How to ship a laptop from the EU to India for a remote employee

A European company sending a laptop to a new hire in India deals with two customs systems: the EU export side, where the value of the device decides how formal the declaration must be, and the Indian import side, where laptops are restricted goods. This procedure covers both, for teams equipping employees in India from an EU office or supplier, with one device per shipment.

Estimated time: 1 to 2 hours of preparation per device · Level: intermediate · Prerequisites: your company's EORI number, the employee's Indian ID, the device's model and serial number · Verified on: Indian and EU regulations as of September 2026

What you need before starting

Shipping from the EU adds one requirement a US sender does not have: an EORI number for the company declaring the export. Collect it with the Indian-side documents below before booking, so neither customs office has to wait for information.

• Your company's EORI number, used on any customs declaration filed in the EU.
• The employee's Indian KYC document: Aadhaar, passport, PAN or voter ID, with the legal name exactly as it will appear on the air waybill.
• Device details: brand, model, serial number, value and country of origin, from the purchase invoice.
• The model's BIS registration number, printed on the device label or listed on the manufacturer's compliance page.
• A courier account that accepts laptops with lithium batteries to India, and a decision on who pays Indian import taxes.

Step 1: Confirm India will accept the laptop as a single courier import

Laptops are restricted imports in India: companies bringing them in commercially need an authorisation through the DGFT's Import Management System (IMS). One laptop sent by post or courier is exempt from that licensing requirement, so send each employee's device as its own consignment rather than grouping several in one box.

1. Keep it to one device per consignment. The licensing exemption covers a single unit sent through post or courier (India Law Offices). Bulk shipments require an IMS authorisation, which for 2026 is valid until 31 December 2026 (Nasscom).
2. Check the BIS registration. Laptops are covered by India's Compulsory Registration Scheme: the product should be registered with BIS before import, or covered by a MeitY exemption letter (Mumbai Customs public notice). European-market models usually carry the same global model numbers as Indian ones, but check the R-number rather than assuming.

How to check it worked: each employee's laptop is booked as a separate consignment and its BIS number is noted.

Step 2: Prepare and secure the laptop

Prepare the laptop so that it is useful the day it arrives and protected if it is lost or held in transit. That means enrolling it in your device management tool, encrypting the disk and removing anything that should not travel, before it goes into the box.

1. Enroll the device in your MDM so it can be locked or wiped remotely.
2. Turn on disk encryption (FileVault on macOS, BitLocker on Windows).
3. Remove local admin accounts, saved passwords and any data that is not needed on the employee's side.
4. Record the serial number: it goes on the invoice and customs may compare it with the device.

How to check it worked: the device shows as managed and encrypted in your MDM console, and the serial number is recorded.

Step 3: Get the employee's KYC document ready for Indian customs

Indian customs requires a KYC check on the recipient of every non-document courier import. For an individual, one valid document showing both identity and address is sufficient: Aadhaar, passport, PAN or voter ID (Chennai Customs FAQ). Ask the employee for it when you book, not when the parcel lands.

The document must match the consignee name and address on the express air waybill (DHL India). European HR systems sometimes store names in a different order or without middle names: copy the name from the Indian ID itself. The carrier will usually send the employee a link to upload the document online.

How to check it worked: the consignee name on the booking is identical to the one on the employee's ID.

Step 4: File the EU export declaration and prepare the invoice

On the EU side, the value of the laptop decides the formalities. Express consignments up to EUR 1,000 that are not liable for export duty are deemed declared for export when presented at the customs office of exit, based on the transport documents. Above EUR 1,000, which covers most business laptops, a standard export declaration is needed.

• Up to EUR 1,000: the carrier's transport document and invoice data act as the export declaration (European Commission).
• Above EUR 1,000: a standard export declaration must be filed, usually by the carrier or a customs broker on your behalf, using your company's EORI number. Keep the MRN (Movement Reference Number) it generates.

The commercial invoice is the same document Indian customs will use: exact description (brand, model, "laptop computer"), HS code 8471.30, serial number, real value, country of origin, and the purpose (company equipment provided to an employee, not for resale).

VAT on the EU side. When a supplier ships goods outside the EU, the sale can be invoiced without VAT under Article 146 of the VAT Directive, provided the goods are proven to have left the EU (EUR-Lex, CJEU C-563/12). In practice, the electronic exit confirmation from the EU Export Control System is the main proof. If you buy the laptop from an EU reseller who ships it straight to India, ask for a VAT-exempt export invoice; check the treatment of your own internal transfers with your accountant.

How to check it worked: you have either a transport document covering a consignment under EUR 1,000, or an export declaration MRN, and an invoice matching the device.

Step 5: Budget Indian IGST and choose who pays it

India applies 0% basic customs duty to laptops under HS 8471, but charges 18% IGST on the landed value (CIF), that is the device price plus freight and insurance (Deel). The value declared in euros is converted into rupees by customs, so budget with a margin for exchange rates and carrier fees.

Prepaying duties and taxes (DDP, often called "bill duties to sender") spares the employee a tax bill on equipment that belongs to the company. Under DAP, the carrier collects IGST and its fees from the employee before delivery. Whichever option you choose, declare the real value: a value that looks low can be reassessed by customs.

How to check it worked: the booking shows who is billed for duties and taxes, and the amount is approved internally.

Step 6: Pack the laptop and label the lithium battery

A laptop travels with its lithium-ion battery installed, which makes it a regulated item for air transport. Most business laptops use batteries of 100 Wh or less, which fall under the simplified rules for batteries contained in equipment. Pack it so it cannot move or switch on, and label it the way the carrier expects.

Under IATA Packing Instruction 967, Section II applies to lithium-ion batteries of 100 Wh or less contained in equipment (DHL guide, IATA DGR). In practice:

1. Switch the laptop off completely (not in sleep mode) and pack it with its charger.
2. Use a rigid box with cushioning on all sides, ideally the original packaging inside a second carton.
3. Declare the lithium battery when booking; the carrier adds the UN3481 handling mark and the statement required on the air waybill.

How to check it worked: the carrier has accepted the booking with the lithium battery declared.

Step 7: Follow the parcel through both customs offices

An EU-to-India shipment is checked twice: at the EU office of exit and at Indian import clearance. Keep the export MRN or transport document at hand for the first, and make sure the employee has uploaded the KYC document for the second. Answer any carrier query about value or identity the same day.

Once delivered, ask the employee to power on the laptop and check that it reports in your MDM from its new location. File the invoice, air waybill, export proof and Indian tax receipt together: they support the VAT treatment on the EU side and any future return or repair.

How to check it worked: the device is delivered, powered on and reporting in your MDM console.

Common mistakes and how to fix them

Errors on EU-to-India shipments split between the two sides of the border. The export side fails on missing identifiers and paperwork above EUR 1,000; the Indian side fails on grouped shipments and KYC mismatches.

Going further

If the laptop later needs repair abroad, the return journey into India is simpler: a device repaired abroad and brought back does not require a restricted-import licence (Afleo). Keep the original export and import documents to prove it is the same device.

At scale, shipping from the EU one device at a time becomes slow and expensive. Companies hiring several people in India often switch to sourcing laptops locally, which removes the import step entirely. Fleet delivers IT equipment to employees in more than 150 countries, pre-enrolled in your MDM, through local suppliers (Fleet).

For rules that apply to any destination, see our global guide to shipping laptops to remote employees.

Recap checklist

• One laptop per consignment, BIS registration number checked
• Device enrolled in MDM and encrypted, serial number recorded
• Employee's Indian ID collected, name identical on the booking
• EORI ready; export declaration and MRN if the laptop exceeds EUR 1,000
• Invoice complete; VAT-exempt export invoice requested from the supplier if applicable
• IGST budgeted, DDP or DAP chosen
• Lithium battery declared, laptop packed switched off
• Delivery confirmed in MDM, export and import documents filed together

Simplify laptop shipping from Europe to India with Fleet

Getting a laptop from the EU to an employee in India doesn't have to mean managing EORI numbers, export declarations, proof of exit, KYC documents and 18% IGST yourself. You can do it manually, but every step adds time, risk and extra work on both sides of the border.

Fleet runs the entire process end to end in one platform, across 150+ countries, from the moment someone signs their offer to the day they leave:

• Local sourcing: buy or lease Macs and PCs from Fleet's catalogue, sourced locally so EU export paperwork, Indian import restrictions and taxes drop out of the process
• Fast delivery: devices are delivered to employees in India and 150+ countries in under 5 days
• Ready on day one: laptops arrive pre-configured, with the employee's tools installed and your security policies enforced through Fleet's MDM
• Real-time visibility: every device, every employee and every security status tracked in one dashboard, connected to your HR tools
• Onboarding and offboarding in a few clicks: order a device when someone joins; when they leave, transfer it to a colleague or let Fleet retrieve, wipe, store and redeploy it locally
• IT support on Slack: your employees get help with device issues, replacements and access changes where they already work, with teams in Paris, Barcelona and New York

Book a demo and see how Fleet helps you equip teams in India and beyond.

FAQ

Do I need an EORI number to send a laptop from the EU to India?

For a laptop worth more than EUR 1,000, yes in practice: a standard export declaration is required and it identifies the exporter by its EORI number. Below that value, an express consignment is deemed declared by its presentation at the office of exit, but most carriers still ask business shippers for an EORI.

Is VAT charged on a laptop exported from the EU to India?

A supply of goods shipped outside the EU can be exempt from VAT under Article 146 of the VAT Directive, as long as the exit from the EU is proven. Ask your supplier for a VAT-exempt export invoice when they ship directly to India, and keep the electronic exit confirmation.

What will the employee in India pay on arrival?

Nothing, if your company prepays duties and taxes when booking. Otherwise the carrier collects 18% IGST on the CIF value, plus its own clearance fees, before handing over the parcel.

Can I send a laptop and a monitor in the same box to India?

The licensing exemption covers one laptop sent by courier, and other equipment such as monitors follows different tariff lines with their own duty rates. Check each item's HS code and duties with the carrier before combining them, or ship the laptop on its own.

Conclusion

From the EU, a laptop reaches an employee in India smoothly when the export side is documented (EORI, export declaration above EUR 1,000, proof of exit) and the Indian side is prepared as a single courier import with matching KYC and taxes settled upfront.