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Nepal Customs Duty Calculator — Phone, Gold & TV from Abroad

Bringing a phone, gold or a TV to Nepal in your luggage? Estimate the airport customs duty before you fly — what clears free, what you pay at the red channel, and what gets confiscated, under the current passenger baggage rules (FY 2082/83 (2025/26)).

Enter the phone’s purchase value (keep the bill — customs values the phone from it) to estimate the duty.

Rates as of FY 2082/83 (2025/26). Baggage rules change with each Finance Act — always declare at the red channel and confirm the final amount at the customs desk.

How to use this calculator

Pick the item you are carrying. For a phone, choose whether it is your first or second and enter the purchase value from your bill. For gold, enter the weight in grams and whether it is jewellery or raw gold. For a TV, enter the screen size and your work-abroad status. The estimate shows the duty the customs desk would charge on arrival.

Passenger duty-free allowances at a glance

ItemFree allowanceBeyond that
Mobile phone1 (personal use, declare + MDMS)2nd: 5% excise (smartphone) + 13% VAT · 3rd: confiscated
Gold jewellery50 gRs 10,500/10 g (50–100 g), Rs 12,500/10 g above
Raw gold (worker)—Rs 9,500/10 g first 50 g, Rs 10,500/10 g next 50 g; over 100 g confiscated
TVAny size (SSF + 12 mo abroad) · ≤32″ (12 mo abroad)Flat duty per inch, paid at the airport
Laptop1 (personal)Dutiable; may be treated as commercial import
Liquor1 litreExcess liable to duty/seizure

Worked example: second iPhone

You land at TIA with two phones: your own used phone (free, MDMS registration only) and a new iPhone bought for Rs 150,000 as a gift. The second phone pays 5% excise (Rs 7,500) plus 13% VAT on value + excise (Rs 20,475) — about Rs 27,975in total. Declare it at the red channel, pay, and keep the customs receipt: NTA’s MDMS registration requires it, and an unregistered phone stops working on Nepali SIMs.

Rules worth knowing before you fly

Customs values goods from your purchase bill, so carry receipts for anything new. The gold ceilings are hard limits — excess raw gold is confiscated, not taxed. The TV exemption for Social Security Fund members applies to workers with a valid labour permit abroad for 12 continuous months. And the first-phone exemption is per passenger, not per bag: family members each get their own allowance.

Sources & disclaimer

Rates follow the FY 2082/83 (2025/26) Finance Act and the passenger Luggage and Baggage Order, as published by the Department of Customs and reported by GadgetByte Nepal (phones/MDMS), NepalNews (gold, TV, liquor) and myRepublica (SSF TV exemption). Reviewed on 2026-07-03. Baggage rules change with every budget — treat this as an estimate and confirm the final amount at the TIA customs desk or a Nepal customs office before you travel.

FAQs

How much is the customs duty on an iPhone brought to Nepal?

Your first phone (for personal use) is duty-free — declare it at customs and register the IMEI in NTA's MDMS system. A second smartphone pays 5% excise plus 13% VAT on its purchase value: for a Rs 150,000 iPhone that is roughly Rs 27,975. A third phone is confiscated.

How many phones can I bring to Nepal from abroad?

Two at most: one free for personal use, and a second after paying duty (5% excise for smartphones, 2.5% for feature phones, plus 13% VAT). Any phone beyond the second is confiscated at the airport. Every foreign phone must be registered in MDMS to keep working on Nepali networks.

How much gold can I bring to Nepal without duty?

Gold jewellery up to 50 grams is duty-free. From 50 to 100 grams you pay Rs 10,500 per 10 grams, and above 100 grams Rs 12,500 per 10 grams. Returning workers may bring raw gold up to 100 grams by paying Rs 9,500 per 10 grams for the first 50 g and Rs 10,500 per 10 g for the next 50 g — raw gold beyond 100 grams is confiscated.

Can I bring a TV to Nepal without paying customs duty?

If you worked abroad 12+ continuous months and are registered with the Social Security Fund, one TV of any size is duty-free. With 12+ months abroad but no SSF registration, one TV up to 32 inches is free. Otherwise a flat duty fixed per screen inch is charged at the airport.

Do I need to pay duty on my laptop at Nepal customs?

One personal laptop is duty-free for a passenger. Additional units are dutiable and may be treated as commercial import if customs suspects resale intent — carry purchase bills for anything new and boxed.

What happens if I don't declare dutiable goods at the airport?

Walking dutiable goods through the green channel is smuggling — goods can be seized and fines applied. Use the red channel, declare honestly, keep purchase bills, and get the customs receipt (you also need it to register a phone in MDMS).

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