country guide
Hong Kong Country Guide
Used Household Goods and Personal Effects
Documents Required
- Copy of passport (identification pages only)
- Original bill of lading (OBL) / air waybill (AWB)
- Detailed inventory
- Owner of the goods’ full contact details in Hong Kong (address, telephone, fax number, email address, etc.)
Specific Information
- All household goods and personal effects can be imported free of duty.
Documents Required
- Original vehicle documentation
- Original purchase invoice
- Insurance certificate
- Certificate of registration (must show boat dimensions)
- Import declaration
Specific Information
Certificate of registration must be submitted to Marine Department for application of import permit within 24 hours from arrival of effects.
Left-hand drive cars cannot be imported.
All vehicles are subject to strict regulatory inspections and high first registration taxes.
Taxes are set to discourage the personal import of vehicles; it is highly recommended that an estimate of costs before shipping a vehicle, be obtained.
First registration fee is based on value, as follows:
Private Cars:
- From value HK $0 to 150,000 : 40%
- On the next HK $150,000 : 75%
- On the next HK $200,000 : 100%
- On the remainder : 115%
Motorbikes:
- 35% of value
All vehicles must comply with the exhaust and noise emissions standard.
Approval / exemption from the Environmental Protection Department before shipping vehicles into Hong Kong are advised.
Vehicles must satisfy local standards.
It is difficult to obtain insurance for vehicles older than 10 years.
Documents Required
- Import permit
- Health certificate from origin country
Specific Information
- Quarantine is not required for dogs imported directly from the United Kingdom.
Plants and plant products (special license is required)
Weapons and ammunition (special license issued by the Hong Kong Police Department is required)
Alcohol (detailed list showing quantity and CIF value is required):
Duty is payable on the CIF value depending on the liquor and the alcohol strength:
- Liquor with 30% alcohol by volume or less is duty free.
- Liquor with more than 30% alcohol by volume measured at a temperature of 20 degrees
- Celsius is charged 100% duties.
- Liquor other than wine with less than 30% alcohol by volume measured at a temperature of 20 degrees Celsius is duty free
Wine is duty free.
Tobacco (passengers age 18 and older may bring the following limited quantities duty free):
- Cigarettes (10)
- Cigars (1 or 25 grams)
- Other manufactured tobacco (25 grams)
- Illegal drugs
- Firearms, explosives and ammunition (permission required)
- Knives and deadly weapons
- Controlled chemicals
- Pets and animals (permission required)
- Meat and poultry
- Rough diamonds
- Counterfeit goods
- Pornographic material