PERSONAL ELECTRONICS

Lithium Power Bank

LOW RISK

VERIFIED · 2026-05-13REGULATION TIGHTENINGReport a correction

155allowed

9restricted

0prohibited

164 rules across 82 countries

ALSO KNOWN ASportable chargerbattery packpower bankexternal battery

Can I take Lithium Power Bank across a border? Yes in many places, with conditions. Of the 164 country-rules we've indexed for Lithium Power Bank, 155 are allowed (often with limits), 9 are restricted (permit, declaration, or quantity cap), and 0 are prohibited outright. Customs rules depend on the destination, the purpose (travelling, posting, importing personally, or importing commercially), and the quantity.

Lithium-ion power banks are portable battery storage devices used to charge mobile phones, tablets, and other electronics. They are ubiquitous travel accessories and come in capacities ranging from 5,000 mAh to 30,000 mAh or more. They contain lithium-ion or lithium-polymer cells. The safety concern driving aviation rules for lithium batteries is thermal runaway — a chain reaction in which the battery overheats, potentially catching fire, and the fire spreads to adjacent cells. This type of fire is extremely difficult to extinguish in an aircraft environment, which is why the International Air Transport Association (IATA) prohibits lithium batteries and power banks from checked baggage. All power banks must travel in cabin baggage where a fire can be observed and addressed by crew using fire-suppression equipment. Power banks are permitted in cabin baggage up to 100 Wh (watt-hours) freely. Between 100 Wh and 160 Wh, one unit is permitted per passenger with airline approval. Power banks above 160 Wh are generally prohibited on passenger aircraft. Watt-hours can be calculated from the milliamp-hour (mAh) rating: (mAh × nominal voltage) ÷ 1000 = Wh. For a standard 3.7V lithium cell, a 20,000 mAh power bank is approximately 74 Wh — within the free allowance. A 30,000 mAh bank is approximately 111 Wh — requiring airline approval. China restricts power bank imports via airlines to 20,000 mAh (approximately 74 Wh or 100 Wh depending on nominal voltage), and Chinese airports actively enforce this limit. Travelers should confirm the Wh rating on their power bank before travel and always pack it in hand luggage.

WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO DO?

Carry lithium power bank in my luggage

65 country rules for personal travel

Send lithium power bank by post

49 country rules for international parcels

Import lithium power bank commercially

50 country rules for imports

Common mistakes with Lithium Power Bank

Assuming the rules at the origin apply at the destination — they don't. The destination customs authority is the binding rule.
Travelling and posting are treated differently: an item you can carry may be prohibited by post (and vice versa).
Personal vs commercial intent: above a quantity threshold, customs may treat your shipment as commercial regardless of intent.
Undervaluing on the customs declaration to avoid duty — treated as fraud in most jurisdictions.
Vague item descriptions on CN22/CN23 — biggest single cause of postal customs holds.
Lithium batteries in checked baggage (must be in carry-on) or above the watt-hour limit without airline approval.
Missing required certificates (phytosanitary, veterinary, CITES, prescription, product compliance).

Always verify against the destination's customs authority before acting. Not legal advice.

HS codes

8507.60 — Lithium-ion batteries
8504.40 — Static converters (included for power-bank circuitry)

Regulatory trend

https://www.iata.org/contentassets/6fea26dd84d24b26a7a1fd5788561d6e/lithium-battery-guidance-document.pdf — IATA DGR 2024 tightened carry-on Wh limits for power banks

Names in other languages

es: batería portátil, banco de energía, power bank
fr: batterie externe, power bank, chargeur portable
de: Powerbank, externe Batterie, Akku-Pack
zh: 充电宝, 移动电源, 便携充电器
ja: モバイルバッテリー, 携帯充電器, パワーバンク

IATA Dangerous Goods classification

Class 9Miscellaneous dangerous goods
CARRY-ON OKCHECKED OK

General notes

Lithium power banks are subject to aviation safety regulations because of the fire risk associated with lithium-ion batteries. The IATA and most airlines prohibit power banks from checked baggage; they must be carried in cabin baggage only. Power banks above 100 Wh require airline approval, and those above 160 Wh are generally prohibited on passenger aircraft. Watt-hours can be calculated from mAh by multiplying by voltage and dividing by 1000. China restricts power bank capacity imports via airlines to 20,000 mAh (approximately 100 Wh). Airlines from some regions enforce this more strictly than others. Passengers should always carry power banks in hand luggage.