The best preparation for China customs is to know the cash, tobacco and alcohol limits and to leave anything doubtful at home. The figures below are what travel guides listed when we checked, so confirm them on the official customs page before you fly.
It is natural to feel nervous at the green channel (the lane for people with nothing to declare). A calm packing check at home removes most of that worry.
What are the limits on cash?
Cash above RMB 20,000 or foreign currency above US$5,000 equivalent must be declared on entry or exit[1]. A family travelling together should still think about the total each person carries.
Plan to use a card or phone payment for larger costs instead of carrying notes. Our guide to changing ringgit to RMB shows how much cash is sensible.
What about tobacco and alcohol?
A travel guide lists duty-free allowances of 400 cigarettes, 100 cigars or 500 g of smoking tobacco[2]. For alcohol, the commonly cited allowance is 1,500 ml of drinks at 12% alcohol or higher[3].
These guides are not the customs authority, and one newer source gives a lower alcohol figure. If you are carrying a gift bottle or a carton, confirm the figure first, or buy gifts after you arrive.
How much can you bring in personal goods?
Non-resident visitors have a duty-free personal goods allowance of RMB 2,000 in total, per a travel guide[4]. Items for your own use on the trip, such as clothes, a camera and a phone, are what the allowance is meant for.
If you plan to bring gifts for friends or family in China, keep them modest and in their original packaging, and keep receipts for higher-value items.
What is not allowed?
Drugs, arms and ammunition, and printed or recorded material judged harmful to China’s politics, economy or culture are prohibited[5]. If you are unsure whether a book, a USB drive or a medicine falls in this group, do not guess. Ask the official customs service before you travel.
What about medicines and food?
Medicines need their own preparation, and our guide to bringing prescription medication into China covers the paperwork to carry. Packaged food, including halal snacks for a family, is covered in carrying packaged halal food.
As a simple rule, bring only what you need for the first days, in original packs, and buy the rest in China.
A bag-sorting method
- Put medicines, documents and chargers in the cabin bag
- Keep receipts for new items of higher value
- Leave meat, dairy and fresh produce at home unless you have checked the rule
- Remove loose notes beyond what you need
- Photograph prescriptions and boxes
Before you close the suitcase, read your list once as if you were the officer.
What to do next
Look at your list against the figures above, and mark anything you are not sure about. Complete the arrival card steps before you land, and read about baggage and power bank rules for the flight. The From Malaysia topic page collects the rest.