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Shipping boxes to and from Hong Kong

Hong Kong is a free port. There is no tariff on goods coming in and no VAT or GST, so a box of used belongings owes nothing at any value. Only spirits over 30% alcohol, tobacco, certain fuels, and methyl alcohol carry duty, and boxes get no allowance for them. E-cigarettes, heated tobacco, and smokeless tobacco can't be imported at all, and medicines need a license unless you carry them in your own luggage.

Typical transit: 1-3 business days from elsewhere in Asia; 3-5 from Europe or North America
Currency: HKD
Duty-free up to: No threshold applies, because ordinary goods pay no duty or tax at any value
Receiver ID: Not usually needed

Price a shipment to Hong Kong

From

Boxes

Weight each (lb)

Box size

Choose where it's from and where it's going.

What it costs to ship boxes from the US to Hong Kong

1 medium box (16 × 16 × 16 in, 20 lb)$135.41delivered in 4 to 7 business days
5 medium boxes (30 lb each)$677.06 totalabout $135.41 a box

Includes pickup at your door, express delivery, fuel and prepared customs paperwork. Import duties and taxes, if any, are set by Hong Kong and paid by the receiver. Prices updated November 2, 2026.

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Sending to Hong Kong

Duties and taxes1 2 3 5

Duty-free threshold: No threshold applies, because ordinary goods pay no duty or tax at any value. Dutiable goods (spirits over 30% alcohol, tobacco, certain fuels, and methyl alcohol) are taxed from the first bottle or stick. Shipped personal effects get no duty-free concession for them.
Import tax: None on ordinary goods. Hong Kong charges no tariff on goods entering and has no VAT or GST. Excise duty applies only to four groups: liquor over 30% alcohol (100% on the first HK$200 of value and 10% on the rest), tobacco (for example HK$3,306 per 1,000 cigarettes), certain hydrocarbon oils, and methyl alcohol. Wine, beer, and other drinks at 30% alcohol or less pay 0%.
How value is worked out: Ordinary belongings pay nothing at any value, so CIF or FOB makes no difference to them. Value only changes what's owed on dutiable goods. Spirits over 30% alcohol are taxed on the value of the liquor: in a bottle of up to 1 liter, 100% of the first HK$200 and 10% of the rest. Larger bottles are worked out on the value per liter. Ask C&ED whether shipping counts toward that value before you send any. List a fair second-hand value for each item anyway. The courier needs one for the waybill, and it doesn't change what's owed on untaxed goods. If there isn't enough information to value liquor under 12 liters in one consignment, C&ED may charge HK$160 (about US$21) per liter instead. Amounts in this guide are converted at about HK$7.8 per US dollar.
Who pays: Shipments are sent DAP. The receiver pays any duties and taxes before or on delivery. The courier may add a clearance or disbursement fee.
Moving there?: No relief scheme is needed, because personal belongings aren't taxed. Personal effects clear the same way as general cargo, with no duty-free concession for dutiable goods inside them and the same license and permit rules for controlled items. Goods that customs accepts are not imported for trade or business need no import declaration. Nothing depends on your residence status or time abroad.

Worked example

Illustrative: a box of used clothes, books, and kitchenware worth HK$5,000 (about US$640), plus one 0.7-liter bottle of whisky valued at HK$306 (about US$39), the figures in C&ED's own worked example. Assumes customs accepts the declared value.

Household goods: no duty or tax. Whisky, in a bottle of 1 liter or less: 100% x the first HK$200 = HK$200, plus 10% x the remaining HK$106 = HK$10.60. Total HK$210.60.

About HK$211 (about US$27), plus any courier fee. The receiver would also need a customs license for the whisky, so it's simpler to leave it out. Without it, the box owes nothing.

How customs clearance works in Hong Kong1 3 5 6 8

Express couriers present shipments to the Customs and Excise Department (C&ED), which inspects cargo arriving by air, sea, and land. Personal effects clear like general cargo. A box of ordinary belongings owes nothing and needs no import declaration if it isn't for trade or business. Spirits or tobacco need a C&ED import license and removal permit, and the duty must be paid.

Formal entry: Paperwork depends on the contents, not the value. Goods that customs accepts are not imported for trade or business are exempt from import declarations. Dutiable goods need a C&ED license and duty payment, and controlled items need a license or permit from the relevant department before they arrive.
How long it takes: Boxes of ordinary belongings often clear within a day of arrival. Anything held for a license check, duty payment, or a food, plant, or wildlife check takes longer.
Inspections: C&ED enforces licensing controls by inspecting cargo, and targets drugs, dutiable goods, counterfeit goods, and controlled items. Food rules are enforced by the Centre for Food Safety, and plant and wildlife rules by AFCD. All aquatic products from Japan are radiation-tested before sale.
If duties go unpaid: Controlled goods aren't released without the required license or permit, and importing them without one is an offense. For licensed imports such as medicines, the original import license must reach the carrier within 7 days of arrival. Couriers hold unclaimed boxes only for a limited time before returning them or treating them as abandoned, so ask about the holding period.

Moving to Hong Kong: claiming duty relief3 5 6 12

01
Know that belongings are tax-free
Used clothing, books, furniture, and electronics pay no duty or tax at any value. No relief form, visa check, or proof of residence is needed.
02
Take out dutiable and banned items
Remove spirits over 30% and tobacco, which get no concession in shipped personal effects. Leave out e-cigarettes, heated tobacco, smokeless tobacco, prohibited weapons, and mercury thermometers.
03
Carry your medicines
The license exemption covers only reasonable personal quantities in your accompanied baggage, so pack medicines in your luggage rather than your boxes.
04
Get licenses for controlled items first
Plants and soil, meat and eggs, pesticides, radio transmitters, and endangered species items that aren't exempt household effects need a license or permit before they arrive.
05
List everything and ship
Give the courier an itemized list with fair values and the receiver's phone number. Personal goods that aren't for trade or business need no import declaration.

Documents to have ready1 5 6

Itemized packing list with a fair value for each item, marked as used personal effects
Receiver's full name, full address with flat, floor, and building, and a Hong Kong phone number
Any license or permit for controlled items, arranged before shipping (for example an AFCD license for endangered species items or plants)
For spirits over 30% or tobacco: a C&ED import license and removal permit, with the duty paid
Sender's ID or passport details, if the courier asks for them

Onvoyo prepares the commercial invoice from your contents list. You print three copies, sign them, and send them with your boxes.

Official forms6 8

Application for a Licence to Import (AF243), Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance, Cap. 586 (opens in a new tab)
AFCD license to import endangered species items that aren't exempt personal or household effects. Individuals can apply with an ID card or passport number.
Import Licence (Form 3) for pharmaceutical products and medicines, via PLAMMS (opens in a new tab)
Department of Health import license for medicines, free of charge. Only registered PLAMMS users holding a pharmaceutical trader license can apply, so private senders should carry medicines instead.

What you can pack, category by category2 6 8 9 10 11

What you can pack, by category
Category	Status	What to know
Clothing and shoesMore on clothes	Allowed	Used clothing and shoes pay no duty or tax at any value.
Books and papersMore on books	Allowed	Books and printed papers pay no duty or tax.
ElectronicsMore on electronics	Allowed	Personal phones, laptops, and appliances pay no duty or tax. Keep batteries installed. Two-way radios and other radio transmitters may need an OFCA import permit.
MedicationMore on medicine	Not allowed	Don't pack medicines. Shipped medicines need a Department of Health import license, which goes to licensed traders. Carry reasonable personal quantities in your luggage instead.
FoodMore on food	Conditions	Raw or undercooked meat, poultry, game, and eggs need a health certificate, even for personal use. Rice needs a license outside personal luggage. From Japan, seafood, seaweed, and sea salt from 10 prefectures are banned. Send only sealed, shelf-stable foods.
Cosmetics and toiletriesMore on cosmetics	Conditions	Personal toiletries and cosmetics pay no duty. Cosmetics with more than 1 ppm mercury are banned, and couriers refuse aerosols and nail polish.
Alcohol and tobaccoMore on alcohol or tobacco	Not allowed	Spirits over 30% and tobacco need a customs license and pay duty from the first item. E-cigarettes, heated tobacco, and smokeless tobacco are banned. Wine and beer pay no duty, but couriers generally refuse alcohol.
Sports and outdoor gearMore on sports and outdoor gear	Conditions	Clean used gear pays no duty. Remove soil. Air guns over 2 joules, spear guns, and crossbows over 6 kg draw weight count as arms. No gas canisters or flares.
Children's items and toysMore on toys and baby gear	Allowed	Used toys pay no duty. Remove loose batteries.
Documents and photosMore on documents and photos	Allowed	Personal papers and photos are fine and carry no duty.
Other	Conditions	Plants and soil need an AFCD license (cut flowers, fruit, and vegetables for eating are exempt). Wildlife items need a license unless they are exempt household effects. Pesticides need a license. Mercury thermometers are banned.

Quantity limits1 3 4 6 7

Quantity limits for Hong Kong
Item	Limit
Personal shipments	No duty or tax on ordinary belongings at any value. Spirits and tobacco in a box get no allowance.
Spirits over 30% (travelers only)	1 liter per traveler aged 18 or older. HKID card holders must have been away 24 hours or more. Does not apply to shipments.
Tobacco (travelers only)	19 cigarettes, or 1 cigar (or 25 g of cigars), or 25 g of other manufactured tobacco per traveler aged 18 or older. Does not apply to shipments.
Medicines (travelers only)	Reasonable quantities for personal use in accompanied baggage need no license. Shipped medicines need a Department of Health license.
Rice	Up to 15 kg in personal luggage needs no license. Rice in a box needs one.
Powdered formula (leaving Hong Kong)	Up to 1.8 kg in the baggage of a traveler aged 16 or older who hasn't left Hong Kong in the last 24 hours. Formula in a box needs an export license.
Cash (travelers)	Large amounts of cash and bearer negotiable instruments crossing the border fall under a customs declaration and disclosure system. Never pack cash in a box.

What you can't send to Hong Kong1 2 6 8 9 10 11 12

Not allowed

Aerosols, spray cans, and compressed gas cylinders
Flammable liquids and solids: fuel, lighter fluid, paint, nail polish, matches
Loose or spare lithium batteries and power banks not installed in a device
Cash, gift cards, checks, and other negotiable items
Firearms, ammunition, replicas, and weapon parts
Perishable food, and meat, dairy, or fresh produce
Cannabis, CBD, and THC products, even where they are legal at origin
E-cigarettes, heated tobacco products, herbal cigarettes, and their parts, accessories, and refills, in any quantity
Smokeless tobacco products, such as chewing tobacco
Dangerous drugs and psychotropic substances, including medicines containing them, without a Department of Health import license and import certificate
Prohibited weapons such as knuckledusters, gravity knives, Chinese-style throwing darts, and spring-loaded or gravity-operated steel batons
Stun guns, noxious sprays such as pepper spray or dog repellent, air guns over 2 joules, spear guns, and crossbows over 6 kg draw weight, which count as arms and need a Police license
Mercury-added products, such as non-electronic thermometers and cosmetics with more than 1 ppm mercury
Fireworks and other explosives
Counterfeit goods

Allowed with conditions

Spirits over 30% alcohol: Need a C&ED import license and removal permit, and pay duty: 100% on the first HK$200 (about US$26) of value and 10% on the rest, per bottle of up to 1 liter. Larger bottles are worked out on the value per liter. There's no allowance for boxes, including gifts and personal effects.
Cigarettes, cigars, and other tobacco: Need a C&ED import license and pay duty from the first stick: HK$3,306 per 1,000 cigarettes (about HK$66, or US$8.50, per pack of 20) and HK$4,258 (about US$546) per kg of cigars. No allowance for boxes.
Wine, beer, and drinks at 30% alcohol or less: 0% duty and not a dutiable commodity, but many couriers refuse alcohol in personal boxes.
Medicines, including over-the-counter ones: Need a Department of Health import license. Licenses are issued to licensed traders, so the practical route is the personal-use exemption: reasonable quantities in your accompanied baggage. Importing without a license can bring a fine of HK$500,000 (about US$64,000) and 2 years in prison.
Proprietary Chinese medicines and listed Chinese herbs: Proprietary Chinese medicines and the 36 listed Chinese herbal medicines need a Department of Health import license, except reasonable personal quantities in accompanied baggage.
Meat, poultry, game, and eggs: Raw or not thoroughly cooked meat, poultry, game, and eggs need a health certificate from the place of origin or FEHD permission, even for personal use. Chilled or frozen meat and poultry also need an import license. Compounded foods such as dumplings aren't covered by these rules, but couriers refuse perishable food.
Food from Japan: If you're sending from Japan: aquatic products (live, chilled, frozen, dried, or preserved), sea salt, and seaweed from Tokyo, Fukushima, Chiba, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Gunma, Miyagi, Niigata, Nagano, and Saitama are banned. Vegetables, fruits, milk, milk beverages, and dried milk from Fukushima are banned too; from Ibaraki, Tochigi, Chiba, and Gunma they need radiation and exporter certificates.
Plants, plant pests, and soil: Need an AFCD license issued in advance. Exempt: plants grown elsewhere in China and sent from there, and cut flowers, fruits, and vegetables for eating.
Endangered species items: Protected animals and plants, alive or dead, including parts and products made from them, need an AFCD license in advance. Legally acquired personal or household effects in your own move are exempt, except giant panda and rhino items and live animals. Items bought outside your usual place of residence may not qualify, so check with AFCD before packing ivory or other wildlife items.
Pesticides: Every consignment needs an import license from AFCD, arranged in advance. Leave garden and household pesticides out.
Radio transmitting equipment: Importing radio transmitters is controlled, and you may need an import permit from the Office of the Communications Authority (OFCA). Check before sending two-way radios, radio kits, or similar gear.
Rice: A reserved commodity. Up to 15 kg in personal luggage needs no license. Otherwise import licenses go only to registered stockholders, so leave rice out of boxes.

Sending from Hong Kong

Shipping boxes out of Hong Kong5 7 12

Sending your own belongings out of Hong Kong is simple. Personal articles that aren't exported for trade or business need no export declaration, and ordinary belongings need no license. A few goods do need one before they leave, most often powdered formula, medicines, endangered species items, and spirits or tobacco.

Documents

Itemized packing list with fair values, marked as used personal effects
Sender's HKID card or passport details, if the courier asks for them
Trade and Industry Department export license for any powdered formula
AFCD export or re-export license for endangered species items that aren't exempt personal or household effects
Department of Health export license for medicines beyond what you carry in your own baggage

Can't leave the country

Powdered formula for children under 36 months, including milk powder and soya milk powder, can't be exported without a Trade and Industry Department license. Travelers aged 16 or older may carry up to 1.8 kg in their own baggage if they haven't left Hong Kong in the last 24 hours, and a traveler with a child under 36 months may carry a reasonable amount in an unsealed container for the journey. The penalty can reach HK$500,000 (about US$64,000) and 2 years in prison.
Strategic commodities need an export license from the Trade and Industry Department
Endangered species items need an AFCD license unless they are legally acquired personal or household effects; giant panda and rhino items and live animals always need one
Spirits over 30% alcohol and tobacco need a C&ED license to export
Rice needs an export license, except up to 15 kg in personal luggage
Medicines need a Department of Health export license, except reasonable quantities in your accompanied baggage; dangerous drugs always need one

Before pickup

Don't pack powdered formula. The 1.8 kg allowance applies only to travelers' own baggage, not to boxes.
Check with AFCD before sending anything made from wildlife, and keep proof of how you acquired it.
Describe contents clearly. Vague lists slow checks at both ends.
Check the destination's customs rules. The receiving country decides duties and bans.

Addresses, delivery and timing

Writing the address

Hong Kong has no postcodes. Write the flat, floor, and block, then the building name, street number and name, district, and area (Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, or New Territories). English or Chinese both work. Add the receiver's phone number.

Maria ExampleFlat B, 12/F, Block 2Example Mansion88 Sample RoadMong Kok, KowloonHong Kong

Example only; not a real address.

Delivery coverage

Fastest to: Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, Sha Tin, Tsuen Wan, Tuen Mun, Tseung Kwan O, Yuen Long, Tung Chung.

Remote areas: Outlying islands such as Lamma, Cheung Chau, and Peng Chau, and villages on Lantau or in the rural New Territories, can take an extra day.

Most deliveries go to high-rise flats. Give the flat, floor, and block, plus a phone number, because building security or buildings without lifts can slow delivery.

When things slow down

Expect slower service around Lunar New Year (late January or February), during mainland China's Golden Week in early October, and before Christmas. Typhoon and black rainstorm warnings, most common in summer and early autumn, can pause pickups and deliveries.

Advice for your situation

Students

Students can ship used belongings to Hong Kong with no duty or tax. Leave out vapes, spirits, and tobacco, and carry medicines in your luggage. Leaving? Personal items need no export declaration, but don't pack powdered formula.

Returning home

Coming home to Hong Kong? Your used belongings pay nothing, and no relief form is needed. Personal goods not for trade need no import declaration. Spirits and tobacco get no concession in shipped personal effects.

Expats and relocations

Moving to Hong Kong is simple for household goods: no duty, no tax, and no residence paperwork. The rules that matter are licenses for controlled items such as medicines, wildlife items, plants and soil, and meat. Leaving? Check the destination's rules and AFCD's rules for any wildlife items.

Tips for a smooth delivery

Leave out vapes, heated tobacco sticks, refills, and chewing tobacco. Hong Kong bans importing them in any amount.
Carry your medicines in your luggage. The personal-use exemption doesn't cover medicines sent in a box.
Skip spirits and cigarettes. They need a customs license and pay duty from the first bottle or stick.
Write the flat, floor, block, and building name, plus a local phone number. Hong Kong has no postcodes.
If you're sending from Japan, leave out seafood, seaweed, and sea salt. Ten prefectures are banned, including Tokyo.
Sending powdered formula abroad from Hong Kong? It needs an export license, even as a gift for family.

Shipping to and from Hong Kong: questions

Is there import duty or GST on boxes sent to Hong Kong?

No, not on ordinary belongings. Hong Kong charges no tariff and has no VAT or GST. Only liquor over 30% alcohol, tobacco, certain fuels, and methyl alcohol pay duty, and boxes get no allowance for them.

Can I send e-cigarettes or heated tobacco to Hong Kong?

No. Importing e-cigarettes, heated tobacco, herbal cigarettes, and their parts and refills is banned in any quantity, and so is smokeless tobacco. The maximum penalty is a HK$2,000,000 (about US$256,000) fine and 7 years in prison. Since April 30, 2026, carrying capsules, heat sticks, or herbal cigarettes in public places is also banned.

Can I ship my medicines to Hong Kong?

Not easily. Medicines need a Department of Health import license, and licenses are issued to licensed traders. The exemption covers only reasonable personal quantities in your accompanied baggage, so bring them with you. Medicines containing dangerous drugs also need an import certificate.

Can I send wine or whisky to Hong Kong as a gift?

Wine and drinks at 30% alcohol or less pay no duty, though many couriers refuse alcohol. Whisky and other spirits over 30% need a customs license and pay 100% duty on the first HK$200 (about US$26) of value and 10% on the rest, with no gift allowance.

Do I need a permit to move my household goods to Hong Kong?

No special permit or relief form. Personal effects clear like other cargo, pay no duty, and need no import declaration if they aren't for trade or business. You only need licenses for controlled items, and spirits and tobacco pay duty.

How long does shipping boxes to Hong Kong take?

Express door to door usually takes 1-3 business days from elsewhere in Asia and 3-5 from Europe or North America, plus time for any customs check.

How do I ship boxes from Hong Kong to another country?

Book an express courier, list every item with a fair value, and give the receiver's full details. Personal items that aren't exported for trade or business need no export declaration. The destination sets any duties, and the receiver pays them.

What can't I send from Hong Kong without a license?

Powdered formula, strategic commodities, endangered species items, spirits and tobacco, rice, and medicines all need export licenses, apart from some small exemptions for travelers' own baggage. Couriers also refuse aerosols, flammables, loose batteries, weapons, and cash.

Official help in Hong Kong

Customs and Excise Department: General Enquiry (opens in a new tab)
24-hour General Enquiry Hotline (852) 2815 7711, or email customsenquiry@customs.gov.hk.
Department of Health: Drug Information and Import/Export Control Division (opens in a new tab)
Questions about import and export licenses for medicines: (852) 3974 4180.
Centre for Food Safety: Food Import and Export Section (opens in a new tab)
Questions about importing meat, poultry, eggs, and other food: (852) 2867 5577 or fsc@fehd.gov.hk.
Trade and Industry Department: powdered formula export licenses (opens in a new tab)
Export license enquiries: (852) 3403 6220.

Official sources

Every section above is checked against these official pages. Rules change, and customs in Hong Kong makes the final decision on every shipment. This guide is general information, not legal advice.

1.
Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department
Customs and Excise (fact sheet, September 2025) (opens in a new tab)
Customs · checked September 27, 2026
2.
Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department
Types and Duty Rates (opens in a new tab)
Customs · checked September 27, 2026
3.
Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department
Personal Effects (opens in a new tab)
Customs · checked September 27, 2026
4.
Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department
Duty-free Concessions (opens in a new tab)
Customs · checked September 27, 2026
5.
Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department
FAQs (Cargo Clearance) (opens in a new tab)
Customs · checked September 27, 2026
6.
Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department
Controlled Imports (opens in a new tab)
Customs · checked September 27, 2026
7.
Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department
Controlled Exports (opens in a new tab)
Customs · checked September 27, 2026
8.
Department of Health, Drug Information and Import/Export Control Division
Guidance for Application for Import and Export Licences for Pharmaceutical Products and Medicines (opens in a new tab)
Health regulator · checked September 27, 2026
9.
Tobacco and Alcohol Control Office, Department of Health
Tobacco Control Legislation (opens in a new tab)
Health regulator · checked September 27, 2026
10.
Centre for Food Safety, Food and Environmental Hygiene Department
Imported Food Control: Frequently Asked Questions (opens in a new tab)
Biosecurity · checked September 27, 2026
11.
Centre for Food Safety, Food and Environmental Hygiene Department
The latest control measures on food imported from Japan (opens in a new tab)
Biosecurity · checked September 27, 2026
12.
Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department
Personal or Household Effects (opens in a new tab)
Biosecurity · checked September 27, 2026

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