Hong Kong - Importing Your Goods

Goods that accompany you
Hong Kong is a duty free port. There are no restrictions on bringing in these items for personal use.

General rules for liquor and tobacco
Hong Kong is a duty free port and you can bring your goods with you without any problem.  You must declare 1)  any merchandise for commercial purpose and 2) any quantity of liquor, tobacco, ciragrettes, and cigars that are in excess of the duty-free concessions.

Goods shipped separately
Household effects intended for personal use can arrive unaccompanied in Hong Kong. Customs will not call you with respect to your shipment. The moving company is responsible for having the items cleared through customs and delivered to your home. Leave out alcohol, tobacco, and firearms for your shipment to go through quickly.

Importing your automobile or other vehicle
The car must be right hand drive (ie people drive on the left). It is very expensive to bring in an automobile and not recommended. 

Personal effects
Personal effects are items to be used by one person, such as jewelry, cameras, clothes,etc. There are no restrictions regarding bringing these items in.

Diamonds
Rough diamonds--Enquiries regarding Kimberley Certificate (Import) and Rough Diamond Traders Registration can be made to the

• Non-Restrained Textiles Section, Trade and Industry Department
  12/F Trade and Industry Department Tower
  700 Nathan Road, Kowloon
  Hong Kong
  China SAR
  Tel: + 852 2398 5557
  Facsimile: + 852 2380 8504

Meats, livestock, poultry 
Rice, frozen or chilled meat, poultry- Licensing enquiries for rice can be made to the

• Rice Control Unit of the Trade and Industry Department
  12/F, Trade and Industry Department Tower
  700 Nathan Road, Kowloon
  Hong Kong
  China SAR
  Tel: + 852 2398 5570
  Facsimile: + 852 2380 8504

Importers of frozen meat, chilled meat, frozen poultry or chilled poultry should apply for the import licence from the

• Food and Environmental Hygiene Department 
  43/F, Queensway Government Offices
  66 Queensway
  Hong Kong
  Tel: + 852 2867 5582
  Facsimile: + 852 2893 3547

Wildlife, fish, plants
Game meat and poultry--Enquiries relating to importation of game, meat and poultry can be made to the

• Food and Environmental Hygiene Department
  43/F, Queensway Government Offices
  66 Queensway
  Hong Kong
  China SAR
  Tel: + 852 2867 5582
  Facsimile: + 852 2893 3547

Professional equipment/tools of trade
Radio transmitting apparatus- Licensing enquiries should be directed to the Inspection and Licensing
Subsection of the

• Office of the Telecommunications Authority
  29/F, Wu Chung House
  213 Queen's Road East, Wanchai,
  Hong Kong
  China SAR
  Tel: + 852  2961 6772
  Facsimile: + 852 2803 5110

There are no import restrictions on personal goods except for alcohol, firearms, and tobacco. Exclude these items from your shipment and they will arrive in Hong Kong and clear customs very quickly. The moving company should then deliver the goods straight to your door.

Household effects
Household effects are items you intend to use in your home, such as linens, silverware, dishes, etc. As long as the items belong to you and are for personal use, there is no restriction about importing household goods. 

Inherited goods
Hong Kong is a duty free port except for liquor, tobacco, hydrocarbon oil, and methyl alcohol. Over the dutiable amount:
Liquor that is more than 30% by volume has a duty of 100% of it's original value.
Liquor, other than wine,  that is less than 30% alcohol by volume has a duty of 40% of it's original value.
Wine has a duty of 80%.

Firearms and ammunition
It is illegal to bring  firearms of any sort (even display or antique ones) into Hong Kong.

Liquor, tobacco
Hong Kong is a duty free port except for liquor, tobacco, hydrocarbon oil, and methyl alcohol. Over the dutiable amount:
Liquor that is more than 30% by volume has a duty of 100% of it's original value.
Liquor, other than wine,  that is less than 30% alcohol by volume has a duty of 40% of it's original value.
Wine has a duty of 80%.
On tobacco:
a)  For each 1,000 cigarettes a duty of HK$804 is charged
b)  Cigars have a duty of HK$1035/kg
c)  Chinese prepared tobacco is HK$974/kg
d)  all other manufactured tobacco, except tobacco intended for the manufacture of cigarettes is HK$974/kg

For more information, e-mail the customs office at: [email protected]
or look on their website at: www.info.gov.hk/customs/ieflash.shtml

It is easiest to navigate the site if you look at the site map option in the right hand corner.

To call the customs department, go to www.info.gov.hk/customs/eng/tel_no/tel_no_e.html
and choose the phone number applicable to your enquiry.
The 24 hour hotline number is + 852 2815 7711

Pets  
All certificates must be completed in either English or Chinese!Before arriving in Hong Kong, you must secure a Special Permit to bring your pet with you. The application for this  permit is made on Form AF240.  You can download the form from www.afcd.gov.hk , clicking on the Quaranteen and Pesticides, Pet Animals, and then downloading the form.   Be sure to read the information on dangerous dogs if you're importing a dog. 
There are restrictions on Pit bull terriors, Dogo Argintinos, Fila Brazilieros, and Japanese Tosas. You can also e-mail the Import Control Section at [email protected] any specific questions, or call + 852 2150 7070.  You also can write to:

• Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices
  5 Floor, No. 303
  Cheung Sha Wan Road
  Permit Unit Kowloon
  Hong Kong
  China SAR

There is also a form available by using their fax-on-demand service. Call + 852 2708-8885 ext. 2291 and then type in your fax number.  I’m not sure if this works outside of Hong Kong or just inside Hong Kong. The computer will call you back and sending a fax of all the importing regulations and a form to fill in to get the Special Permit needed for importing a pet. 
The fee for one animal is HK$432 and HK$102 for each additional animal. It usually takes 5 working days to issue a permit. The permit, once received, is valid for 90 days. The fees should be paid by a bank draft, drawn from a bank in Hong Kong,  in Hong Kong currency payable to “The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.”

• Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices
  5th Floor, No. 303 Cheung Sha Wan Road
  Permit Unit Kowloon
  Hong Kong
  China SAR
  Tel: + 852 2150 8885
  email: [email protected] : call + 852 2708 8885 ext. 2291 than typ ein your fax number

Prohibited restricted goods
Prohibited articles are prohibited or controlled under the Import and Export Ordinace or any other laws of Hong Kong.  These items must have an import license, permit, or certificate issued in advance before they can be imported to Hong Kong.