Duty-free cap: 2 devices, 6 pods or combos, 12 ml total liquid. Over that is taxed, not seized as a rule.
State Council Tariff Commission announcement 2024 No. 11 (in force 1 December 2024) sets the inbound allowance. Hong Kong / Macao arrivals: half (1 device, 3 pods, 6 ml). Frequent inbound (more than once in 15 days): 1 device, 1 pod, 2 ml, once per day. CAAC: lithium vapes in carry-on only, never checked.
Count devices, pods and millilitres before you pack. Keep the kit in the cabin bag.
Tax schedule, not a tourist FAQ
The live rule is the tariff-commission PDF, not the repealed GAC notice 102. Unlabelled millilitre claims on old customs FAQs are not in the current schedule.
- Over the allowance: tax the excess. An indivisible single item can be taxed in full. That is not the same as confiscation.
- The live numbers here are inbound duty-free quantities and cabin-bag lithium. Buying locally, licensed shops, and indoor city ordinances are not in this tariff PDF.
Duty-free inbound allowance
| Option | Devices | Pods / combos / disposables | Total liquid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ordinary inbound passenger | 2 | 6 | 12 ml |
| Arriving from Hong Kong or Macao, China | 1 | 3 | 6 ml |
| Inbound more than once in 15 days | 1 | 1 | 2 ml · once that day |
Ordinary inbound passenger
- Devices
- 2
- Pods / combos / disposables
- 6
- Total liquid
- 12 ml
Arriving from Hong Kong or Macao, China
- Devices
- 1
- Pods / combos / disposables
- 3
- Total liquid
- 6 ml
Inbound more than once in 15 days
- Devices
- 1
- Pods / combos / disposables
- 1
- Total liquid
- 2 ml · once that day
Two under-18 sentences, and the battery
Under 18: duty-free does not apply
The current schedule: minors do not get the duty-free quantities above. Customs also only duty-frees travel-necessary items for minors and frequent inbound travellers.
Workaround: Do not pack a vape for anyone under 18.
Do not cite repealed notice 102
Older customs FAQ wording is not in the live 2024 No. 11 schedule.
Workaround: Stay with the current allowance: minors do not get the duty-free quantities above.
Checked-bag lithium
CAAC: portable electronic smoking devices with lithium batteries may go in carry-on, not in checked bags.
Workaround: Cabin bag only.
Frequently asked questions
Can I bring my own vape as a tourist?
Stay inside 2 devices / 6 pods / 12 ml (half from Hong Kong or Macao). Over that, expect tax on the excess, not a default confiscation. Cabin bag only.
Can I buy vape products in China once I land?
The numbers on this page are what you may bring in through customs. Buying locally is a separate question — it is not in this tariff PDF.
Can I vape indoors in China?
Use the smoking-rules page for the city. Indoor rules are not in this inbound tariff schedule.
Is an unlabelled millilitre bottle banned by the current schedule?
No. That sentence is not in annex 2 of the 2024 No. 11 PDF.
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