Field Notes

Duty-free alcohol limit in India, and the licence that doesn't exist

Differ* 3 min read

In April 2026, Kochi airport customs told passengers that any extra bottles of duty-free liquor would be confiscated, unless they showed a particular Kerala licence.

Then Kerala's excise department pointed out that it doesn't issue that licence to passengers. At all.

So the rule was: bring a document that can't exist, or lose the bottle. Welcome home.

How much alcohol can you bring into India duty-free?

Two litres of alcoholic liquor or wine per adult passenger. That's in the new Baggage Rules, 2026, in force since 2 February 2026. Anything above two litres gets charged duty. And clearing customs doesn't make it legal in your state. Gujarat and Bihar are dry, and Maharashtra still wants a permit.

What changed in the 2026 baggage rules?

The old Baggage Rules, 2016 were replaced on 1 February 2026 by a new notification. The alcohol line didn't move: "alcoholic liquor or wines in excess of two litres" still isn't duty-free. Other things did:

  • The general duty-free allowance for residents went up from ₹50,000 to ₹75,000.
  • Passengers 18 and over can bring one new laptop duty-free.
  • Tobacco is capped at 100 cigarettes, 25 cigars or 125 grams.

The two-litre alcohol limit sits separately from the ₹75,000, as reported. In 2020 the Commerce Ministry had proposed halving it to one litre. That never happened.

What duty do you pay on extra alcohol?

A lot. According to the customs board's guide for passengers, spirits and wine above the limit attract 50% basic customs duty plus 100% in an additional cess. Beer attracts 100% duty plus a 10% surcharge.

Put simply: the extra bottle can end up costing you more than it cost in the shop.

What happened at Kochi airport?

On 20 April 2026, Cochin Customs ended its old "pay the duty and keep it" approach for extra bottles. From then on, excess liquor would be confiscated unless the passenger produced an FL-6 licence from Kerala.

Kerala's excise department then said there's no provision to give that licence to international passengers. In the words of Assistant Excise Commissioner A.T. Jobby: "At present, there is no provision to issue a license to international passengers."

Kerala's own home limit is 2.5 litres of foreign-made liquor and 3.5 litres of beer or wine, which is its own story about home limits.

Can you buy duty-free after you land?

At major airports, yes. Arrival duty-free now operates at places like Delhi. Back in 2018, 17 Indian airports had duty-free shops, and alcohol made up about 80% of what they sold.

What if you're flying into Bihar?

Then the two litres don't matter. Bihar is dry. Since May 2016, Patna and Gaya airports have had self-declaration forms and breathalysers at the exits. Patna's district magistrate put it simply: "Ignorance will be no excuse for any passenger."

In January 2023, two passengers were arrested at Patna for drinking on an IndiGo flight from Delhi. The drinking happened in the air. The arrest happened on the ground.

And Gujarat?

Same logic. Customs clearing your two litres at the airport doesn't override Gujarat's prohibition law. You'd still need a Gujarat permit. Here's the map of dry India.

So, what's the actual rule?

Two litres at the airport. Then whatever your state says once you're outside it. Two different governments, one bag.

That's the whole series, really. India doesn't have one set of rules about drinking. It has a pile of them, written in different decades for different reasons, and most of us only find out when one of them applies.

Start Rules Nobody Chose from the top: you technically need a permit to drink in Mumbai.

We're making something with none of these rules attached. Get your founder code and you'll hear first when Batch 001 is ready.

Sources

General information, checked in September 2026. Not legal or customs advice. Check the current Baggage Rules and your state's excise rules before you fly.

Differ*