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POSTING RULE

Send Cosmetics (Commercial) 🇮🇳 India

ANSWER

Can I post Cosmetics (Commercial) to India?

ALLOWEDVERIFIED · 2026-07-26LOW CONFIDENCE

Personal-quantity cosmetics can be posted to India; product registration applies to selling, not to personal parcels.

QUANTITY / LIMITS

Personal-use quantities; bulk or repeated identical shipments are treated as commercial imports

DOCUMENTS

  • Commercial invoice or proof of purchase showing the transaction value

DECLARATION

Required at the destination customs authority

SOURCE

cbic.gov.in
Verify against the official customs authority before acting on this answer.Report a correction

Full Details

Posting cosmetics to India in personal quantities is permitted — registration and notification regimes govern marketing cosmetics, not personal parcels. Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) applies the ordinary parcel framework to an accurate CN22/CN23 declaration: import VAT/GST at 5% / 12% / 18% / 28% IGST applies above the exemption threshold, plus duty on above-threshold consignments. India effectively removed the de minimis threshold for e-commerce imports — all imports through e-commerce operators are subject to customs duty and IGST. Non-commercial gifts and samples under INR 5,000 may be exempt. Business sample imports may have duty exemption. The Integrated Goods and Services Tax (IGST) applies to all imports. Aerosols and nail varnish are dangerous-goods limited quantities for air mail; bulk or repeated identical parcels are treated as unregistered commercial imports.

PRACTICAL ADVICE

Keep parcels to personal quantities and declare contents specifically ('face cream', not 'gift'). Check carrier rules for aerosols and nail varnish — they are the commonly refused items in this class.

OFFICIAL SOURCES

POSTING DETAILS

QUANTITY / WEIGHT LIMITS

Personal-use quantities; bulk or repeated identical shipments are treated as commercial imports

DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED

  • Commercial invoice or proof of purchase showing the transaction value

COUNTRY POSTING NOTES

India Post and customs assess all international parcels. No effective de minimis for e-commerce imports. Non-commercial gifts under INR 5,000 may be exempt. All taxable items require payment before release.

Sending Cosmetics (Commercial) to other countries

RULES5,339COUNTRIES85ITEMS111CARRIERS28GUIDES46UNIQUE SOURCES645LATEST VERIFICATION2026-07-26MethodologyChangelog