Customs Information

CUSTOMS REGULATIONS

• Customer MUST arrive in China before shipment arrival, In order to complete Import Formalities.
• Each packed box in the shipment should have the passport name of the importer clearly written on the outside for customs to see during exam. If no name on the boxes in the shipment, customs will require the importer to physically come in for customs clearance.
• All non-diplomatic household goods shipments are subject to import duties.
• Only one air and one sea shipments may be imported within 6 months of customer's arrival date.
• It is not necessary for returning Chinese citizens to apply Import Permit. Customs Clearance normally take 2-3 weeks which include customs physical inspection as well as the quarantine inspection. Shipments are subject to 100% quarantine inspection and physical inspection.
• In general, the returning Chinese are not allowed to import furniture to China. However, exception could be granted depending on the length of time the Chinese citizen has resided overseas. China Customs Bureau may at their own discretion allow a "reasonable" quantity of furniture to be imported to China. Please check before packing.
• All wooden packing material must follow the "International Standards for phytosanitary Measures No.15 (ISPM No.15). The new rule requires all wood packaging material (WPM) associated with consignments to China should be treated and labeled with IPPC mark by the manufacturers. Any non-compliance WPM will be treated, destroyed or returned with the consignments together under supervision of China Inspection and Quarantine.
• The import of any luxury or high-value items into Beijing must be declared to Customs and the owner of the goods must have documented proof of value (i.e. receipt): For returning citizens any item lower than RMB 1,000 (approximately US $146).
• It is recommended that each antique included in the shipment is photographed.
• All electrical items must be clearly indicated on the inventory, including model, serial number and size.
• Import duties for alcoholic beverages are extremely high and beverages are not recommended for inclusion in the shipment. For sea shipments: Beijing does not recommend to bring any alcohol; Shanghai allows maximum 2 bottles for Chinese including HK & Macau & Taiwan people while max 4 bottles for foreigner import. No more than 750ml/bottle; Guangzhou allows maximum 2 bottles as listed above. 
• It is recommended that food items, alcohol, cosmetics, health products and toiletries are not included in air shipments to China. Any household goods / personal effects shipment containing food products will be subject to quarantine inspection and customs examination. This process is expected to add 2-3 weeks to the customs clearance procedure and will result in additional handling and storage charges. Currently, this regulation has only been announced in Beijing but we strongly recommend that no food is included in any shipment to China as the regulation is likely to be applied to other locations in due course.
• All incoming shipments must have shipper name written clearly in ENGLISH on each box or label to match the name in the passport, OBL and packing list.  Failing which, custom requires client to be present at the custom house to open and certify the household goods belong to shipper.  If the box name differ e.g. use spouse name during packing as the employee is travelling, upon arrival in China, we need to use employee documentation like work permit and resident permit to clear shipment, they have to produce their marriage certificate as proof.
• Customs are demanding more detailed information than is usually provided on a standard packing list, including numbers of items in cartons. For example we have been asked to provide an estimate of the number of clothes, books, ornaments and kitchen items in cartons. If our estimates are not close then customs can order a full physical examination, or even confiscate items that are either not declared or under-declared.
• It is essential that a returning Chinese citizen picks up and completes the Baggage Declaration Form  when they enter China. In the past we have been able to collect this on the shipper’s behalf but this is no longer possible for returning Chinese citizens.
• Time spent overseas. Customs will sometimes request a full photocopy (ie every page), or video of the shipper’s passport showing all entries into China during the period of stay overseas. This is to ensure that they have not spend too much time back in China during that time.

• At port of entry Dalian it is now almost impossible to clear a household goods shipment with furniture for a returning Chinese citizen, and in Shanghai we have had requests for very detailed information about shipments above 10 cubic metres. The likelihood is that the situation will get stricter in the other ports of entry rather than easing in those.

• China requires treatment of shipment against yellow fever on shipments originating from: Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Congo-Brazzaville and Guyana. China also requires disinfection against the risk of cholera from shipments originating from: Yemen, Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Niger, Cameroon and Algeria. If treatment is not completed at origin, it will be carried out by Chinese quarantine authorities upon arrival causing delays to the shipment.

REGION POLICIES

Note 1: The following policy applied for Returning Chinese to import a sea shipment from SHANGHAI.

• Shanghai Bonded Warehouse announced effective March 22 2022 onwards; all SEA shipments into Shanghai, China have to go through a mandatory disinfection process during custom inspection. 
• Returning Chinese with at least one year validity foreign visa continuously stayed there for one year, then no problem to import his used personal effects by LCL or FCL shipment.
• Returning Chinese with short term entry visa and later long term (at least one year) working permit as per destination country immigration policy, stayed there for one year in continuous period, they are also allowed to import their used personal effects by LCL or FCL shipment.
• Returning Chinese with accumulated one year validity foreign visa, i.e. initially 3 months valid visa, followed by another 9 months, then they only allowed to import a max 2cbm LCL shipment with clothes, beddings, shoes etc. but without furniture or electrical items inside, even they stayed there for one year in continuous period.

Note 2: The following requirements applied for shipments at the seaports in GUANGZHOU and SHENZHEN.

• The apartment lease permit is required since 2014.
• Televisions or Computer Monitors must list the screen size on the packing list - Do not list "Computer Equipment/Accessory" on the packing list.
• All electrical appliances must identify the brand on the packing list.
• Authorities will only permit a "reasonable" quantity of food stuff for personal use - Brand and quantity is required on the packing list for the import of wine/alcohol and milk powder (Both are subject to 50% import tax at local market value)
• Golf clubs are not recommended as each individual golf club will be taxed at US$60 per club.
• If the shipment includes children's books or toys, a copy of the passport and residence permit of the children is required for clearance.

Note 3: The following requirements applied for shipments into Beijing: 

• Sea freight Shipments: Any item which unit price is assessed to be CNY 1,000.00 or above will be dutiable. Books (10pcs duty free, max quantity 200 books for a 20' Container), CD/DVD (20pcs duty free, max quantity 400-pcs for 20' Container), golf clubs (15 clubs free, max quantity for import is 28 clubs). 

DOCUMENTS REQUIRED

Attention: The returning Chinese citizen refers to those who hold a mainland Chinese passport. If you are a Chinese citizen who has permanent residency or green-card of a foreign country, you are considered as a foreigner and therefore you are subjected to the eligibility of a foreign citizen.

Please note that 2024 is a leap year meaning that for any permit issued between now and February 29th, 2024, a FULL year means 366 days versus the usual 365 days.

• Original Passport
• The stay/work visa of the foreign country where you have resided for more than 365days
• Detailed inventory in English (describing general carton contents - PBO "packed by owner" and "misc." are not acceptable.
• Ocean Bill of Lading / Air Way Bill
• Baggage declaration form, if applicable (2 copies, matching identically)
• Company letter (Attached sample)
• Customs Declaration Form For Sea Shipment
• List of electronic items

PETS

• Only one pet per Residence Permit, regulations for licensing of dogs are complicated and strict
• Health Certificate and original Certificate of Rabies Vaccination is required
• Subject to strict quarantine regulations
• Veterinary inspection must be arranged by owner upon arrival.

IMPORT DUTY / TAX

• Every shipment is subject to Customs import duty (except for diplomat shipments) regardless of nationality and whether the items are new or used. Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Nanjing, Shenzhen, Guangzhou will see a reduction of duties of maximum CNY 5000 in customs-assessed value, but the rest of the shipment will be dutiable as usual. This only applies to the 20 items in these categories: air conditioners, audio equipment, cameras, copiers, electronic calculators, fax machines, foodstuffs including alcohol, furniture, lamps, microcomputers and peripherals, programme-controlled telephone switches, refrigerators and freezers, telephones, typewriters and word processing machines, VCRs, video players (including TVs), washing machines, and wireless paging systems. 
• The Import Duty amount is calculated based on Customs Assessed Valued, solely at the discretion of the local Customs Bureau and quite differs from city to city. (Attached Estimated Duty list in English and Chinese for your easy reference)
• As a general guideline, while all clothes, shoes and kitchenware can be imported duty free for first time importers. Alcohol and tobacco products, electrical appliances, furniture, lighting fixtures, food stuff and luxury items like golf clubs and cosmetic products are subject to import duty.
• China customs practice a concept of “reasonable quantity”. Whilst there is no ironclad definition of this in practice, it means that dutiable items are only granted automatic entry for a single item or one per family member.
• Second or subsequent applications of the Import Permit will attract import duty on all items.
• Electrical appliances (duties of 20%)
• Duty rates apply to the items listed as follows:
  • Golf clubs         30%
  • Furniture           15%
  • Lamps              30%

RESTRICTED ITEMS - REASONABLE QUANTITY DEPENDING ON SIZE OF THE SHIPMENT

Note - Rules on restricted items can differ from city to city and can change frequently. If you have any of these items listed below, it is the best to check with our agent in China for the latest allowances. This information should be used as a guideline only.

• Books (magazine, booklet also counted and regarded as books )
  • Air - Maximum 50 books
  • Sea - Maximum 50 books (maximum 200 books to Beijing)       
• CDs, VCDs, DVDs, LDs, and videotapes may total no more than 100 items to import duty free; items are subject to inspection and will be returned approximately 4 weeks after clearance is completed. More than 20 pieces is dutiable for returning Chinese citizens. These items are subject to a Customs inspection of approximately 2-3 weeks.
• Alcohol & Wine
  • Not allowed to be imported to North China like Beijing and Dalian, not recommended to be imported to South China, but can be imported to Shanghai and South China.
  • Air - Strictly Prohibited
  • Sea - Maximum 2 bottles
• Dried Food including vitamins and medicine
  • Air - Strictly Prohibited
  • Sea - Maximum 10kgs (in which powdered milk can not exceed 6kgs)
• Musical Instrument & Bicycles
  • Reasonable quantity depending on the number of family members.
  • If over than 2pcs, a copy of the passport and residence permit of the family members is required for clearance
• Books (a letter of explanation must be included and detail where the books were purchased, the total number, the book titles and value of each, the subject matter etc., e.g., work, study.  More than 10 books are dutiable (returning Chinese).
• Antiques should be registered to avoid issues upon re-export in the future due to the strict regulations on Chinese Customs regarding the export of antiques.
• Grand and baby grand pianos are restricted imports in several provinces and cities and may be treated as commercial goods.

PROHIBITED ITEMS

• Firearms, Ammunition, Weapons & Explosives ( Included Strapped-down Gun, dagger)
• Bow
• Motor Vehicles
• TV Satellite Dish
• Telecommunication equipment, including cordless phones
• Over size office items, such as large photocopier machines and printers which are not considered for personal use
• Drugs
• Perishable food items (items containing the essence or extract from eggs are subject to confiscation or destruction)
• Pornographic materials
• Politically subversive materials
• Medicines and other items from epidemic stricken areas
• POE / AOE Chengdu: billiard and pool tables
• Fax / photocopy machines
• Grand and baby grand pianos (contact agent for specific information)
• Alcohol (Beijing)
• Maps or globes depicting Taiwan as independent or depicting borders other than the official borders of China are strictly forbidden and will be confiscated with possible fines levied. This includes maps of colonial times with inappropriate markings such as “Sinkiang”, “Manchuria” or “foreign concessions”.
  
  

OTHER QUARANTINE OBJECTS

1. Animals and Animal Products
   1. Live animals (except cats and dogs), including all mammals, birds, fish, amphibians, reptiles, insects and other invertebrates, and animal genetic materials;
   2. Raw and processed meat (including viscera) and its products, aquatic animal products;
   3. Animal-derived milk and milk products, including raw milk, fresh milk, yogurt, animal-derived cream, butter, cheese and other dairy products;
   4. Eggs and egg products, including fresh egg, preserved egg, salted egg, liquid egg, egg shell, mayonnaise and other egg products;
   5. Cubilose (except canned cubilose);
   6. Fat and grease, hides, hairs, hooves, bones and horns and their products;
   7. Animal-derived feedstuffs (including meat meal, bone meal, fish meal, whey powder, blood meal and other single feedstuff), animal-derived Chinese medicinal materials, and animal-derived fertilizer.
2. Plants and Plant Products
   1. Fresh fruits, vegetables;
   2. Tobacco leaves (except cut tobacco);
   3. Seed (seedlings), nursery stocks and other propagating plant material;
   4. Organic cultivation media or vitamin and medicine
3. Other Quarantine Objects
   1. Microbial Strains, virus strains and other animal and plant pathogens, pests and other harmful organisms, cells, organs and tissues, blood and blood products and other biological materials;
   2. Animal corpse, animal specimens and animal-derived waste;
   3. Soil;
   4. Genetically modified biomaterials;
   5. Other animals, plants and their products and other quarantine objects prohibited from entering China.

For more information about prohibited items for quarantine concern, you can visit the website at www.aqsiq.gov.cn Other restrictions on entry items, please refer to General Administration of customs www.customs.gov.cn

• Poisons or illegal drugs, neuropathy Medicine, daily medicine and Vitamin.
• Printed/recorded material deemed detrimental to the political, economic, cultural, or moral atmosphere in China (including all pornographic materials)
• Equipment /tools associated with gambling (such as poker cards, chips, jackpot machine etc.)
• Endangered and rare animals and their products such as ivory
• Counterfeit currencies
• Unhealthy animals
• Motorcycles, mowing machine with large engine
• Diving Equipment
• Pet Food
• Grand Piano is not allowed to import to Shanghai
• It's not allowed to import medicine, liquid items, cosmetics, soap, candles and more than one identical electrical appliance in an airfreight shipment.
• Any other items that are determined by the local Customs Bureau to be of non-personal or non-family use. These items may be seized if found in the shipment