Bringing iphone from usa to India

Hi , so my friend said that iPhone 15pro 256gb is 1099$ in US and said about extra 204$ is for taxes. Is it true? Is there any way he can skip the tax payment or refund while travelling to India?

Hey. As someone who’s lived in both India and US. I HAVE received warranty coverage for both my iPhone 13 Pro and 14 Pro in India. And both phones were purchased in the US. And yes even Apple Care + coverage as well. You can confirm this yourself with any Apple authorized service provider. The only condition is that the phone has to be factory unlocked and paid off entirely. You may need the original receipt. So go ahead with the savings. And e sim works just fine with Airtel, Jio, and VI.

mayank0101 wrote:

yes, the warranty is international and i will be buying and unlocked version,thankyou for the reply! can you please share about customs as well

NO, the warranty is NOT international. It has NEVER been international for iPhone. And there is no such thing as an International iPhone. They are sold regionally and have always been sold regionally, to accommodate specific needs in each region.

Before you think about buying an iPhone in the U.S., are you aware that the phone will have no warranty outside of the U.S.?

In other words, if you purchase the phone in the U.S., the phone will have no warranty or support in India.

It is always much better to purchase a phone in the country in which you will be spending most of your time.

As far as taxes on a purchase in the U.S., you should not plan to be reimbursed for this.

aarishxyed wrote:

Apple India DOES honor Apple devices purchased internationally. I have received warranty service before in India for phones purchased in the US. Including Apple Care +. You can verify this by calling any Apple Store there or any Apple Authorized Service Provider in India.

Then why do people who buy their phones in the US and them take them to India, complain here a LOT because they were denied warranty support on their iPhone? If you have had warranty honored in India on a US purchased iPhone, count yourself lucky. Many Many others have not been so lucky.

Apple's very own document on Warranty for iPhone specifically says iPhone Warranty may be limited to country of purchase. And often "may" means WILL be limited to the country of purchase.

Read it here if you don't want to believe --> Legal - iOS Warranty Document Us - Apple

I'm a US Citizen, and have never visited India. I have absolutely no way as I'm sure most other folks on this user to user only forum can possibly define what customs will charge you when you go back to India. You need to ask your government yourself.

If you buy an iPhone in the US, you will pay applicable sales tax, regardless of where in the world you live. And you should NOT expect to be able to apply anywhere for a refund of the taxes.

You should ALWAYS buy your iPhone in the country you live and will use it. You will have NO warranty on an iPhone purchased in the US in India. This means if anything goes wrong with it, you need to factor in the cost of flying back to the US for warranty support. Any saving you might see from buying an iPhone in the US would quickly evaporate and then some. And yes, your carrier in India MUST support eSim and if they don't, you won't even be able to connect to a cellular network there.

being50 wrote:

“. If you seek service in a country that is not the original country of purchase, you will comply with all applicable import and export laws and regulations and be responsible for all custom duties, V.A.T. and other associated taxes and charges. Where international service is available, Apple may repair or replace Apple Products and parts with comparable Apple Product and parts that comply with local standards.”

It does not say international service is available, and the warranty document itself says it “may” not be available. But we have evidence from a steady stream of posts from people who have NOT been able to get warranty service in India on phones purchased in the US. And the reasons include the fact that US phones do not comply with India’s certification standards, as well as the fact that phones are physically and electronically different between regions, and India’s authorized support centers do not stock parts for phones not sold in India.

mayank0101 wrote:

well the difference in price is around 550$ and i am going to be in the US anyways so i will prefer to buy it now.

It's your money and you do with it as you want. We have given you factual information and you have been told the phone will NOT have international warranty, which is a fact. The rest is up to you.

You are going to be required to pay taxes at the time of purchase. You will NOT be eligible to have those taxes refunded. And we can't possibly tell you what the import tax requirement may be on your entry into India. You'll have to ask them when you get there.

mayank0101 wrote:

yes, the warranty is international and i will be buying and unlocked version,thankyou for the reply!

even if i cant get it serviced, i am fine with the risk.

can you please share about customs as well

No, iPhones DO NOT have an international warranty. And iPhone 15 sold in the US is eSIM only, it does not have a SIM slot, which limits you to a small number of carriers in India.

being50 wrote:

Dont mislead people, iphone has international warranty

My answer was not misleading in any way. It was factual, honest and truthful. As Lawrence Finch points out, you are the one misleading here. Apple's policy on iPhone warranty is irrefutable and the warranty is documented in their own published warranty, which I provided as did Lawrence. If you don't want to believe us or Apple, believe what you want. But then don't come here complaining when you are may be denied warranty on a phone purchased in the US, but is used in India.

spk2050 wrote:

Hi , so my friend said that iPhone 15pro 256gb is 1099$ in US and said about extra 204$ is for taxes. Is it true? Is there any way he can skip the tax payment or refund while travelling to India?

No, sales tax is not refundable. It also varies from state to state and city to city; there are over 4,000 different taxing jurisdictions in the US. Sales tax varies from around 5% to 12%, based on the location of the merchant. $204 is near the high end. If you buy a phone in Montana or Delaware there will be no sales tax. In NYC it is around 9%.

But note that if you buy the phone in the US it will not have a warranty in India, and you may not even be able to get it repaired without returning the phone to the US.

being50 wrote:

Dont mislead people, iphone has international warranty

You are the one misleading people. iPhones do NOT have an international warranty. It is stated very clearly in the warranty documentation.

Read it here if you don't want to believe --> Legal - iOS Warranty Document Us - Apple

IMPORTANT RESTRICTION FOR iPHONE, iPAD, APPLE TV, HOMEPOD, AND APPLE VISION PRO SERVICE.

Apple may restrict warranty service for iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, HomePod, and Apple Vision Pro to the country where Apple or its Authorized Distributors originally sold the device.