Allowed out
is not allowed aboard.
Every item must pass three different owners: China’s export controls, the carrier’s baggage rules and the destination or transit country’s import rules.
Classify the item before packing. A souvenir, medicine, battery, plant product or old object may be ordinary under one rule and restricted under another.
Put every uncertain item in one of six boxes
Currency, gold, silver or other precious metals.
Antiques, art, manuscripts, old books, fossils or objects of uncertain age.
Food, herbs, seeds, wood, shells, specimens or wildlife products.
Prescription drugs, powders, liquids, aerosols or flammable products.
Power banks, spare batteries, smart luggage and damaged devices.
Samples, resale stock, multiple identical goods or advertising materials.
UNKNOWN ITEM? Keep it accessible, retain the purchase/provenance record and ask Customs or the airline before bag drop.
Use red when the rule or item is uncertain
Official passenger guidance lists RMB cash at or above this threshold for outward declaration.
Official guidance lists foreign-currency cash at or above this equivalent for outward declaration and current-control handling.
Gold, silver and other precious metals are listed for the outward red channel.
Cultural relics, endangered species/products, controlled radio/security equipment and commercial goods require declaration/routing.
Thresholds do not mean automatic permission. Customs decides the required documents and result. A previously endorsed declaration may matter when taking an item or foreign currency back out.
“Bought in a shop” is not export clearance
- Ask the seller for accurate age, material and provenance—not only a receipt.
- Do not rely on an informal “replica” claim for an old-looking item.
- Precious and otherwise prohibited cultural relics cannot be exported.
- Items eligible for export can require approval/certificate from the competent cultural-relics authority.
- Endangered animals, plants, specimens and products can require permits or be prohibited.
Customs clearance does not approve carriage
Check rating, installed/spare status, quantity, condition and carry-on versus checked placement with the operating airline.
Cabin screening and dangerous-goods limits can be stricter than Customs export rules.
Security and airline rules determine cabin or checked placement; local purchase legality is not enough.
Confirm whether the battery is removable and how the airline requires it to be isolated or carried.
The destination country gets the final word
- 01
Check the first country where Customs clearance occurs, including transit rules if baggage is collected.
- 02
Review food, plant, animal, medicine, alcohol, tobacco, cash and gift allowances on that authority’s official site.
- 03
Keep prescriptions, receipts, permits and original packaging where required.
- 04
Declare when the destination rule requires it; China export release is not an import exemption.
Outbound baggage FAQ
What must I declare when leaving China?
China Customs directs outward passengers to the red channel for listed cash thresholds, gold or precious metals, cultural relics, endangered species or products, controlled radio/security equipment, commercial goods and other restricted articles. If uncertain, use the red channel and ask Customs.
Can I take antiques or art out of China?
Do not assume an invoice, seller statement or “replica” label proves export eligibility. China Customs says precious and otherwise prohibited cultural relics cannot be exported, while permitted cultural relics require the competent approval and export documentation.
Are lithium batteries allowed in checked baggage?
Battery rules depend on the device, battery type, rating, condition, quantity, airline and route. Check the operating airline’s current dangerous-goods rules before packing; Customs clearance does not mean airline acceptance.
Outbound rules checked here
Reviewed 23 August 2026. Customs, the operating carrier/security authority and the destination authority each make separate decisions.
- China Customs — international passenger clearance guideOutward red-channel categories, cash thresholds and declare-when-unsure rule.
- China Customs — carried baggageTruthful declaration, personal-use/reasonable-quantity boundary and inspection.
- China Customs — cultural relics exportProhibited relics and approval boundary.
- CAAC — dangerous goods by air (English)Passenger notification and operating-airline/airport dangerous-goods ownership.