How much Cigarettes can I bring into China?
Restricted
You can bring Cigarettes into China only within the stated limits.
Extra conditions apply
What you need to know
- 400 piece
- Channels: Arrival duty-free, Carried with the traveler, Post or courier
- Extra conditions apply
- Only one of these allowances can be used per trip.
Important
This allowance applies per person, not per family or group.
If you do not declare
- Step 1: Flat rate tax
- Step 2: Confiscation, Administrative fine
- Step 3: Confiscation, Criminal prosecution
Official sources
- 进境物品关税、增值税、消费税征收办法（国务院关税税则委员会公告2024年第11号附件），第十一条 中华人民共和国财政部 关税司（国务院关税税则委员会）
Questions about Cigarettes in China
- How many cigarettes can I bring into China?
- China allows 400 cigarettes per traveller. Above that the goods are treated as an import and duty becomes payable. The allowance is per traveller and cannot be pooled between people.
- Do I have to declare cigarettes at China customs?
- Only above the allowance. Up to 400 cigarettes there is nothing to declare; beyond it you take the goods through the red channel and pay the duty.
- What happens if I do not declare cigarettes in China?
- If you declare the excess yourself, a flat-rate charge is applied to the excess. If the goods are found without being declared, the goods are confiscated; an administrative fine is imposed. If it is treated as smuggling, the goods are confiscated; it is prosecuted as a criminal offence.
- Do duty-free purchases count toward the China allowance for cigarettes?
- Yes. What you buy in an arrival duty-free shop comes out of the same allowance, so the shop does not add to what you may already be carrying.
- Can I post or ship cigarettes to China instead of carrying it?
- Not under this allowance. It covers goods a traveller carries; a parcel is an import and is assessed under the postal rules instead. Baggage sent before or after you travels under the same allowance.
- Is there a minimum age for the cigarettes allowance in China?
- Yes — 18 years. A traveller under that age gets no allowance for cigarettes at all, not a smaller one.
- Can I take cigarettes out of China?
- China publishes no separate rule for taking cigarettes out; the destination's rules are what will apply.
- Does the China limit for cigarettes apply per person or per family?
- Per person. Each traveller carries their own allowance and it cannot be pooled with anyone else's.
- Where does this rule come from?
- General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China (海关总署, GACC) states it in 进境物品关税、增值税、消费税征收办法（国务院关税税则委员会公告2024年第11号附件），第十一条. CarryRules last confirmed that sentence at the source on 2026-09-19. The sentence it rests on reads: “进境旅客，香烟（含加热卷烟）400支，或者雪茄20支，或者烟丝500克”
- Is the cigarettes rule in China different for residents, visitors or crew?
- This allowance applies to Resident.
- How does China compare with other countries on cigarettes?
- Of the 21 countries covered here, 0 prohibit cigarettes, 17 limit it and 4 let it through. China is among the ones that set a limit.
Source: General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China (海关总署, GACC) — 进境物品关税、增值税、消费税征收办法（国务院关税税则委员会公告2024年第11号附件），第十一条 · verified 2026-09-19
Source: General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China (海关总署, GACC) — 进境物品关税、增值税、消费税征收办法（国务院关税税则委员会公告2024年第11号附件），第十一条 · verified 2026-09-19
Source: General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China (海关总署, GACC) — 海关总署公告2010年第54号——关于调整进出境居民和非居民旅客行李物品验放标准的公告 (GACC Announcement on Adjusting Inspection and Release Standards for Baggage Articles of Resident and Non-resident Passengers) · verified 2026-09-16
Source: General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China (海关总署, GACC) — 进境物品关税、增值税、消费税征收办法（国务院关税税则委员会公告2024年第11号附件），第十一条 · verified 2026-09-19
Source: General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China (海关总署, GACC) — 进境物品关税、增值税、消费税征收办法（国务院关税税则委员会公告2024年第11号附件），第十一条 · verified 2026-09-19
Source: General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China (海关总署, GACC) — china age limits · verified 2026-09-20
Source: General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China (海关总署, GACC) — 进境物品关税、增值税、消费税征收办法（国务院关税税则委员会公告2024年第11号附件），第十一条 · verified 2026-09-19
Source: General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China (海关总署, GACC) — 进境物品关税、增值税、消费税征收办法（国务院关税税则委员会公告2024年第11号附件），第十一条 · verified 2026-09-19
Source: General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China (海关总署, GACC) — 进境物品关税、增值税、消费税征收办法（国务院关税税则委员会公告2024年第11号附件），第十一条 · verified 2026-09-19