How many new iPhones you can bring from US
What's the story
Apple's iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are now available to buyers India. The tech giant also surprised fans by introducing its first-ever foldable device, the iPhone Duo, for which the pre-orders and sales will begin next month. However, there's a huge price difference between these models in India and the US. This has led many to consider buying them from across the pond. But how many can you legally carry to India?
Price disparity
Price difference between India and US
In India, the iPhone Duo starts at ₹2,99,900 while the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are priced at ₹1,64,900 and ₹1,79,900, respectively.
In the US market these three models start at $1,999, $1,199, and $1,299, respectively.
The price difference between India and the US, specifically for an iPhone Duo is nearly ₹1 lakh after currency conversion.
Duty-free allowance
Duty-free limit for iPhones
While there's no fixed limit on the number of Apple iPhones one can bring from the US, there is a value limit.
According to ClearTax's Chandni Anandan, genuinely used personal effects such as an already-used iPhone can be brought duty-free.
However, if its price exceeds ₹75,000, a new sealed device is treated as dutiable and customs duty will apply on the amount exceeding this allowance.
Duty application
What is the cost of an imported iPhone duo?
Ankit Jain, Partner at Ved Jain and Associates, clarified that even after factoring in customs tax, an imported iPhone Duo costs around ₹2.57 lakh, still cheaper than its retail price of ₹3 lakh in India.
He also said that customs officers generally consider a single unboxed phone under the "used personal effects" exemption.
This means if a traveler carries just one unboxed handset actively being used, they can escape paying customs duty altogether.
Selling iPhones
If you're carrying multiple new phones
Carrying multiple new phones indicates commercial intent, which removes the personal-use benefit completely and makes them fully dutiable.
Chandni Anandan explained that "Duty applies once the phone's value exceeds your free allowance, or when it's clearly being imported to sell."
The applicable duty rates include Basic Customs Duty (BCD) at 15%, a Social Welfare Surcharge at 10% of the BCD, and IGST at 18% on total import value plus BCD and surcharge.