Transit Time Guide
Shipping from Portugal to India
2–4 days express air — customs required. BCD up to 20% + 18% IGST. Allow extra time for Indian customs clearance.
2–4 days express air — customs required. BCD up to 20% + 18% IGST. Allow extra time for Indian customs clearance.
India is a rapidly growing import market and a significant destination for Portuguese exports including machinery, chemicals, pharmaceuticals and luxury goods. All shipments from Portugal to India require customs clearance through Indian Customs (CBIC — Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs). India applies Basic Customs Duty (BCD) at rates typically ranging from 0% to 20% on most manufactured goods, plus IGST (Integrated Goods and Services Tax) at 18% standard rate — creating a combined effective import tax often exceeding 30% on many categories. There is no EU-India Free Trade Agreement in force (BTIA negotiations were relaunched in 2022 and are ongoing). Indian customs can be slow — even well-documented express shipments can take 1–3 extra days if flagged for examination. DHL Express delivers to Mumbai and Delhi in 2–4 business days.
Cargosender books this route through Eurosender's courier network, which assigns the courier and service tier for a given shipment — so a single fixed number of days per carrier can't be stated reliably here. Actual transit time on any route depends on:
The price and estimated transit time you see when you get a quote reflect your actual parcel and route — treat that figure, not a general table, as the relevant estimate for your booking. Transit times are estimates subject to service conditions (customs, weather, courier network load), not a guaranteed arrival date.
India requires customs clearance on all imports. Basic Customs Duty (BCD): 0–20% depending on HS code. High BCD categories: electronics (10–20%), textiles (20%), food products (30%+). IGST (Integrated GST): 18% standard rate on most goods; 12% reduced; 5% super-reduced for essential goods; 28% on luxury goods and sin goods. Total effective import tax = BCD + Social Welfare Surcharge (10% of BCD) + IGST on aggregate value. Example: a machine with 10% BCD and 18% IGST has effective rate of ~30%. No EU-India FTA is in force — EU goods face full MFN rates. Personal import de minimis: INR 10,000 (~€110) duty-free. Commercial imports: all consignments require Import General Manifest (IGM) and Bill of Entry. IEC (Import Export Code): Indian importers must have an IEC number — ensure your B2B customer provides their IEC on the commercial invoice.
Always obtain your Indian customer's IEC (Import Export Code) before shipping — it is required on the Bill of Entry and without it customs clearance cannot proceed.
Indian customs can examine shipments at its discretion — even perfect documentation can lead to 2–5 day delays for physical inspection. Build buffer time for India shipments.
Major express carriers generally maintain strong Mumbai (BOM) and Delhi (DEL) operations with dedicated customs brokerage teams — but which courier handles your Cargosender shipment is assigned by Eurosender's network at booking, not chosen by you.
Declare the correct HS code — India has HS code-specific import restrictions, import licensing requirements and anti-dumping duties on certain categories. An incorrect code can cause significant delays.
India has specific labelling requirements for food, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals — Indian labelling must include local importer details, MRP (Maximum Retail Price) and FSSAI licence number for food.
Large shipments (above INR 1,00,000 / ~€1,100): B2B importers can use MOOWR (Manufacture and Other Operations in Warehouse Regulations) for deferred duty payment — a significant cash flow benefit for regular importers.
DHL Express: 2–4 business days to Mumbai and Delhi. FedEx International Priority: 2–4 days; Economy: 5–8 days. UPS Worldwide Express: 3–5 days. Add 1–3 extra days for Indian customs clearance — Indian customs may examine shipments, causing delays even for well-documented parcels. Allow 3–7 days total for B2C and 2–5 days for B2B express.
India applies Basic Customs Duty (BCD) at 0–20% plus IGST at 18% (standard). The combined effective import tax on many EU manufactured goods is 28–42%. There is no EU-India FTA, so EU goods face full MFN rates. High-duty categories: textiles (20% BCD + 12% IGST), electronics (10–20% BCD + 18% IGST), alcohol (150% BCD + 28% IGST). Low-duty: medicines (0% BCD + 5% IGST).
IEC (Import Export Code) is India's mandatory registration for all commercial importers and exporters — a 10-digit code issued by DGFT (Directorate General of Foreign Trade). Your Indian B2B customer must have an IEC to import goods commercially. Always request the IEC from your Indian buyer and include it on the commercial invoice. Without IEC, goods cannot be cleared through Indian customs for commercial import.
IGST (Integrated Goods and Services Tax) rates for imports: 28% on luxury goods, automobiles, tobacco; 18% standard for most manufactured goods; 12% on processed food, some machinery; 5% on essential items, medicines; 0% on some food grains, medical items. IGST is charged on the assessable value (CIF + BCD + surcharges) — so IGST is effectively a tax on tax when high BCD applies.
Not yet — EU-India BTIA (Broad-based Trade and Investment Agreement) negotiations were originally launched in 2007, stalled for nearly a decade, and were formally relaunched in June 2022. As of 2026, negotiations are ongoing across goods, services, investment and intellectual property chapters. Until the BTIA is concluded and ratified, EU goods — including Portuguese exports — face India's full MFN tariff rates.
DHL Express offers Saturday delivery in Mumbai and Delhi for express shipments. FedEx has limited Saturday options in major Indian metros (Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad). Saturday delivery in secondary Indian cities is not guaranteed. Check availability at Cargosender checkout before booking a Saturday collection.
DHL and FedEx make two delivery attempts and contact the recipient by phone — a working Indian mobile number is essential for all India shipments. After failed attempts, parcels are held at the carrier's local depot for collection. Indian couriers routinely call ahead to coordinate delivery time, especially for B2B addresses with restricted access.
Some express carriers publish money-back guarantees for the air-transit portion of their own express services generally. Cargosender's own Terms and Conditions (Section 3.3) describe delivery times as estimates rather than guarantees, regardless of which courier handles a shipment — contact Cargosender support if your delivery is delayed to find out what, if anything, applies to your specific booking. In any case, Indian CBIC customs clearance is outside any carrier's control and can add 1–5 days even for well-documented shipments, so no carrier guarantees total door-to-door delivery time to India — build buffer time into all India shipping commitments.
Yes — DHL, FedEx and UPS all provide tracking to India including the customs clearance phase and last-mile delivery. DHL MyDHL+ and FedEx Delivery Manager are widely used in India. Once a parcel clears Indian customs, domestic delivery tracking in major cities (Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru) is reliable.
Major express carriers generally accept parcels around 68–70 kg per piece, with girth up to roughly 300 cm and single dimension up to 120 cm. India also has weight and size limits affecting which customs channel applies — very large parcels may require a formal Bill of Entry rather than simplified courier clearance. Cargosender's own limit for a given booking depends on the specific service assigned by Eurosender — check the limit shown at quote time.
No — transit times are air transport only. Indian CBIC customs clearance adds 1–5 business days for most shipments. High-value goods, food, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals may be held 5–15 business days for physical examination. Always build buffer time when promising delivery dates to Indian customers.
Yes — all international air carriers charge fuel surcharges (typically 15–25% of base rate), adjusted monthly. These are included in Cargosender's quoted prices. The Portugal-India route typically transits via Dubai — high flight frequency via Dubai keeps rates competitive.
India has strict import controls on DG materials. Dangerous goods require IATA-compliant packaging, carrier pre-approval, and may require permits from Indian DGCA, CDSCO (pharmaceuticals) or MoEF (chemicals). Lithium batteries require separate DG declaration. Contact Cargosender before booking any DG shipment to India.
Book on Cargosender.com, which routes your shipment through Eurosender's courier network — get an instant quote for current pricing and transit options based on your parcel weight. Before booking, collect the recipient's IEC number and prepare a complete commercial invoice with HS codes and accurate values. Eurosender's network handles collection from your Portuguese address and the air logistics and customs brokerage to India.
Cargosender books through Eurosender's courier network, which assigns the specific courier and service tier for your India shipment — you choose a service tier (express air or economy), not a named carrier brand. Major express carriers generally maintain dedicated Mumbai (BOM) and Delhi (DEL) operations with specialist India customs brokerage. Get an instant quote to see current pricing and transit options for your parcel.
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