Whenever thinking of buying gold jewellery, bars, or coins, checking and comparing the prices are very important. While browsing, you will be stuck to find that gold is way more cheaper in Dubai, and other emirates as compared to India. Many factors are there behind it and if you are thinking of buying this one of the precious metals from Dubai and bringing it back to India, then going through this article will definitely help you.

Gold Rate in Dubai- Is It Really Cheaper?

YES, it is cheaper than the same in India. The reasons are mainly that they don’t levy taxes on this precious yellow metal, and the manufacturing cost is effectively lower than that of in India. So, it makes almost a difference of Rs.8-10K between the gold prices of India and Dubai. 

Is It Safe to Buy Gold in Dubai or Other Emirates?

The answer is YES again, as you get better quality metal and that too at cheaper rates. Though there is no threshold for buying gold in Dubai, there is a limit of how much quantity you can carry back to India, not violating the rules set by both the governments. There are two cases- taking under duty-free exemptions, and paying proper Custom Duty charges. We will try to cover all the important rules here that you need to remember for both the cases.

Taking under Duty-free Exemptions 

• For one FEMALE passenger, flying back to India from Dubai, maximum 40 gms of gold (worth upto Rs.1,00,000) is allowed to carry.
• For one MALE passenger, maximum 20 gms (worth upto Rs.50,000) is allowed to take India from Dubai.
• He/she must have been a resident of any non-native country for at least one year. 
• Duty-free exemptions are not applicable in you short-term stay. Regular custom fee will be levied and to be paid in convertible foreign currency.
• Duty-free exemption is only for gold jewellery items, brought to India with your luggage. As per the Indian Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), you have to pay all eligible charges for carrying gold in the form of bars, or coins. 
• Always remember to keep proper documentation of your gold purchase (such as invoices, etc.) and others (like valid passport, residential proofs, ID cards, etc.) just for safety reasons. 

These are most of the important factors one should always take care of while carrying or importing gold under the duty-free limitations, to prevent seizing and other adverse situations.

By Paying Proper Custom Duty Charges

• There is a fixed charge of a 12.5% for the Custom following an 1.25% surcharge, for gold bars and coins, except Tola bars.
• As per the rules of the UAE Embassy, one person can carry or import upto 10 kg of gold to India, all inclusive of gold jewellery, accessories, etc.
• Any single gold bar or coin weighing more than a kilo (1 kg) is subject to a 36.05% customs charge.
• One must present proper documentation as asked by the officials at the Dubai Airport. Any misleading or wrong information can cause large penalties, imprisonment, and other legal actions.
• Each of the gold bars or coins must have a few inscriptions like serial numbers, manufacturer, its total weight, and other relevant information.
• Gold jewellery studded with expensive jewels like diamonds, pearls, etc. can’t be imported from Dubai to India. 
• Once a passenger reaches India, his/her gold must be imported from Dubai as a distinct baggage within the next 15 days.
• If you’re bringing gold in any form from abroad, never try to hide it from the scanners and security personnel. Always carry it in checked baggage, and keep documents prepared with you.
• The maximum amount of gold is to be bought only from the customs-bonded warehouse, maintained by the State Bank of India, and Metals & Minerals Trading Corporations.

Post-Arrival Procedures in India for Taking Gold from Dubai

A passenger must adhere to the specific reasons of why he/she bought that quantity of gold bars, and coins from the customs-bonded warehouse. He/she also has to pay the applicable customs charges. The passenger also passes through a thorough declaration with the security personnel, showing all the legitimate documents. 

Amidst this gathering of rules, and regulations, if you maintain all the paperwork, and you agree to pay the customs charges, then taking gold from Dubai or any other country is not that much a critical task.