Drone Customs Issue (INDIA)

[todo]

Hi,
I am planning to take a mavic pro, from the US to India. I will be flying from texas to Dubai and Dubai to Chennai. I would like to know how you carried the mavic. Was it in its original packaging? Did you put it in your checked in luggage or in your hand carry. Did you have to declare it to customs? If so were you asked to pay any duty on it?

I flew out from Texas to Mumbai through Dubai and travelled 20 days in bus - airplanes all over the Golden Triangle in Rajasthan. Carried the drone two batteries and accessories in a drone bag and hand carried. Did not declare in customs even went through internal flights in india no one questioned.

 

[Dusk_Tiger]

I flew out from Texas to Mumbai through Dubai and travelled 20 days in bus - airplanes all over the Golden Triangle in Rajasthan. Carried the drone two batteries and accessories in a drone bag and hand carried. Did not declare in customs even went through internal flights in india no one questioned.

That was very useful. Thank you for your prompt response. I'd like to know when you made this trip (year and month).

 

[Dusk_Tiger]

As far as I have heard Chennai customs are better than other metro cities.

I was advised that You shouldn't carry you're original package, leave it back in USA and keep the drone in checked in luggage and not in hand luggage.(don't keep the propeller on the drone)

Hi,
Thanks for the prompt response. Yes, my research also revealed that Chennai customs is better. Should I remove the props and keep them inside checked in luggage? or should I just detach them and leave them in the drone bag? I think that the former would cause unnecessary suspicion.

 

[Soundtekk]

Hi,
Thanks for the prompt response. Yes, my research also revealed that Chennai customs is better. Should I remove the props and keep them inside checked in luggage? or should I just detach them and leave them in the drone bag? I think that the former would cause unnecessary suspicion.

Just come back from there. I was warned by a local not to bring it, as they thought it would get confiscated. I didn't take it!
If I had, would have shot some great video... I wasn't prepared to take the risk.

 

[todo]

Hi,
Thanks for the prompt response. Yes, my research also revealed that Chennai customs is better. Should I remove the props and keep them inside checked in luggage? or should I just detach them and leave them in the drone bag? I think that the former would cause unnecessary suspicion.

I had two batteries - charger - props attached tot he drone - and a extra set of prop - my small canon camera - controller - all in the drone bag - no questions asked anywhere.
Have a great trip.
Here is some advice coming from a old guy - As I tell my kinds - don't sweat the small stuff as there are so may bigger things to sweat about.

 

[todo]

That was very useful. Thank you for your prompt response. I'd like to know when you made this trip (year and month).

December 29th 2016 through January 18th - even took a train ride.

 

[Dusk_Tiger]

I had two batteries - charger - props attached tot he drone - and a extra set of prop - my small canon camera - controller - all in the drone bag - no questions asked anywhere.
Have a great trip.
Here is some advice coming from a old guy - As I tell my kinds - don't sweat the small stuff as there are so may bigger things to sweat about.

Thanks a ton. Will take your advice.

 

[Dusk_Tiger]

December 29th 2016 through January 18th - even took a train ride.

Thank you. Just wanted to know how recent it was. This info is very useful.

 

[Dusk_Tiger]

As far as I have heard Chennai customs are better than other metro cities.

I was advised that You shouldn't carry you're original package, leave it back in USA and keep the drone in checked in luggage and not in hand luggage.(don't keep the propeller on the drone)

Hi,
Were you successful in bringing your mavic pro to India?

 

[haroonteddy]

Hi,
Were you successful in bringing your mavic pro to India?

@Dusk Tiger Have you taken the mavic pro to india? Did you get through ?

 

[Dusk_Tiger]

@Dusk Tiger Have you taken the mavic pro to india? Did you get through ?

Hi, I decided to buy it locally. Did not want to deal with pesky customs officials.

 

[Syedy]

Hi, I decided to buy it locally. Did not want to deal with pesky customs officials.

Where did you buy it locally from? (locally=India?) How much did you pay?

 

[Dusk_Tiger]

Where did you buy it locally from? (locally=India?) How much did you pay?

I haven't bought it yet. I am negotiating with a few dealers that I found on local classifieds. Will let you know once I buy it.

 

[Syedy]

I haven't bought it yet. I am negotiating with a few dealers that I found on local classifieds. Will let you know once I buy it.

Did you buy the drone yet?

 

[dev21]

I took mine to Mumbai New Delhi and many places in Western India this January for 20 days - no problems at customs going in or out...
Flew it in Mumbai - New Delhi (Hotel only) - and in Sawai Modhupur and Jaipur ..... Stay in the hotel and fly out .... no one bothers ...

Did you carried via checked in or Carey on bag?? Because am planning to carry it on December for vacation to Kerala India

 

[GanPan]

Chennai customs asking for the actual device if they find any battery or additional spare battery. Be it a camera or toy or drone...as per their policy batteries can be allowed only when the passenger keep the actual device with them.

 

[Ajinkya]

If drone flying is banned in India why do you want to fly it?

Its a debate. Banned, but then why DGCA has a License registration process as well, cause I see many P4 flying during Marriage for recording wedding.

 

[Ajinkya]

They are drafting since 5+ years, GOD ONLY knows when we will have actual law. Our government is pathetic

This January 2018.

 

[Ajinkya]

I just returned from India and successfully brought my Mavic with me.

I traveled to India/Maldives for a combined vacation. I am of Indian origin, so I spent a few days visiting family in a few different cities in India and flanked my trip to the Maldives in between. Here are a few things I learned and what you should keep in mind:

I traveled from the US to Delhi via London. Delhi is a total **** show when it comes to landing and immigration—there are thousands of people in line. I have a specific LowerPro Droneguard backpack that I packed the Mavic in. I had all four of my batteries in there as well all in LiPo safe bags along with all my accessories. Importantly, I had the propellers all off and packed separately in checked-in luggage and I did not have a battery mounted on the Mavic. The Mavic was placed in a DJI official carry bag/Sachel and in the backpack. I had additionally separated the Mavic remote controller in a different carryon bag that had my GoPro and Karma grip and accessories that my wife carried. I had a laptop, a DSLR and an Instax Polaroid camera in the bag so that there was just more electronics in there to “hide the drone” better. When I cleared immigration and customs, there were so many people around, but I was not selected to have my carry on bags screened. At that point I considered myself lucky because when you land in Delhi at customs there’s a long list of forbidden items, of which also is a large picture of a drone and says UAV/drones not allowed.

At that point I switched to travel domestically. For all domestic flights I took in India, I kept my drone inside the DJI sachel and packed in my checked in luggage. It had no batteries attached to it and it had all props removed. Props were places in a different piece of checked in luggage. Everything else was carried on. I never once had issues with this, and I took several flights throughout India domestically. People should also realize that in India, even if you have layovers and connecting flights, all carryon luggage gets scanned at the moment you get off your first flight and prior to you entering the terminal to find the gate for your second flight. The most common thing that happened to my wife and I was that they’d make us dump out all the electronics from our backpacks (there was a lot) and then they’d run the backpacks in the scanner. They never really looked at my Mavic accessories or ever inquired about anything.

I flew out of Trivandrum to Male in the Maldives, and for those flights, I still kept the drone in my checked in luggage. My return to India was via Kochi and for that flight I had the drone in my backpack in the way described above (how I had it when I entered Delhi) and I had no issues. I left India via Delhi and again had the drone on me and I had no issues.

Bottom line is, I was able to take many flights in India and out of the country with the drone. I did not once use it in India, it was strictly for the Maldives. I was really paranoid about all of this and read up as much as I could regarding drone laws etc because I didn’t wa t it to get confiscated and really wanted good footage from the Maldives. I even went ahead and contacted higher ups at the DGCA in India and was told that the new drafted laws for drones are not in law and won’t be soon and that drones are still not permitted as far as they’re concerned.

I wanted to give people a detailed account of what worked for me so you have an idea of what you’re dealing with. Again, I did this because I needed to get my drone to the Maldives for my vacation, which was awesome, and I don’t recommend breaking the law by flying your drone in India without the appropriate clearances.

This is simply brilliant

I live in Pune. I too own a Mavic Pro. Flying drone triggers people immediately here. Mostly I fly in Outskirts where there would be less population.

Instagram: ajinkyax

 

[monk191]

Flying a drone in India is very risky. I was detained and interrogated near Rishikesh two years ago for using one, outside city limits in a low-populated area, before many drone laws were established there. Spending 5 hours at a police station in India was not fun. Locals will often call the police if they see you flying. They also have the right to confiscate a drone at the airport if they find it.