All visitors must fill out customs declaration forms to present on arrival. The copy should be kept, to hand in on departure. Reasonable amounts of currency (including RMB) can be brought in, along with alcohol and cigarettes for personal use, cameras, radios, computers and tape-recorders.

Certain valuable items, such as video cameras, office machines, computers and gold declared on the form must be brought out of China or else import duty will be charged on them.

Prohibited imports include arms, ammunition and explosives; printed matter, film or tapes detrimental to China; dangerous or narcotic drugs; infected animals, plants or foodstuffs. It is also forbidden to take out any of these items, or endangered species of animals or plants and antiques without export permits.