Guide for Inbound Passengers

Must Know

I. PROHIBITED ARTICLES

1. Drugs and their derivatives and products prohibited by the “Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act”: poppy seeds, coca seeds, marijuana seeds, marijuana derivatives containing over 10ppm of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), etc.

2. Firearms (pistol, air guns, etc.), ammunition (bullets, explosives, etc.), police weapons (handcuffs, expandable batons, etc.), and knives (sharpened samurai swords, brass knuckles, crossbow, etc.) prohibited by the “Controlling Guns, Ammunition and Knives Act”.

3. Fake or spurious currencies or securities, or moulds for printing counterfeit currency.

4. Articles infringing upon the rights of patents, trademarks, and copyrights. Regarding passengers carrying copies for private use, every individual shall carry one copy of each work.

5. Other articles prohibited by law from importation or exportation.

II. REGULATIONS GOVERNING IMPORT & EXPORT

1. If the total value of the articles carried exceeding USD20,000, inbound/outbound passengers shall apply to the Bureau of Foreign Trade (BOFT) for an import or export permit, and make an Import/Export Cargo Declaration to Customs. For applying for import/export permits, please contact the BOFT via +886-2-23510271.

2. Articles subject to other import or export regulations should be processed pursuant to the provisions of governing laws and regulations.

III. REGULATIONS OF PROTECTING ENDANGERED SPECIES

1. To import or export CITES-listed species, the CITES import/export permit or certificate is required and shall be submitted to Customs.

2. To import or export live wildlife or protected wildlife products regulated by the“ Wildlife Conservation Act”, the permit issued by the Council of Agriculture (for land species) or the Ocean Conservation Administration (for marine species) is required.

IV. MONEY LAUNDERING CONTROLLED ITEMS

Inbound/outbound passengers carrying money laundering controlled items exceeding the following limits are required to declare to Customs:

1.New Taiwan Dollars

NTD100,000. The excess amount is not allowed to be carried into or out of Taiwan.

2.Chinese Yuan (Renminbi)

CNY20,000. The excess amount is not allowed to be carried into or out of Taiwan.

3.Foreign Currencies (incl. HKD、MOP)

Total face value of USD10,000 (or its equivalent). There is no limitation on the amount carried into or out of Taiwan after completion of declaration.

4.Negotiable securities (incl. bearer traveler's checks, promissory notes, bills of exchange,

and other forms of securities)

Total face value of USD10,000 (or its equivalent). There is no limitation on the amount carried into or out of Taiwan after completion of declaration.

5.Gold

Total value of USD20,000 (or its equivalent). The excess amount is not allowed to be carried into or out of Taiwan without a permit from the Bureau of Foreign Trade (BOFT). (Tel: +886-2-23510271)

6.Diamonds, Precious stones and/or Platinum (not intended for personal use)

Total value of NTD500,000 (or its equivalent). When the total value of items exceeds USD20,000 (or its equivalent), the excess amount is not allowed to be carried into/out of Taiwan without a permit from the BOFT. (Tel: +886-2-23510271)

！Failure to declare or a false declaration may lead to confiscation of the items or a fine equivalent to the value of the items.

 ! Note:

   *The limits on each item listed in PART IV are applied independently, and on any individual of  all ages. For example, a passenger could carry NTD100,000, CNY20,000, and USD10,000 without a declaration.

   *A written declaration shall be submitted to Customs at the Red (Goods to declare/Customs service) Channel upon arrival, or at the Customs Service Center upon departure.

ARRIVAL

I. PROHIBITED ARTICLES

      (Please refer to “MUST KNOW”)

II. Inbound passengers shall declare to Customs if carrying:

1.Tobacco products or alcoholic beverages in excess of exemptions.

(1) Exemptions and Limitations: 

 (per inbound passenger aged 20 and over for Tobacco Products )

            (per inbound passenger aged 18 and over for Alcoholic Beverages)

	Exemptions	Limitations
Alcoholic Beverages	1 liter in total	5 liters in total (※1 liter in total from Mainland China)
Tobacco Products	200 cigarettes, or 25 cigars, or 1lb of smoking tobacco	1,000 cigarettes, or 125 cigars, or 5 lbs of smoking tobacco

     ※Including tobacco products and alcoholic beverages purchased in duty-free shops.

     ※The maximum amount carried shall comply with the limitations, where taxes shall be levied on the portion exceeding the exempt amount.

(2) Passengers carrying items exceeding the exempt amount shall declare to Customs via the Red (Goods to Declare/Customs Service) Channel upon arrival.

(3) Failure to declare or a false declaration will result in the confiscation of portion exceeding the exempt amount, and being fined.

2. Articles in excess of duty exemptions.

(1) Used personal articles: unit price of which is less than NTD10,000.

(2) Other personal or household articles (except for controlled goods, tobacco products, or alcohols): total value of which does not exceed NTD35,000. But the following articles are not applied:

    ① Articles carried apparently for business or commercial purpose.

          ② Articles carried by the passenger who frequently travels in and out of the country and has prior customs violation record.

！Note:

    *Passengers carrying articles exceeding the duty exemption allowance shall declare to Customs via the Red (Goods to Declare/Customs Service) Channel.

    *Failure to declare or a false declaration may lead to confiscation of the items or a fine no more than 3 times to the value of the items.

3. Species listed in CITES or subject to the Wildlife Conservation Act. (Please refer to “MUST KNOW”)

4. Money laundering controlled items exceeding the limits. (Please refer to “MUST KNOW.”)

5. Fresh fruits, seeds, live plants or fresh products thereof, or live animals or products thereof.

   (1) Fresh fruits are banned.

   (2) Seeds, live plants and fresh products thereof, and live animals and products thereof are banned unless compliant with quarantine regulations.

6. Agricultural or food products, medicine, veterinary drugs, environment pesticides or cosmetics for personal use in excess of allowed quantities.

    (1) Agricultural or Food Products for personal use

① Agricultural products: 6 kgs in total.

② Milled rice, roasted or prepared peanut, prepared garlic, dried day-lily flower, dried mushrooms and tea: 1 kg each.

③ Products from China:

A. Dried scallops, dried abalone, edible bird's nest and dried shark's fin: 1.2 kgs each.

B. Canned products from China: 6 cans each.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

(2) Medicines for personal use

① Western Medicine

A. Non-prescription medicine: up to 12 bottles (boxes, cans, bars, sticks) per type, and up to a maximum of 36 bottles (boxes, cans, bars, sticks).

B. Prescription medicine: up to a 2 months' supply if no prescription is presented, and up to a 6 months' supply if with prescription.

C. Controlled drugs: up to a 6 months' supply if prescription is presented.

D. Injections: a prescription shall be presented.

②Chinese Medicine

A. Ingredients: up to 1 kg of each type, and up to a maximum of 12 types.

B. Preparations: up to 12 bottles (boxes) of each type, and up to a maximum of 36 bottles (boxes).

C. Amount exceeding the said limits: up to a 3 months' supply if prescription is presented.

D. For any Chinese medicines containing ingredients made from protected wildlife species, the certificate issued by the Council of Agriculture is required.

(3) Food preparations, in capsule or tablet form: up to 12 bottles (boxes) of each type, and up to a maximum of 36 bottles (boxes).

(4) Contact lenses: up to 60 pieces contact lenses with the same diopters and up to 2 diopters is allowed. (All of them shall be the same brand.)

(5) The permit issued by TFDA is required for carrying the following items: (Tel: +886-2-27878200)

① Medicines, food preparations or contact lenses in excess of the prescribed limits above.

② Medical devices or equipment.

(6) Cosmetics

A prior approval from the TFDA is required for carrying the following cosmetics:(Tel: +886-2-27878000)

① Glass Ampoule Cosmetics

② Specific Purpose Cosmetics

A. Including sunscreen, hair dye, perm agent, antiperspirant and deodorant, teeth whitening agent and other designated ingredients.

B. Up to 12 pieces (bottles, boxes, jars, bags) per type of such cosmetics, and up to a maximum of 36 pieces (bottles, boxes, jars, bags).

7. Restricted or controlled articles.

(1) Controlled Items

Controlled items referred to in the “Customs Anti-smuggling Act”:

① The following items carried by inward passengers exceeding the allowed quantities announced by competent authorities for personal use:

A. Products from China prohibited from import.

B. Medicines or veterinary drugs.

C. Specific purpose cosmetics (e.g. hair dye, sunscreen, perm agent, antiperspirant and deodorant, teeth whitening agent, etc.)

② Prohibited articles subject to other regulations from import or restricted articles only allowed to be imported with approval. For instance:

A. Tobacco products and alcoholic beverages.

B. Medical devices.

C. Prohibited/counterfeit drugs, prohibited/counterfeit veterinary drugs, and prohibited/counterfeit agro-pesticides.

D. Plants or products thereof and animals or products thereof prohibited from import.

E. Police weapons or Controlled articles refer to in the “Smuggling Penalty Act”.

F. Products from China prohibited from import.

G. Articles with import or export restrictions.

(2) Other Regulations Governing Importation

① To import designated items shall apply to the Bureau of Standards, Metrology and Inspection (BSMI) for the commodity inspection, except for the following articles carried for personal use:

A. Home appliances and electronics (e.g. TV, speakers, microwave, hair dryer, vacuum cleaner, lighting equipment): same specification or type not exceeding total value of USD1,000, or exceeding USD1,000 but not more than 2 pieces.

B. Toy: same specification or type not exceeding total value of USD1,000 and

5 pieces, or 1 piece of the total value exceeding USD1,000.

② To import articles involving regulations of importation shall apply to the competent authorities for the import permit. For instance, to import more than 5 pieces of wireless telecommunications terminal equipment (TTE) or low-power radio-frequency devices (LPD) (e.g. walkie-talkie, devices with Bluetooth or WIFI functions), a prior approval from the National Communications Commission (NCC) is required.

8. Unaccompanied baggage.

(1) If one carries unaccompanied baggage, please declare to Customs via the Red (Goods to Declare/Customs Service) Channel upon arrival.

(2) Unaccompanied baggage shall be imported before the passenger's entry or within 6 months from the date of entry. Moreover, after arriving Taiwan, passenger (or his/her proxy) shall make an import declaration within 15 days from the day following the arrival date of the transportation means carrying the unaccompanied baggage.

9. Any other articles which are not subject to duty exemptions, or are entitled to declaration.

！Note:

*Passengers carrying articles listed in Part I or II shall declare to Customs via the Red (Goods to Declare/Customs Service) Channel upon arrival.

*Passengers without articles to be declared may pass through the Green (Nothing to Declare) Channel.

*If in doubts, please proceed to the Red (Goods to Declare/Customs Service) Channel for consultation so as to avoid violation of regulations.

*Do not carry baggage for other people. Passengers shall bear legal liabilities for any prohibited, restricted or dutiable articles inside the baggage.