What you can't bring in your luggage

Chinese customs rules at major airports are reasonably permissive for ordinary travel but have specific gotchas. Here is what you cannot bring in.

Currency

Up to USD $5,000 equivalent in cash without declaring. Above that, declare on the customs form. Outbound: ¥20,000 limit for non-residents.

Tobacco and alcohol

Personal allowance: 400 cigarettes (or 100 cigars or 500g loose tobacco), 1.5L of alcohol over 12% ABV. Above this, declare and pay duty.

Drugs and medications

• Recreational drugs: never. Penalties are severe.
• ADHD stimulants (Ritalin, Adderall, Vyvanse): tightly controlled. If you depend on them, bring with prescription, declare on entry, and consult your home embassy in advance — some travellers' supplies have been confiscated.
• Benzodiazepines (Xanax, Valium, Klonopin): controlled; bring prescription.
• Codeine-containing pain relievers: controlled; bring small quantities only with prescription.
• Routine prescription medications (statins, blood pressure, diabetes, insulin): no problem with prescription documentation.
• Marijuana / CBD including CBD oil: illegal regardless of legality at origin. Don't bring.

Plant and animal material

• Fresh fruit, raw vegetables, plants, seeds: restricted. Some confiscated at random.
• Meat products (jerky, salami, prosciutto, dried fish): restricted under various rules.
• Dairy including hard cheese: variable enforcement; small quantities for personal use generally fine.
• Honey: restricted.
• Animal products (ivory, rhino horn, pangolin scale, certain corals, exotic-leather goods): CITES-restricted. Don't.

Electronics

• Power banks under 100Wh: permitted in cabin baggage.
• Power banks 100-160Wh: permitted with airline approval.
• Above 160Wh: prohibited.
• Lithium-ion batteries for phones, cameras, laptops: cabin baggage only; spare batteries cabin-only.
• Drones: prohibited at most major airports without prior registration. Not just for flying — even bringing one in to use elsewhere requires registration.
• Walkie-talkies, GPS trackers, satellite phones: declare; some require permits.

Sensitive media

The customs definition is broad. Don't bring: - **Pornographic material** (the legal threshold is lower than in many Western countries). - **Politically sensitive printed material** — anti-CCP literature, materials promoting Tibetan or Taiwanese independence, religious materials in volume (one or two personal Bibles for personal use is fine; cases of religious literature for distribution are not). - **Falun Gong literature**: explicitly prohibited.

What you can bring

• Personal electronics, clothing, books for personal use, gifts within reasonable quantities.
• Cosmetics for personal use.
• Hard cheese in small quantities.
• Wrapped chocolate, sealed snacks.
• One or two personal religious items (Bible, prayer book, rosary).

Health declaration

A digital customs and health declaration form is filled in on arrival, often via WeChat mini-programme or QR scan. The procedure changes; signs at the airport show the current method.

What to declare

If you have: - More than USD $5,000 cash equivalent. - Items above duty-free allowances. - Prescription drugs that might be controlled. - Photography equipment for journalistic purposes (you may need a journalist visa rather than a tourist visa). - Drones (registration required).

Declare on the customs form. Failing to declare and being caught is worse than declaring.

What if something is confiscated

Items occasionally get held at customs — usually with a paper notice and a window to retrieve later if you can document the item legally. Rarely, items are confiscated permanently. The standard pattern: a customs officer asks about an item, looks at it, and either lets it through or holds it.

For high-value items (camera equipment, electronics) where there's any doubt, carry receipts and have a paper inventory ready.

At departure

Going out: standard customs allowances. Antiques pre-1949 require export permits — most museum-shop replicas are fine. Endangered species and parts: don't.

China's customs in 2026 is reasonably modern and reasonably consistent. Stick to the rules and the process is fast.