Customs Regulation

Chinese border crossings are generally very easy. All visitors entering China must fill out customs declaration forms upon arrival. The departure copy will be stapled in your passport and must be submitted as you exit China. Reasonable amounts of money (currently up to $5,000 US), alcohol and cigarettes, cameras, and tape-recorders can be brought into China. Certain valuable items, such as amateur video and camera equipment, computers, and gold, must be declared on the form.

Tourists may bring 8mm, 1/2 inch VHS, or small-format digital video camcorders by declaring the equipment upon entry-provided that the tapes produced in China are not intended for commercial use. But professional video or audio recording equipment requires special authorization. Importing arms and ammunition, narcotic drugs, and printed or video material "detrimental to China's politics, economy, culture, or ethics" is forbidden.

Customs Clearance

According to related laws and regulations, the luggage of inbound and outbound passengers must be under customs supervision and control. Passengers should make factually declaration to the customs on the actual information on the luggage they carry into or out of the territory.

Restricted Inbound and Outbound Items

Passenger's Personal Articles

Each passenger is allowed to carry a camera, a portable tape recorder, a small movie camera, a portable video camera, and a portable word processor. If exceeding the scope, he or she should make declaration to the customs. Passengers should bring what they have brought with them back on their departure with the permission of the customs.

Gold, Silver, and Articles Made of These Metals

Passengers with gold, silver, and articles made of these metals, each exceeding 50 grams, should make declaration to the customs, and should carry out. Gold, silver, and their products (including new arts and crafts articles, such as inlays and containers) bought from fixed shops shall be released by the customs after examination of the Special Receipts issued by the People's Bank of China.

Foreign Currencies

There is no limitation for the amount of foreign currencies, traveler's check to carry into China. Inbound passengers who are residents of China carrying more than US$2,000 or non-resident passengers with more than US$5,000 or an equivalent amount in other foreign currencies should make a declaration to the customs.

Renminbi (RMB)

The limit of Renminbi for inbound and outbound passengers is 6,000 yuan. Inbound and outbound passengers with more than 6,000 yuan will not allowed to enter or leave the territory.

Cultural Relics

If inbound passengers with cultural relics want to carry the relics out of the territory, they should make a clear declaration to the customs. Passengers could carry out the relics bought in China with the appraisal by the Chinese administrative departments for cultural relics. When cultural relics leave the territory, the customs shall release them after examination against the export permit from these departments and the appraisal marks stamped on the relics.
Passengers trying to

carry cultural relics out of the territory without declaring them to the customs may face criminal charge.

Articles Prohibited from Entry and Exit

Articles Not Allowed into China

Various weapons, imitation weapons, ammunition, and explosives;
Counterfeit money and forged securities;
Printed matter, negatives, re- cords, films, audio and video recordings, laser optical video-discs, computer storage media and other articles containing materials deemed harmful to China politically, economically, culturally, or ethically;
Deadly poisons, Opium, morphine, heroin, marijuana, and other narcotics;
Dangerous bacteria, harmful insects, and other harmful animals, plants, and their products;
Food, drugs, and other articles from epidemic-stricken areas if such articles may be harmful to human beings and animals.
Articles that may not be taken out of China
All articles mentioned above as prohibited for entry
Manuscripts, printed matter, negatives, photos, records, films, audio and video recordings, laser optical video disc, computer storage medium and similar articles if they contain state secrets;
Cultural relics and relics not permitted to exit;
Endangered and protected animals and plants (including specimens), their seeds and breeding materials.

Health Requirement

No special shots are required for short-term travelers. Visitors to China must complete a Health Declaration form upon arrival. No special vaccinations are required, but those who have traveled from an infected area before coming to China should have vaccination records available. Although China does have excellent preventative healthcare products available and modern healthcare systems in major cities, travelers should bring with them any special health remedies or medications they require, as well as over-the-counter items. Elderly travelers, or those with medical problems, are advised to check with their healthcare professional before visiting China. Travel to high-altitude areas such as Tibet is not recommended for those with pulmonary or heart problems.

Quarantine Service

Inbound and outbound passengers must accept health quarantine inspections by frontier quarantine services if so requested.

Persons carrying such objects as microorganisms, tissues from the human body, biological products, blood, or blood products cannot enter or exit unless they apply with a health quarantine service and accept required quarantine inspections.

Persons who enter or leave China carrying, or consigning for shipment luggage or objects which may cause the spread of contagious disease must submit to health quarantine inspections. The quarantine inspection service is obliged to treat or destroy such articles as foodstuffs, drinks, and aquatic products if they are contaminated by contagious diseases.

Persons arriving from areas infested with yellow fever must present certificates of inoculation against yellow fever to the quarantine department when entering China. Any such person not having the above mentioned certificate will be detained for observation until the sixth day after leaving the infested area, or such person may be inoculated and detained until the time when the inoculation is deemed effective.

Health quarantine services are obliged by law to prevent any foreigner suffering from AIDS, venereal disease, leprosy, mental illness, or active tuberculosis from entering China.

Animal & Plant Quarantine

The following objects may not be brought into China:
1) Animal and plant pathogens (including bacterial and venomous vaccines), pests and other injurious organisms
2) animals and plants, their products, and other quarantinable objects from countries and regions infected by infectious diseases
3) animal carcasses
4) soil
Persons intending to bring animals, plants, and related products or other quarantinable objects into China must submit application forms to the customs, and they should be examined by the frontier quarantine department. Those who bring animals into China must present quarantine and other certificates issued by the country or region of origin.
Each passenger is allowed to bring one pet into China. Such pets should be accompanied by quarantine and rabies-immunization certificates.