China duty-free allowance

What arriving travelers can bring into China without paying duty — from official customs guidance.

Alcohol

1.5 L

under this: no declaration

Full rule

under 1,500ml of alcoholic drinks (12%+ ABV) passes without declaration; 1,500ml or above must be declared

Tobacco

400 cigarettes

or 100 cigars / 500 g

Full rule

under 400 cigarettes / 100 cigars / 500g tobacco passes; at or above must be declared

Goods & gifts

RMB 5,000

residents · RMB 2,000 visitors

Full rule

Chinese residents: personal articles from overseas under RMB 5,000; non-residents: articles remaining in China under RMB 2,000; high-value trip gear (camera/laptop over RMB 5,000 each) must be declared for re-export

Cash · declare from

USD 5,000+

foreign · RMB hard-capped at 20,000

Full rule

RMB 20,000 is a HARD CAP in/out (excess prohibited, not just declarable); foreign currency USD 5,000+ must be declared (and re-declared to take out again)

Depends on: resident vs non-resident value tiers; separate lower thresholds exist for Hong Kong/Macao border crossers (not on this page)

Good to know

official GACC English page was fetched via curl (WebFetch failed on a self-signed certificate); the RMB 20,000 absolute cap on local currency is unique among surveyed countries

From China's official customs guidance, checked 2026-07-31 ·verify at the source · Guidance, not law — allowances change and the customs officer has the final say. Verify before you fly.

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