NRIs told not to carry rupees while traveling back home
Indian expatriates in the UAE have been advised by their government
against carrying Indian currency when they visit their homeland.
The advisory from the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi also clarified the
'Baggage Rules' that have largely been ignored in the case of cash
being carried by Indian expatriates when they go home.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the mission said that "there have
been some instances when NRIs have been found carrying large amounts
of cash in the form of Indian currency while visiting India and faced
problems at the airport."
"In some cases, the currency being carried by NRIs has even been found
to be counterfeit," it pointed out. It is learnt that the Indian
government wants to prevent the free circulation of the Indian Rupee
outside the country to tackle counterfeit cash.
According to the mission, there is a misconception that NRIs are
allowed to carry Indian currency back to India.
Clarifying the rules, the Embassy stated: "According to the Baggage
Rules, it is only Indian nationals, normally residents in India, who
can carry up to Rs7,500 in Indian currency back after their visit
abroad. Therefore, NRIs staying in the UAE are advised to avoid
carrying Indian currency while visiting India."
The advisory from the Embassy in Abu Dhabi came two days after a
similar one was issued by the country's mission in Muscat amid cases
of fake Indian currency seizures from passengers from the region.
Media reports quoted the Embassy officials in Oman as saying that
"cases of counterfeit Indian currency involving Omani visitors in the
recent past are a cause for concern for our government and thus we
need to clarify regulations on Indian currency."
Non-Indian nationals and NRIs visiting India can carry foreign
currency worth $5,000 in cash or an overall of $10,000 when combined
with other financial instruments such as cheques, travellers' cheques
and drafts.
However, it is mandatory to declare the amount at the customs counter
while entering any international airport in India.
However, this law is generally taken for granted by many Indian
expatriates who prefer to exchange the local currency with Indian
Rupee from here when they go on vacation.
Many of them opt for money exchange at the exchange firms inside or
outside the airports here either for getting better transfer rates or
for keeping cash ready for emergency use after landing in India.
With the latest warning from the Indian government, Indian expatriates
will have to exchange the UAE Dirham with the Indian Rupee only on
arrival in India, where there is a better system to check counterfeit
Indian currency, according to officials.
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