originally Posted by Spitfire

Legally you cant. Illegally you can.

But these days the government has got smarter. Not worth the effort if you need to keep hiding. The local RTO can do jack when the big fish come swimming.

True ...going to jack the idea.

[Haroon]

Let me correct somethings commented here. BTW, there are a few posts on this subject on this forum.

Anyway, few weeks back I was at cochin customs for my bike Carnet formalities and here below is the information I got from them for permanent importation of bike:

Firstly, the bike should not be older than 15 years and you should have owned it abroad for atleast 1 year continuously. Speedo reading km or mile is no problem. Also no problems with emission standards etc. Just that you have to be eligible for TR, which is that- TR can be availed once every 3 years only and you should not have stayed in India for more than 6 months in the past 2 years. Anyway a complicated customs duty calculation process still means the customs & other levies work out to about 150% on the depreciated value as per their chart. All the same rules apply for diplomatic passport holders as well.

I guess you have seen the post from TurboGTR. The customs guys also told me on the same lines for the import duty calculation.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motorb...ml#post2134331

The Customs has a 'Special Chart' with prices for all new bikes and it is strictly their internal confidential document. So on that value they calculate depreciation similar as mentioned here:

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motorb...ml#post2115375

[Randhawa]

Originally Posted by Haroon

Let me correct somethings commented here. BTW, there are a few posts on this subject on this forum.


Firstly, the bike should not be older than 15 years [/url]

Only likes of me and other could wish it was 15 years, get your facts right .

[straight6]

I think 3 years is too less. I'm sure you can import something older than that.

[Haroon]

Originally Posted by Randhawa

Only likes of me and other could wish it was 15 years, get your facts right .

OK point duly noted. So I shall ask the relevant customs officers in cochin to go change the rule books. I have spent quite some time at customs when I imported/re-exported my BMW bike on a Carnet last month and I am quoting what they told me directly from the customs office.

BTW, Carnet has its own clear set of rules if you know whats the reason behind the Celica you have mentioned? There is a Hummer & a Range Rover in Cochin customs being impounded for the following reasons. You are allowed to use the car or bike for your 'Personal' use only. The Hummer was being driven by some friend of the NRI who brought it down and they seized it. If a driver is appointed to drive you around, he should hold a valid authorization. The RR was seized because the 6 months time limit lapsed as the husband passed away in India from natural causes & wife was not aware of the carnet expiry. If you apply in advance the 6 months carnet can be extended for a max of 1 year in special cases. I only needed 3 hours to clear my bike from customs when I imported it on Carnet. Just need the paperwork complete which is pretty straight forward. I will definitely not comment on RTO coz I dont know anybody there, besides, carnet bikes can run on the foreign plates. You only need to take insurance in India(3rd or 1st party) and that too from the nationalized companies as the private ones will not do it.

[Randhawa]

Arre baba if a used vehicle more then 3yrs old was allowed then I would have imported my E36 long way back under TOR. Rules under Carnet are totally different as you have to export within 6 months. I guess you would know better as you have all ready done it.

Seriously, the rules are so messy and complicated that until you don't see it on paper, don't believe the custom people.

Regarding the Celica, the owner had no clearance to travel by car. In other words you have to inform the customs in advance and get proper clearance to enter with a vehicle.

There was a Indian couple who travelled from UK to India by road. I read their travelogue on here Welcome to London Delhi by Road Overland Charity fund raising event for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in India

Get in touch with them if you can, they will be the best people to advice you about the legal requirements for entering into India by road.

[Haroon]

Originally Posted by Randhawa

Regarding the Celica, the owner had no clearance to travel by car. In other words you have to inform the customs in advance and get proper clearance to enter with a vehicle.

There was a Indian couple who travelled from UK to India by road. I read their travelogue on here Welcome to London Delhi by Road Overland Charity fund raising event for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in India

Get in touch with them if you can, they will be the best people to advice you about the legal requirements for entering into India by road.

@ Randhawa- I think there was a thread on this forum of a 5-6 year old Honda Hornet imported (permanent) from US to Blr or Chennai. As for the Celica, from my knowledge, it would not be allowed into India unless they either carry a Carnet/Triptique document for temporary import. Alternatively, if they had brought it with permanent importation in mind, then customs would not have cleared it without the full duty being paid. So it looks to me it came on a Carnet and they violated one of the carnet clauses (loosing the document, expiry of carnet, original carnet holder not taking the vehicle back etc). Earlier there was also a rule that once you bring it into the country, you cant leave without taking the vehicle back with you, but that rule has changed I myself did travel once leaving my bike in india as my road trip got postponed.


@ ronaldfurtado- you must basically be aware of the following general import condition scenarios:

1. Temporary Importation of Bike:

(a) If it is for an exhibition or trade show etc, then it has to go thru the event organizers and chamber of commerce etc and some kind of small bond needs to be furnished till its stay in India etc. Its complicated.

(b) If it is being brought in by a NRI or Foreigner for his personal use, recreation etc, he is permitted to keep it for 6 months or max 1 year without paying duty but with prior intimation to customs with valid reasons. In this case you have to buy in advance a Carnet de Passage or Triptique (Cost the equivalent of Rs. 6,000 in Saudi Arabia) from the Automobile association in your country and also take a permission from customs in your country to take back the bike to UK (in your case) within whatever is the maximum allowable period by that country. So they give you a customs declaration to that effect, which you have to submit together with the Carnet book, your passport, vehicle registration book and some 2 other forms to the customs in India and you can clear your bike immediately. All other ground expenses should not cost more than an additional Rs. 5,000. But take note, the vehicle HAS TO GO out of India.

2. Permanent Importation:

(a) Used bikes: NRIs are given the privilege on TR to import one car or one motorcycle that they were using for the personal use in the foreign country, but unlike your personal effects that attract 30% customs, the bike will attract 110% customs, plus some education cess or tax plus some more which all work out to about 150%. Like I said earlier, they allow depreciation etc. In this case, I dont know about UK, but here in Saudi Arabia, you have to de-register your bike and then customs gives you the acceptance of de-registration and then you ship the bike (only if you are crating & shipping the bike). Alternatively, you can ride the bike after de-registering and continue to carry your foreign plate till you arrive by road in India. Once here, you are supposed to courier back the plate to Saudi Arabia. You will have to check the UK rules, but I had read 3-4 years back somewhere on the net of a guy in Punjab that rode his sports bike from UK to India and then got it registered here.

(b) New Bike: Either imported by NRI or Resident Indian attracts a penalty also, but all put together customs plus penalties etc should work out to lil less than 200% for NRI or Resident Indian.

Make no mistake, if you are bringing it on temporary carnet, that can not be changed to permanent importation, nor vice-versa.

[Spitfire]

Originally Posted by Haroon

2. Permanent Importation:

(a) Used bikes: NRIs are given the privilege on TR to import one car or one motorcycle that they were using for the personal use in the foreign country, but unlike your personal effects that attract 30% customs, the bike will attract 110% customs, plus some education cess or tax plus some more which all work out to about 150%.

And how long sould he have owned the vehicle before he can do all the above?

(b) New Bike: Either imported by NRI or Resident Indian attracts a penalty also, but all put together customs plus penalties etc should work out to lil less than 200% for NRI or Resident Indian.

Any resident indian can import a bike if he can pay 200%?

[deutscheafrikar]

Originally Posted by ronaldfurtado

Hi, I live and work in the UK. I am a regular on here but i read much more than i write,soaking up all the knowledge that is on here!! I have planned to return to india in exatly 22 months. But before i depart from here i would like to know if its possible to bring back with me one of the british classics. Triumph, Norton or an Enfield. I have an enfield in india and would love to have another bike. I am wondering what are the import requirements. Can i not import a vehicle if its over 3 years old? I was planning on riding the bike to india...3 month tour through europe and once i am in india i can handle the paper work as i know alot of people in my local state RTO who can do things when paid.

You should hve read or posted the question in the vintage section.
Already a thread exists

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/vintag...kes-india.html

Ronald
So many English bikes being crated and sent to the UK from Delhi, buy one here instead.

[Randhawa]

@Spitfire- An NRI should be living abroad for 3 years and should have owned the vehicle for at least 1 year.

I guess one can import if ready to pay the fines. People still get the LHS vehicles converted to RHS and then import where as rules say the vehicle should be manufactured as RHS and straight from the country of origin. But rules go for a toss and we have seen so many vehicles in India which were manufactured as LHS and converted to RHS and then imported into India from a different country compared to its origin.

A simple fact is if you have deep pockets then you can get anything into India.

[Pune_Bike]

deutscheafrikar can you share details of some one who is shipping bikes or is ready to sell them in India. PM if you would choose to.