What you need to know

Hainan lets travellers who leave the main island buy duty-free goods up to CNY 100,000 per person per year. The rule is set by a joint announcement of the Ministry of Finance, the General Administration of Customs and the State Taxation Administration, in force since 1 July 2020.

Who can buy

Travellers aged 16 or over who leave the main island by plane, train or ship and stay in China. They need a valid identity document and the ticket or travel information for the trip.

What it covers

The goods are free of customs duty, import VAT and consumption tax. The yearly allowance is CNY 100,000 per person, and the number of purchases is not limited. Quantity limits for each category are listed in an annex to the announcement; check it before you buy.

Picking up

Goods are collected at the designated pick-up area of the airport, railway station or port, and you take them off the island in one trip. Delivery by post is possible where the shop offers it.

What is not allowed

The goods are for your own use. Reselling them in China, buying for other people or smuggling can lead to a three-year ban on buying duty-free goods, and the offence is recorded in your credit file.

Check before you go

This guide follows the 2020 announcement. Later notices have changed delivery options and the product list. Read the current rules on the shop's page before you buy.

The source is listed below with the date it was opened.

Practical facts

Documents to bring

  • Valid identity document original Shown when you buy[1]
  • Ticket or travel information for leaving the island original or copy Shown when you buy[1]

Steps

  1. Check that you are 16 or older and that you will leave the main island of Hainan by plane, train or ship without leaving China.[1]
  2. Buy at a licensed offshore duty-free shop, in person or through its approved online window. Show your valid identity document and your departure information.[1]
  3. Keep your total for the calendar year within CNY 100,000. The number of purchases is not limited.[1]
  4. Collect the goods at the designated pick-up area of the airport, railway station or port, or choose delivery by post where the shop offers it, and take them off the island in one trip.[1]
  5. Keep the goods for personal use. Do not resell them, and do not buy for other people.[1]

Official sources

  1. Ministry of Finance, General Administration of Customs, State Taxation Administration: 关于海南离岛旅客免税购物政策的公告 (Announcement No. 33 of 2020, effective 2020-07-01) (www.gov.cn/zhengce/zhengceku/2020-06/29/content_5522649.htm) · accessed 10/21/2026