OCI Card holders traveling with 2 laptops

S

speakamericano

Registered Users (C)
My situation:
Have a dell computer from 2010 (fairly new, just a year old) ... I spilled coffee on it and it doesn't work. I've another notebook which works. I was wondering if I could take the non-working Dell computer to India and leave it there. The reason is if my buddies could get it fixed there then they could use it. I bought the laptop for $549.99 and it's costing me $399.99 to repair in the US. (Way to go Geek Squad)

A buddy of mine told me not to take the laptop to India as I'd have to declare it at the customs and if I don't have it on me when I leave India, then I'd have to pay the import/export fee which is around Rs. 10,000 (as told by my friend)

There is no other place that I could find where an OCI card holder travels with 2 laptops.

So if any Indian national has left a non-working laptop in India for any reason (whether paid the fee or didn't), could you please put your two cents here. I really need to know as I have an upcoming trip to India (not so soon), but your 2 cents would be appreciated.
 
I have traveled with 1 laptop and left it back in India(gift), several times. Shouldn't be a biggie, they have stopped bothering about laptops and handy cams more than 5 years back.

Worst case scenario, if asked(I don't think there is even a 1% chance of this happening), say that 1 is a gift and you will be returning back with 1. In which case the only option they have is to make an entry in your passport stating that you will be re-exporting that laptop.
 
Within the last 10 years, I have done this four times-- twice with laptops, and twice with net-books. On one occasion, the second laptop was in a suitcase. On other occasions, the two machines were in a shoulder-slung bag. They didn't seem to care at all. (POE: DEL.)
 
Thank You...idk...and Java

I'll be going to Indira Gandhi Int. Airport in New Delhi if that matters...
Thanks again and congrats on having your OCI printed. It should be a matter of 4-5 days until they dispatch it.
 
@speakamericano: At the exit, if Customs were to ask you, just tell them that you need both the machines for the kind of work you do (one for graphics, and the other for data crunching, or whatever), and that you always travel with both. I am betting 95:05 that they will simply wave you by. This is, of course, if they even get to looking at the contents of any of your bags. I have flown in and out of DEL over two dozen times over the last two decades. I would be beside myself with shock if this doesn't turn out to be a cakewalk.
 
Hopefully, they won't make a biggie out of this. As I could probably scrunch both laptops in the same laptop bag. I've never had my laptops taken out and checked at another country. But it's India we're speaking of here.
My dad went to India in 2008, and he had several watches and other goodies for his buddies. The immigration stopped him at Delhi and he gave 2 watches to the babu working there and he let him go with no problem. Bribing works in India!
 
I have never had to pay a bribe. It is easy to convince people that you need two machines for your work. In fact, every time I go (or plan on going in the future), I take (or will take) with me one net-book for one of my young nieces or nephews.
 
speakamericano said:
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Thanks again and congrats on having your OCI printed. It should be a matter of 4-5 days until they dispatch it.
Click to expand...

Thanks speakamericano. I think the sad part of this ordeal is not knowing what is going on with the delays and how long to wait.

I have 4 more hurdles to clear - dispatched, recvd. by consulate, recvd. by Travisa & then recvd. by me.
 
According to the SF Travisa Timeline, your dispatch date should be May 16th, Received by Consulate should be another 12 days added to May 16th, it will probably sit at some babus desk at SF for a week (Like mine is) then they will dispatch it to Travisa where it is likely to sit for one day.
 
I travelled to Hyderabad in March with my wife and baby son. I was carrying 2 laptops & an iPad. They didn't care about the computers but were very interested in dSLR and lenses I had and tried to get me to pay duty on it as they thought I may try and sell them. I was firm and said that I intended to take them back home and showed them my return ticket. The official relented and let me go without marking my passport. We'd been travelling for over 26 hrs and I wasn't willing to to put up with much c**p!
 
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