Alcohol / Spirits 🇨🇳 China
1.5L duty-free, 12% ABV minimum
Can I bring Alcohol / Spirits into China?
1.5L duty-free, 12% ABV minimum
1.5L over 12% ABV
10-65% above allowance
- Chinese Customs declaration form for quantities above duty-free allowance
Required at the destination customs authority
Full details
China allows travelers to bring 1.5 liters of alcohol over 12% ABV duty-free, plus a reasonable quantity of wine and beer. Duty rates above the allowance are 10-65% depending on alcohol type. Baijiu and similar Chinese spirits may face different treatment when brought back into China. Enforcement in China carries fines from CNY 5,000 to CNY 50,000 under Customs Law of the PRC Art. 82; Criminal Law of the PRC Art. 153 (ordinary personal cases are handled as civil infringements). Leaving China with alcohol / spirits is a separate question — allowed: Spirits for personal use may be exported from China freely; destination duty-free allowances govern the arrival side.
PENALTIES
- Fine: 5000–50000 CNY
- Civil penalty only
Leaving China with alcohol / spirits
Spirits for personal consumption are freely exportable from China — excise duty is origin-paid on retail purchases and no export formality applies at personal quantities. The binding constraint is the destination's duty-free allowance (typically 1 litre of spirits) above which arrival duty applies, and aviation rules: liquids over 100 ml must travel in checked baggage or as sealed duty-free purchases, and alcohol over 70% ABV is forbidden on aircraft entirely (24-70% ABV is capped at 5 litres per passenger in retail packaging).
Duty-free for travelers entering China: 1.5L of alcohol (≥12% ABV), 400 cigarettes or 100 cigars or 500g tobacco, and personal goods (excluding alcohol and tobacco) with total value of RMB 5,000 (~$730 USD). Chinese residents returning from abroad who exceed this limit pay customs duty on the excess. Residents of Hong Kong and Macao have a lower allowance.
Declare alcohol / spirits at customs on arrival in China and carry any documentation specified in the rule. Verify current requirements with General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) before travel.
1.5L over 12% ABV
- Chinese Customs declaration form for quantities above duty-free allowance
10-65% above allowance
PRC Customs Law, Customs Decree 54
This page covers destination customs rules in China. Whether you can carry alcohol / spirits through security, in carry-on, or in checked baggage depends on airline and screening rules — see air travel rules.
Alcohol / Spirits is classified under Class 3 — Flammable liquids. Cabin and checked-baggage rules apply on top of any destination regulation.
Related rules
Alcohol / Spirits rules in other countries
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🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
Completely prohibited. Zero tolerance under Islamic law.
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🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates
Non-Muslim adults may import 4 litres of spirits or wine duty-free via most emirates.
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🇲🇾 Malaysia
1 liter duty-free allowance
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🇮🇩 Indonesia
1 liter duty-free; heavily taxed beyond
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🇰🇷 South Korea
1 liter (under USD 400) duty-free
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🇫🇷 France
EU standard allowances from non-EU; unlimited within EU