Customs
1. Customs Clearance
In accordance with the relevant laws and regulations of China, the luggage of inbound and outbound passengers shall enter or leave China at the places with customhouses and shall be under the supervision and control of customs. Passengers should make a factual declaration to customs on the actual contents of the luggage they are carrying into or out of the Chinese territory.
2. Restricted Inbound and Outbound Items
Gold, Silver and Articles Made of These Metals
Inbound passengers with gold, silver and articles made of these metals, each exceeding 50g, should declare to the customs, and carry them out of the Chinese territory when leaving China. Gold, silver and their products (including inlaid ornaments, household utensils and other new handicrafts) ought by tourists at the designated shops in China with foreign currencies shall be released by the customs on the strength of the “special receipts” issued by the People’s Bank of China.
Foreign Currencies
There is no limit to the amount of foreign currencies, travelers’ checks and credit cards a visitor may bring into China. An outbound passenger who carries US$ 5,000 (including US$ 5,000) or less or an equivalent amount in other foreign currencies does not need the “Foreign Currency Carriage Permit” for leaving China. If a passenger who carries more than US$ 5,000 and less than US$10,000 (including US$ 10,000)or an equivalent amount in other foreign currencies, he or she needs the “foreign currency carriage permit” issued by the bank. If he or she carries more than US$ 10,000 or an equivalent amount in other foreign currencies needs the “foreign curren勾 carriage permit” issued by the State Administration of Exchange Control for leaving China.
Renminbi
The limit of Renminbi for an inbound or outbound passenger is yuan. An inbound or outbound passenger with more-than 20,000 yuan shall not be allowed to enter o leave China.
Cultural Relics (including the works by the deceased calligraphers and painters)
An inbound passenger with cultural relics, which will be taken out of the Chinese territory, should make declaration to the customs.
The cultural relics to be taken out of China must be appraised by China’s cultural administrative departments. When taking out cuItura1 relics, a passenger must declare them in detail to the customs. As for the cultural relics bought from the shops within the Chinese territory, the customs should check and clear them according to the appraisal mark stamped by China’s cultural administrative departments and the invoices for the cultural relics that can be sold abroad. As for the cultural relics obtained through other channels within the Chinese territory, the customs shall check and clear them on the strength of the appraisal mark stamped by China’s cultural administrative departments and the export certificate. The cultural relics that have not been appraised shall not be taken out of the Chinese territory. Passengers who carry cultural relics out of the country without declaring them to the customs will be punished according to related laws and regulations.
Chinese Medical Materials and Patent Drugs
For a tourist bound for foreign countries, the limit to raw and prepared traditional Chinese medicines is 300 yuan; and for a tourist to Hong Kong and Macao, 150 yuan. To mail to foreign countries, the limit is 200 yuan; to Hong Kong and Macao, 100 yuan. Outbound tourists carrying a reasonable amount of Chinese medical materials and patent drugs for personal use, that are bought with foreign currency, can pass through customs by showing the relevant invoices and foreign exchange receipts. Musk. as well as Chinese medical materials and patent drugs exceeding the customs limit, shall not be allowed to leave China.
Tourist Commodities
There are no restrictions on tourist souvenirs and handicraft articles purchased in China with foreign currency, except for any possible duty or export permits that are required according to the state’s regulations. Customs will also check the invoice and foreign exchange receipts before making clearance.
Quarantine Services
Inbound and outbound passengers must accept health quarantine inspections by health quarantine services at the open frontier ports if so requested.
Those carrying such objects as microorganisms, tissues from the human body, biological products, blood or blood products must declare to the health quarantine organ, and clearance shall be given upon quarantine inspections. If the luggage and goods that are carried about or consigned for shipment may spread infectious diseases, they should be subject to the health examination. Various foods, beverages and aquatic products from the epidemic areas, or those that probably have been polluted by infectious diseases shall go through sanitary treatment or be destroyed.
Persons from the area infested with yellow fever must present the valid certificates of inoculation against yellow fever to the quarantine departments when entering China. Any person not having such certificates shall 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, sexual diseases, leprosy, mental diseases and active tuberculosis from entering China.
Animal and Plant Quarantine
The following articles are forbidden to 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 the countries and regions infested by infectious diseases;
3. Animal carcasses;
4. Soli.
Persons intending to bring animals, plants and related products or other quarantinable objects that are not included in the category into Cl1ina 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 (region) of origin.
As for the passengers to China accompanied by their pets, each passenger is allowed to take a dog or a cat. Those who come to Chi na with their dogs or cats must show the quarantine certificates and the hydrophobia immunity certificates issued by the off心alquarantine organs of the export countries (or regions).