(1) Cultural relics (including works of deceased modern famous calligraphers and painters) carried, checked or mailed by individuals for export shall be declared to the Customs. The customs will inspect and release them based on the identification mark stamped by the cultural administrative department and the cultural relics export invoice, or the export permit issued by the cultural administrative department designated by the Ministry of Culture. Printed materials and audio-visual products carried, checked or mailed by individuals entering or leaving the country shall be declared to the Customs. If the amount exceeds the reasonable amount for personal use, it shall be returned;

(2) The entry of cultural relics. Individuals who carry or mail cultural relics into the country shall declare them to the Customs voluntarily and truthfully upon entry. The Customs shall allow entry of them within a reasonable amount for personal use. Special note: The entry procedures for donated cultural relics shall be handled in accordance with the relevant regulations on the import of goods;

(3) Re-entry of Temporarily Imported Cultural Relics.

·Individuals who carry, check or mail cultural relics into China for temporary entry shall submit a written declaration to the Customs upon entry, specifying the necessity for re-exit of such relics. The Customs at the port of entry shall seal the cultural relics and entrust the declarer to deliver them to the National Cultural Relics Entry and Exit Examination and Management Office designated by the National Cultural Heritage Administration (NCHA).

·Cultural relics that are not declared upon entry, whose customs seals are damaged, or whose re-exit appraisal procedures have not been completed after entry shall go through the exit procedures in accordance with the regulations on the exit of cultural relics.

Tips | Cigarettes, Alcohol, and Currency

You can bring in 400 cigarettes (2 cartons), 100 cigars, or 500 grams of pipe tobacco duty-free; and 2 bottles (1.5 liters) of liquor duty-free.

You can bring in no more than RMB 20,000 and cash no more than the equivalent of USD 5,000. If the amount exceeds the prescribed amount, you shall declare it to the customs.

You may carry foreign currency up to the equivalent of USD 5,000 when leaving China. If you carry more than USD 5,000, you need to apply for a permit and declare it to customs.

Tips | Items Requiring Quarantine Examination and Approval

According to the List of Animals and Plants, Their Products and Other Quarantine Items Prohibited from Being Carried or Sent into the People's Republic of China, animals and animal products such as dried meat, fresh milk, butter, etc. (excluding milk powder), bird's nests (excluding canned bird's nests that have been commercially sterilized), plants, seeds and seedlings, fruits and vegetables, fungi, soil, etc. are all prohibited items from being carried or sent into China. They shall go quarantine examination and approval procedures before entry, and they can only enter the country after passing quarantine inspection.

Tips | Endangered Species and Their Products

China implements protection for endangered species and their products. Travelers should be careful to distinguish when buying handicrafts or souvenirs abroad. For protected species listed in the Appendix of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), such as ivory, giant clams, and agarwood, any trade method or carrying or mailing of endangered species and their products into or out of the country is illegal, except for those who legally hold import and export permits and go through customs formalities in accordance with regulations.

[For other items restricted from entry, please refer to Decree No. 43 of the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China]

Source: National Immigration Administration