Updated 12 October 2026 · LocalKey consultant team
Your home customs allowance decides what you can bring back from China duty free: US residents get an $800 personal exemption every 31 days after at least 48 hours outside the United States, the UK allows other goods up to £390, the EU allows €430 for travellers by air or sea and Australia allows AUD900 for adults, and each country also sets alcohol and tobacco limits. We suggest keeping every receipt and declaring anything you are unsure about.
The figures below come from the customs authorities of each country, checked on 12 October 2026. They are allowances, not prices, and we have not rounded or converted any of them. Rules can change, so we suggest checking your own customs website before you fly.
How much can you bring home from China duty free?
A returning US resident has an $800 duty-free personal exemption every 31 days after at least 48 hours abroad, the UK allows other goods worth up to £390, the EU allows other goods up to €430 per traveller by air or sea, and Australia allows adults 18 and over AUD900 of general goods. The table sets the four side by side.
Duty-free allowances for travellers returning from China
| Home country | General goods | Alcohol | Tobacco | Age rules | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $800 personal exemption (every 31 days, after at least 48 hours outside the US) | One liter of alcoholic beverages (inside the $800) | Not more than 200 cigarettes and 100 cigars (inside the $800) | Tobacco exemption for adults 21 and over | US CBP |
| United Kingdom | Other goods worth up to £390 (£270 by private plane or boat) | Beer and cider 42 litres; wine (still or sparkling) 18 litres; either spirits over 22% ABV 4 litres or alcoholic products up to 22% ABV 9 litres | 200 cigarettes (or other tobacco options) | No personal alcohol or tobacco allowances under 17 | UK GOV.UK |
| European Union | Other goods up to €430 per traveller by air or sea (€300 otherwise; some countries apply €150 for travellers under 15) | 4 litres of still wine and 16 litres of beer, plus either 1 litre of spirits over 22% or 2 litres of fortified or sparkling wine | 200 cigarettes in countries using the higher limit (some use 40) | No alcohol or tobacco allowance under 17 | EU Your Europe |
| Australia | AUD900 for adults 18+ (AUD450 under 18) | 2.25 litres for adults 18+ | Most tobacco products are prohibited imports, but travellers 18+ can bring tobacco without a permit (see ABF tobacco rules) | Adults 18+ for the full allowance | Australian Border Force |
Family rules differ. US family members in the same household returning together can make a joint declaration. In Australia a family's allowances can be combined, so two adults and two children have AUD2700 between them. We suggest checking with your own customs authority about how a family group is treated before you decide who carries which purchases.
A VAT refund claimed in China is a separate process from your home customs rules, and as advice, we would not expect it to change your home allowance. Our page on the China tax refund for foreigners covers the refund side. This article covers only what happens when you land at home; for paying in shops during the trip, see shopping and paying in China.
As practical advice, we suggest packing your purchases together in one bag or one part of your suitcase, so you can show everything quickly if an officer asks. Our packing page has ideas for leaving room in your luggage for the trip home.
What are the alcohol and tobacco limits?
Alcohol and tobacco limits are set per category in each country, and the US figures sit inside its $800 exemption. The US allows one liter of alcoholic beverages and not more than 200 cigarettes and 100 cigars, with the tobacco exemption for adults 21 and over.
The UK, EU and Australia each set their own alcohol and tobacco allowances separately from their general goods figure.
Here is the detail for each country beyond the table:
- United States: the one liter of alcohol and the cigarette and cigar caps are part of the $800 personal exemption, not added on top of it. The 21-and-over age rule applies to the tobacco exemption.
- United Kingdom: only the last alcohol allowance (either 4 litres of spirits over 22% ABV or 9 litres of products up to 22% ABV) and the tobacco allowance can be split. Going over an allowance means tax and duty on all of that category. There are no personal alcohol or tobacco allowances under 17.
- European Union: the limits apply per traveller, and the age rule for both alcohol and tobacco is 17. Check the EU page for the tobacco limit that applies in the country you land in.
- Australia: the 2.25 litres of alcohol and the tobacco rules apply to adults 18 and over. The Australian Border Force publishes separate tobacco rules, and we suggest reading them before you buy.
Going over an allowance can be costly. In the UK, going over means tax and duty on all of it in that category, not only the extra amount. In Australia, exceeding a limit means duty and tax on all items of that type. We suggest staying under the limit for each category.
As advice, check the age rules before you buy. A family trip often includes teenagers or children, and each traveller's allowance is their own, so a bottle bought by one person should not be counted against someone else's allowance unless your customs authority says that is allowed.
What must you declare when you get home?
Declare anything you are unsure about, and keep your receipts. US Customs and Border Protection says anything you bring back that you did not have when you left must be declared, including gifts and alterations.
That rule is wide. A gift you were given in China counts as something you did not have when you left, and so does a jacket you had tailored. For US travellers, the $800 exemption is the amount you can bring in duty free, but you still declare everything you did not have when you left, including gifts and alterations. We suggest listing purchases as you go, with a note of where and when you bought each item.
For Australia, goods with a Tourist Refund Scheme claim must be declared, and the Australian Border Force duty-free page is the place to check the details.
For UK and EU travellers, the sources we checked focus on allowances rather than a declaration checklist. We suggest declaring any item you are unsure about, and checking the official page for the country where you land. The EU page also covers cash, which we have not summarised here, so please read it if you are carrying a large amount of money.
As advice, keep these habits together:
- Keep every receipt in one folder or one pocket of your bag, so you can find them at the border.
- Pack your purchases together, with the larger items on top.
- Add up general goods before you fly, and compare the total with your allowance.
- Declare when unsure. We would rather you spend a few minutes at a desk than face tax and duty on a whole category.
- Check your home customs site in the week before you fly, because that is the page that applies when you land.
Can you bring food, tea or plants home from China?
Food and plant rules are strict in some countries, and the UK is the one we have verified. On its banned and restricted goods page, the UK says some food and plant products are restricted, and that personal imports of meat and dairy from most non-EU countries are banned.
That is the extent of what we have confirmed. We have not checked food or plant rules for the US, the EU or Australia for this article, so please read the official page for your own country before you buy food, seeds or plants.
As advice, we suggest the following:
- Declare food items when you arrive, including packaged snacks, sauces and sweets.
- Keep tea sealed and labelled in its original packaging, so an officer can see what it is.
- Avoid buying meat or dairy products to carry home, particularly if you are flying to the UK.
- Check your home customs website before you fly, and again if you are buying a large amount of any food or plant product.
If you plan to buy tea in China, it helps to know the buying side too; our page on buying tea in China without scams covers it. We suggest keeping the original packaging, the shop receipt and any labels together. LocalKey can arrange the trip and, as advice, help Independent and Private Guided travellers plan shopping stops near the end of the trip, so purchases do not travel through the whole itinerary and your packing stays simple.
Plan your trip with LocalKey
LocalKey can arrange your own China trip — planned, booked and backed by a 1:1 specialist you can reach 7×24 on WeChat or WhatsApp. It is not a group tour. You choose the pace and the shopping stops, and we handle the planning around them. Our private China tours come in two forms:
- Independent (see Independent): you travel on your own with the LocalKey app and 24/7 backup. There is no full-time guide on any day. A local guide, airport pickup, or a private car and driver can be added on demand.
- Private Guided (see Private Guided): an English-speaking private guide and a private car throughout the trip.
Tell your specialist what you hope to buy, and we can place shopping time late in the trip, when you know how much space and allowance you have left.
Sources
- US CBP — Customs duty information — verified_on 2026-10-12
- UK GOV.UK — Duty-free goods: arriving in Great Britain — verified_on 2026-10-12
- UK GOV.UK — Banned and restricted goods (bringing goods into the UK) — verified_on 2026-10-12
- EU Your Europe — Alcohol, tobacco and cash — verified_on 2026-10-12
- Australian Border Force — Duty free — verified_on 2026-10-12
