🇳🇱 Netherlands vs 🇨🇳 China
Side-by-side customs reference: duty-free allowance, de minimis, VAT, restricted and prohibited categories, and customs authority.
| 🇳🇱 Netherlands | 🇨🇳 China | |
|---|---|---|
| Customs authority | Douane (Netherlands Customs — under Tax and Customs Administration) | General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) |
| VAT / GST | 21% | 13% / 9% / 6% |
| De minimis (USD) | USD 165 | USD 21 |
| Cash declaration (USD) | USD 11000 | USD 5000 |
| Duty-free alcohol (L) | 4 | 1.5 |
| Duty-free cigarettes | 200 | 400 |
| Duty-free personal goods (USD) | USD 540 | USD 730 |
| Prohibited categories | Narcotics (cannabis import is prohibited even though domestic tolerance policy exists); Hard drugs; Counterfeit goods; Pornographic material involving minors; Endangered species products without CITES permits | Narcotics and psychotropic substances; Publications, films, and materials deemed harmful to China's political or social stability; Gambling equipment; Counterfeit currency; Animal and plant species protected under CITES without permits |
| Restricted categories | Firearms and weapons (Dutch Weapons and Ammunition Act — strict restrictions); Medicines (CBG/MEB authorisation for commercial imports); Soft drugs — cannabis in coffeeshops is a tolerance policy (gedoogbeleid), but importing cannabis is illegal; Food products from outside EU (SPS border inspection); Plants and plant materials (phytosanitary certificate required from non-EU) | Food and agricultural products (GACC registration required for exporters; China Inspection and Quarantine — CIQ); Pharmaceuticals (NMPA (formerly CFDA) approval required); Firearms and weapons (Ministry of Public Security strict permits required); Certain chemicals and hazardous materials; Radioactive materials |
| Known scams | Mail-order-style 'cannabis discount' scams targeting tourists: most products sold via these routes are illegal for export and will be seized at departure Dutch customs + destination entry. Legal coffee-shop sales are for on-premises consumption only. | Fake Chinese visa / invitation-letter services demanding high fees. Use only the embassy / consulate in your home country or authorised Chinese Visa Application Service Centers (CVASC). |
Detailed pages: Netherlands • China
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