China Customs: Cash Limits and Duty-Free Allowances
Last checked October 19, 2026 against official sources. How we check
Quick answer
You may carry up to ¥20,000 in yuan. Declare foreign cash worth more than US$5,000 and use the red channel. Duty-free limits are 1,500 ml of alcohol at 12% ABV or more and 400 cigarettes, halved if you arrive from Hong Kong or Macao. Fresh fruit, vegetables and meat products are banned, and some medicines need papers.
Key facts
| Cash limits | Yuan: ¥20,000 maximum. Foreign cash: declare over US$5,000 |
|---|---|
| Alcohol | Over 1,500 ml of drinks at 12% ABV or more is dutiable |
| Tobacco | Over 400 cigarettes, or 20 cigars, or 500 g of tobacco (one of these) |
| Hong Kong or Macao arrivals | Alcohol, tobacco and vape limits are halved |
| Red channel | Goods to Declare; green channel is Nothing to Declare |
Red channel or green channel?
After baggage claim at the airport where you enter China, for example Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (广州白云国际机场), you pass customs. If you have something to declare, fill in a baggage declaration, on paper or in advance in the 海关进出境人员指尖服务 mini program in WeChat or Alipay, and use the red channel. If not, you need no form.
- Green channel, “Nothing to Declare”: for passengers who carry only personal items within the limits.
- Red channel, “Goods to Declare”: for anyone carrying the items in the table below.
If you are unsure, use the red channel and ask. Declaring is never the mistake.
What you must declare
This table follows the China Customs declaration form (Announcement 2025 No. 43) and the clearance guide the Shanghai government publishes on its behalf.
| Item | Declare when you carry |
|---|---|
| Cash | Foreign currency in cash worth more than US$5,000. Yuan cash is capped at ¥20,000 |
| Alcohol | More than 1,500 ml of drinks at 12% alcohol by volume or more |
| Cigarettes | More than 400 |
| Cigars | More than 20 |
| Tobacco | More than 500 g |
| E-cigarettes | More than 2 devices, or more than 6 cartridges, or total liquid over 12 ml |
| Personal articles for non-residents | Items worth more than ¥2,000 in total that you intend to leave in China |
| Goods of commercial value | Samples, advertisements and goods for sale |
| Radio transmitters and communication security equipment | Always |
| Animals, plants and their products, microbes, biological products | Always |
| Unaccompanied baggage | Always |
For travellers arriving from Hong Kong or Macao, the alcohol, tobacco and e-cigarette limits are halved. If you entered China more than once within 15 days, you get only 40 cigarettes and no alcohol, and under-18s get no tobacco or alcohol allowance.
Cash and foreign currency
There is no limit on the foreign currency, traveller’s cheques or letters of credit you bring in. You must declare foreign cash worth more than US$5,000. You may not bring in more than ¥20,000 in yuan cash.
If you declare foreign cash and plan to take it out again, the guide says to fill in two declaration forms. Customs endorses them and returns one copy, which you show when you leave. Without a record of your declaration, customs may release only the amount you can prove with a certificate from a bank or the Foreign Exchange Bureau.
Alcohol, tobacco and vapes
Anything above the limits in the table is dutiable. Many sites quote other figures. We use the numbers on the official guide and recommend you recheck them on the China Customs English site before you travel.
Medicines
Personal medicines without narcotic or psychotropic ingredients may be carried in reasonable quantities for personal use. Medicines that contain those substances are different. Shanghai Customs says you must present a medical diagnosis or prescription from a qualified medical institution, and your passport. For narcotics and Class I psychotropic drugs, the quantity must stay within a single prescription. Declare them on arrival.
Food, plants and other banned items
The official list of prohibited and restricted articles includes weapons, counterfeit money, drugs, certain printed matter and media, live animals other than pet cats and dogs, and soil. China’s quarantine list also bans fresh fruit and vegetables, raw or cooked meat products, dairy and eggs, from any country.
Drones
The UK government’s China travel advice added information on drone rules in May 2026. We could not confirm the current Chinese rules for tourists, so check the Civil Aviation Administration and the UK page before you pack a drone.
What happens at the counter
If you are selected for inspection, officers may open your bags. A traveller on Reddit wrote that their girlfriend was afraid customs would copy her phone. We found no official source that describes this practice, so we cannot confirm it or its frequency.
Next, read how to get from Baiyun Airport to the city and fill in the arrival card before you fly.
Traps and how to avoid them
- Using the green channel with cash over the limit
If you carry foreign cash worth more than US$5,000, you must go through the red channel and declare it. Yuan cash above ¥20,000 is not allowed. Keep the stamped form if you plan to take the money out again.
- Believing a travel blog's allowance numbers
Sites disagree: some say 1 litre of alcohol, some say 1.5 litres. We use the figures on the official customs declaration form, which says 1,500 ml (0.75 litres from Hong Kong or Macao). Check the customs site again before you travel.
- Bringing fresh fruit or meat snacks
China's quarantine list bans fresh fruit and vegetables, raw or cooked meat products, dairy and eggs, from any country. Leave them at home or declare them.
- Carrying controlled medicines without papers
Medicines containing narcotic or psychotropic substances need a medical diagnosis or prescription from a hospital, plus your passport. Declare them on arrival.
FAQ
How much cash can I bring into China?
There is no limit on foreign currency, but you must declare foreign cash worth more than US$5,000 on the customs form and use the red channel. You may carry no more than ¥20,000 in yuan.
How much alcohol can I bring?
The customs declaration form says over 1,500 ml of drinks at 12% alcohol by volume or more is dutiable. Arrivals from Hong Kong or Macao get half. If you entered China more than once in the last 15 days, you get no alcohol allowance.
Can I bring a vape or e-cigarette?
The customs guide lists over 2 e-cigarette devices, or over 6 cartridges or e-liquid over 12 ml in total, as dutiable. Check airline rules for batteries as well.
Can customs search my phone?
Customs can inspect baggage. On Reddit, a traveller wrote that their girlfriend was afraid customs would copy her phone; that is a worry, not a report that it happened. We found no official statement on phone checks.
Do I need to declare my laptop or camera?
Personal articles in reasonable quantity do not. Goods of commercial value, samples and items worth more than ¥2,000 in total that you intend to leave in China need to be declared, according to the customs guide.
Sources
- General Administration of Customs (via Shanghai government): Customs clearance guide for inbound passengers
- Shanghai Customs (via Shanghai government): Can I bring medication for personal use when traveling through Shanghai?
- General Administration of Customs of China (English)
- UK FCDO: China travel advice, entry requirements (customs rules)
- General Administration of Customs: Announcement 2025 No. 43 and baggage declaration form (Chinese)
- General Administration of Customs: rules for travellers' baggage, Order No. 276 (Chinese)
- Ministry of Agriculture and GACC Announcement No. 470: animal and plant products banned from entry (Chinese)
- UK FCDO: China travel advice, safety and security (drones)
- Reddit r/guangzhou thread, January 26, 2026
Update history
- : First version, from the customs clearance guide published by the Shanghai government on behalf of China Customs
- : Cash, food and medicine rules corrected against Customs Announcement 2025 No. 43 and Announcement No. 470
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