1. Articles of the Consular Post and Officers

For both the articles imported or exported by the consular post for official use and those, in freight or by mail, by the consular officer and the accompanying spouse and underage children for personal use, declaration must be made in writing to the Customs. Upon their verbal declaration, the Customs will release the personal baggage of the consular officer and the accompanying spouse and underage children, either hand-carried or checked for transport on the same vehicle, into or out of China without inspection (unless otherwise agreed upon in the relevant bilateral agreement). With serious reasons to believe there are articles in the baggage for neither official nor personal use or prohibited by the Chinese laws and regulations from import and export, the Customs has the right to conduct inspection in the presence of the consular officer or his / her authorized representative.

The articles imported by the consular post for official use and those by the consular officers and the accompanying spouse and underage children for personal use will be exempt from Customs duties if they are, as verified and approved by the Customs, within the reasonable quantities for direct utilization.

The articles to be exported for official use or personal use will be released upon the verification by the Customs.

The articles for official use refer to those necessary for the direct utilization by the consular post for the exercise of its functions, which may include furniture, furnishings, office articles, entertaining articles, motor vehicles and so on. The articles for personal uses refer to those necessary for the direct utilization by the consular officer and the spouse and underage children during their stay in China, which may include furniture, household electric appliances, motor vehicles and the like.

2. Articles of the Administrative or technical personnel and the Service Personnel

The articles imported or exported, in freight or by mail, for personal use by the administrative or technical personnel and the service personnel, excluding Chinese citizens or permanent residents in China, of the consular post will be, in accordance with the relevant government regulations, regarded and handled by the Customs as personal articles delivered in freight or by mail. Declaration must be made in writing to the Customs for the articles imported for personal use, which include both hand carried baggage and household articles delivered within 6 months since the arrival of these personnel. If they are, as verified and approved by the Customs, within the reasonable quantities for direct utilization, such imported articles will be released after inspection but exempt from Customs duties. The articles declared to be carried out for personal use will not be released without the inspection and verification by the Customs.

3. Transfer of Duty-Free Articles

In general, the duty-free articles should not be transferred to others. In case of special need to transfer such articles, application for approval must be made, in advance, to the local Customs with the Application Form for the Foreign Embassy and Consular Post to Transfer Duty-Free Articles in three copies. If the duty-free articles are approved for transfer, either the seller or the buyer should, as required by the relevant regulations, pay the Customs duty or complete the formalities for duty exemption at the Customs. Except for the case in which the consular officer who owns it concludes his / her service at the consular post or has special reasons, the motor vehicle within service life or operation permit as stipulated by the Chinese competent authorities should not be transferred unless it has been imported and put into use for over two years.

4. Antiques

If the consular post, its members and the accompanying spouse and underage children wish to bring in precious antiques, gold, silver and their artifacts that are prohibited or restricted from exporting by the Chinese laws and regulations, they must present a list thereof and declare to the Customs. With the original Customs declaration form, such articles will be released by the Customs when they are to be brought out of China later.

The antiques purchased or given as gifts in China should not be exported without the advanced declaration to the Customs and the assessment and export permit issued by the Committee of Cultural Relics Administration at the provincial level. When the antiques are to be shipped abroad, it is requested to present to the Customs the export permit stamped with sealing wax.

Editor: Wing