Controlled Imports

Live animals

The import of mammals, birds and reptiles is controlled under the Public Health (Animals and Birds) Ordinance, Cap. 139 and Rabies Ordinance, Cap. 421. These animals should not be brought into Hong Kong unless a permit is obtained in advance from the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department.

Plants and plants pests

Under the Plant (Importation and Pest Control) Ordinance, Cap. 207, it is illegal to import plants, plant pests or soil into Hong Kong without a valid licence / authorization issued in advance by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department.

However, plants produced in and imported from any place in China outside Hong Kong are exempted from licensing requirement. The exemption also applies to the import of cut flowers, fruits and vegetables for consumption.

Endangered animals and plants

The import of endangered animals and plants, whether alive, dead, parts or derivatives is controlled under the Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance, Cap 586.

To import any endangered species, a licence should be obtained for individual shipment in advance from the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department.

Animal carcass and product

Under the Rabies Ordinance, Cap. 421, no person shall import into Hong Kong any animal, carcass or animal product except under and in accordance with a permit issued by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department. "Animal Products" means parts or derivatives of a dog, a cat (e.g. dog skin, canine semen, canine plasma, etc.) or any animal that has been infected with rabies.

Under the Control of Chemicals Ordinance, Cap. 145, 36 substances which are precursors or essential chemicals for manufacture of dangerous drugs or psychotropic substances are placed under statutory control. Examples are acetic anhydride, ephedrine and pseudoephedrine. (See "Licence and Permit").

The common types of dangerous drugs are stimulants, hypnotics, tranquilizers and sedatives. Examples are opium, morphine, heroin, cannabis, cocaine and amphetamines. A list of dangerous drugs is stipulated under First Schedule to the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, Cap. 134.

Importation of dangerous drugs requires an import licence and import certificate issued by the Department of Health. A valid export authorization or diversion certificate from the exporting country will also be required.

There are four types of dutiable commodities in Hong Kong. They are liquors, tobacco (except smokeless tobacco and alternative smoking products), certain hydrocarbon oil and methyl alcohol. Importation of these commodities requires a licence from the Customs and Excise Department. In addition, removal permits will also be required. (See "Dutiable Commodities")

Please note that to protect public health, importing and consigning of smokeless tobacco products and alternative smoking products are prohibited.

Explosives that fall under the Munitions List of Schedule I to the Import and Export (Strategic Commodities) Regulations, Cap. 60G are subject to import licensing control by the Trade and Industry Department with the prior endorsement of the Mines Division of the Civil Engineering and Development Department for explosives in general or Create Hong Kong for pyrotechnic special effects materials.

In addition to the import licence, import of explosives is subject to control under the Dangerous Goods Ordinance, Cap. 295 and the Entertainment Special Effects Ordinance, Cap. 560. For pyrotechnic special effects materials as defined under the Entertainment Special Effects Ordinance, please go to Create Hong Kong. For explosives other than the above, please go to the Civil Engineering and Development Department. For conveyance of explosives by sea, the master, agent or owner of the vessel is required to submit a dangerous goods manifest to the Director of Marine. The format of the Dangerous goods manifest can be obtained from the Marine Department.

Also include air rifles / air guns with muzzle energy greater than 2 joules, electric stun guns, aerosols containing noxious liquid, gas or powder e.g. dog repellents, harpoons, spear guns and crossbows with draw weight of over 6 kg.

Under the Firearms and Ammunition Ordinance, Cap. 238, possession of arms and ammunition is subject to a licence for possession or a dealer's licence issued by the Hong Kong Police Force. Apart from the common types of pistols, air guns and air rifles with muzzle energy greater than 2 joules, electric stun guns, aerosols containing noxious gas, liquid or powder e.g. dog repellents, harpoons, spear guns and crossbows with draw weight of more than 6 kg are also defined as arms under the Ordinance. In addition, importation of arms and ammunition that fall under the Munitions List of Schedule I to the Import and Export (Strategic Commodities) Regulations, Cap. 60G, also requires a licence from the Trade and Industry Department.

The basic food law in Hong Kong is laid down in Part V (Food and Drugs) of the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance, Cap. 132. The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department is responsible for implementing territory-wide policies of food safety control and enforcing the food legislation.

To ensure hygienic standards of food, importers are encouraged to obtain health certificates issued by health authorities of countries of origin to accompany their imports certifying that the food products concerned are fit for human consumption. In addition, there are specific legal requirements or administrative arrangements for the import of the following food items:

• game, meat and poultry
• milk and milk beverages
• frozen confections
• food containing added colouring matter
• food containing metals
• food containing artificial sweeteners
• food containing aflatoxins, erucic acid or other prohibited substances
• food containing preservatives or antioxidants

Prevention and Control of Disease Regulation, Cap. 599A, requires any person who imports a human corpse or its parts; infectious agents; human or animal tissues, tissue fluids, human or animal body parts suspected to contain infectious agents; and excreta, secretions, blood, or blood components suspected to contain infectious agents to obtain a permit from the Department of Health.

The importation of motor vehicles for use on the roads of Hong Kong are subject to a First Registration Tax under the Motor Vehicles (First Registration Tax) Ordinance, Cap. 330. (See "Motor Vehicles")

Under the Import and Export (General) Regulations, Cap. 60A, import of optical disc mastering and replication equipment is subject to a licence issued by the Customs and Excise Department. (See "Optical Disc Mastering and Replication Equipment")

Under the provisions of the Ozone Layer Protection Ordinance, Cap. 403, certain ozone depleting substances are subject to quota and licensing control. The import of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), halons, methyl chloroform, methyl bromide, carbon tetrachloride, hydrobromofluorocarbons (HBFCs) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) as listed in the Schedule to the Ordinance must be covered by a valid licence issued by Trade and Industry Department under the delegated authority from the Director of Environmental Protection. Import licences covering ozone depleting substances are only issued to traders registered under the Ozone Layer Protection Ordinance. The importer should obtain a permit for use of methyl bromide for quarantine from the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department before application for an import licence for the import of methyl bromide.

The import of proprietary Chinese medicines (pCm) and 36 types Chinese herbal medicines (Chm) as listed in Schedule 1 to the Import and Export (General) Regulations, Cap. 60A, are subject to licensing control. Importation of these articles must be covered by an import licence issued by the Department of Health.

Licensing requirement may be exempted when these articles are imported in the accompanied personal baggage of a person entering Hong Kong and in a reasonable quantity for his personal use. Transhipment cargo may be exempted from licensing requirement under certain conditions. (See "Transhipment Cargo Exemption Scheme")

Enquiries relating to import licence on pCm and the controlled Chm can be made to the Chinese Medicine Regulatory Office of the Department of Health at 16/F, Two Landmark East, 100 How Ming Street, Kwun Tong, Kowloon.

The import of pesticides into Hong Kong is controlled under the Import and Export Ordinance, Cap. 60 and Pesticides Ordinance, Cap. 133. Under the Import and Export, an import licence must be obtained in advance from the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department for every consignment of pesticides imported into Hong Kong including those on valid through bills of lading. However, import licence for methyl bromide, which is both a pesticide and an ozone depleting substance, is issued by the Trade and Industry Department.

Under the Pesticides Ordinance, companies handling pesticides import into Hong Kong whether for local use or subsequent re-export, must possess a pesticides licence or permit issued by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department. A licence is required for pesticides registered in Hong Kong and a permit for those not registered. Pesticides imported / exported on a valid through bill of lading are exempted from the control of the Pesticides Ordinance.

In addition, the import of methyl bromide into Hong Kong is controlled under the Ozone Layer Protection Ordinance, Cap. 403. Under the Ordinance, import of methyl bromide for local utilization is only allowed if it is used for quarantine and pre-shipment cargo treatment. Anyone who imports methyl bromide should hold a certificate of registration under the Ozone Layer Protection Ordinance issued by the Trade and Industry Department under the delegated authority from the Director of Environmental Protection and a Pesticides Permit under the Pesticides Ordinance issued by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department.

Importation of pharmaceutical products and medicine are controlled under The Import and Export (General) Regulations, Cap. 60A and must be covered by a licence issued by the Department of Health.

Pharmaceutical products and medicines imported in the personal baggage of a person entering Hong Kong and which are accompanied by him and in a reasonable quantity for his personal use may be exempted from licensing requirement. Transhipment cargo may be exempted from licensing requirements under certain conditions. (See "Transhipment Cargo Exemption Scheme")

Importation of medicines containing ingredients of highly endangered animals is subject to licensing control under the Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance, Cap. 586, regulated by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department.

Vehicles, vehicle parts, outboard engines exceeding 111.9 kilowatts (150 horsepower)

Under the Import and Export Ordinance, Cap. 60, the carriage of prescribed articles onboard a vessel less than 250 gross tons within the waters of Hong Kong is subject to a licence issued by the Customs and Excise Department. (See "Prescribed Articles")

The import of radioactive substances and irradiating apparatus, as set out in the Schedule to the Import (Radiation) (Prohibition) Regulations, Cap. 60K, is subject to licensing control by the Department of Health. Import licences are issued only to holders of Radioactive Substances Licence or Irradiating Apparatus Licence issued by Radiation Health Division of the Department of Health.

The import of radio transmitting apparatus is controlled under the Telecommunications Ordinance, Cap. 106. Any person who imports these articles is required to obtain an Import Permit from the Office of the Communications Authority unless he is a holder of a Radio Dealers Licence (Unrestricted) issued by The Office of the Communications Authority to deal in the course of trade or business in radio transmitting equipment.

Rice is the only reserved commodity under the Reserved Commodities (Control of Imports, Exports and Reserve Stocks) Regulations, Cap. 296A. A Licences for rice imported for local consumption are issued only to companies registered with the Trade and Industry Department as stockholders.

The import of frozen meat, chilled meat, frozen poultry and chilled poultry is subject to licensing control under Import and Export (General) Regulations, Cap. 60A. Every consignment imported into Hong Kong must be covered by an import licence issued by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department.

No licence is required for the import of rice, frozen or chilled meat and poultry imported in the personal baggage of a person for personal consumption or as gifts, in an amount not exceeding 15 kg. For frozen or chilled meat and poultry, however, an official certificate as defined in the Imported Game, Meat, Poultry and Eggs Regulations, Cap. 132AK, is required.

Transhipment cargo may also be exempted from licensing requirement under certain conditions. (See "Transhipment Cargo Exemption Scheme")

Under the Imported Game, Meat, Poultry and Eggs Regulations, Cap. 132AK, any person who imports game, meat and poultry should obtain prior permission for importation from the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) unless for imported meat and poultry accompanied by a valid health certificate issued by an issuing entity of the place of origin recognized by the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene.

Besides, no person shall import eggs into Hong Kong unless with a health certificate and/or a written permission of a health officer of FEHD. An egg or its edible part that is fully cooked or constitutes one of the ingredients of any compounded food is excluded by the Regulations.

In respect of meat, poultry or eggs imported into Hong Kong, transhipment certificate is required for the consignment which has been unloaded in a place outside Hong Kong in the course of being transshipped. Unless the consignment is imported into Hong Kong in sealed refrigerated containers where it is established to the satisfaction of a health officer that the seals of the containers have remained intact and have not been tampered with in any manner in the course of the journey from the place of origin to Hong Kong.

Enquiries can be made to the Centre for Food Safety of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department at 43/F, Queensway Government Offices, 66 Queensway, Hong Kong.

Under the Sand Ordinance, Cap. 147, the importation and removal of sand in excess of 100 kg into and within Hong Kong by a vessel or vehicle require a permit issued by the Fill Management Division of the Civil Engineering and Development Department.

To protect public health, importing and consigning of smokeless tobacco products are prohibited under the Smokeless Tobacco Products (Prohibition) Regulations, Cap. 132BW. Enquiries can be made to Food Import and Export Section, Centre for Food Safety of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department.

Products such as high performance digital computers, high speed and high density integrated circuits, sophisticated communication systems, nuclear materials, high precision machine tools, chemical weapon precursors, small arms, large artillery weapons, ammunition, bombs etc. and all articles for a use in connection with nuclear, chemical or biological weapons are generally considered as strategic commodities.

To monitor and control the flow of strategic commodities and hence prevent Hong Kong from being used as a conduit for the proliferation of weapons and to guarantee Hong Kong's access to high technology products, import of strategic commodities, as required by the Import and Export Ordinance, Cap. 60 and the Import and Export (Strategic Commodities) Regulations, Cap. 60G, is subject to the licensing control by the Trade and Industry Department.

Rough diamonds, as defined under the Import and Export (General) Regulations, Cap. 60A, means diamonds that are unworked or simply sawn, cleaved or bruted.

Under the Regulations, any persons conducting business of importing, exporting, buying, selling or carrying rough diamonds must registered with the Trade and Industry Department and comply with certain requirements. However, persons that fall under paragraph 1A of reg. 6DB of the Regulations and only carry on business of carrying rough diamonds are exempted from the registration requirement with the Trade and Industry Department. Under the Import and Export Ordinance, Cap. 60, import of rough diamonds is subject to licensing control. Importers must obtain a Kimberley Process Certificate (Import) issued by the Trade and Industry Department before importing any consignment of rough diamonds.

Registered carriers, couriers or freight forwarders or persons who carry on business of carrying rough diamonds and fall under paragraph 1A of reg. 6DB of Regulations are exempted from obtaining a Kimberley Process Certificate (Import) for consignments of rough diamonds in transit or as air transshipment cargo, on condition that the rough diamonds are sealed in a container, and that the container has not been tampered with and the seals on the container remain intact. Transshipment of rough diamonds by other transportation modes covered by a through bill of lading or a through air waybill may be exempted from the certification requirements, provided that the registered carriers, couriers or freight forwarders have applied for transshipment exemption and complies with the conditions of exemption.

Enquiries can be made to the Rough Diamonds and Ozone Depleting Substances Licensing Unit of the Trade and Industry Department at Room 1604, 16/F, Trade and Industry Tower, 3 Concorde Road, Kowloon City, Hong Kong.

The import of waste, as set out in Section 20A of the Waste Disposal Ordinance (WDO), Cap. 354, is subject to control by the Environmental Protection Department. Under the control, import of any waste requires a permit issued by the Department unless the waste is:

1. listed in the Sixth Schedule of the WDO
2. uncontaminated as defined under the WDO and
3. intended for a genuine recycling or reuse purpose

Common examples of the 6th Schedule wastes are paper waste, textile waste, metal scrap and solid plastic waste. Common examples of hazardous wastes (non-6th Schedule wastes) are clinical waste, waste Cathode Ray Tubes (CRT) in computer monitors or television sets, and waste batteries.

Under the Hazardous Chemicals Control Ordinance, Cap. 595, the import of non-pesticide hazardous chemicals as set out in Schedules 1 and 2 to this Ordinance is subject to permit control. Any person importing scheduled chemicals, including transiting (for Type 1 chemicals under Schedule 1) and transhipping (for Types 1 and 2 chemicals under Schedules 1 and 2), must first obtain a valid activity-based import permit issued by the Environmental Protection Department.

Under the Import and Export Ordinance, Cap. 60, a consignment-based import licence must also be obtained in advance from the Environmental Protection Department for every consignment of scheduled chemicals to be imported into Hong Kong, including those on valid through bills of lading. Exemption would be given to transit cargo (for Type 1 chemicals only) and air transhipment cargo (for Types 1 and 2 chemicals) but certain conditions must be met.

Enquiries relating to activity-based permit or consignment-based licence can be made to the Territorial Control Office (Hazardous Chemicals Control) of the Environment Protection Department at 28/F Southorn Centre, 130 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong.

The Weapons Ordinance, Cap. 217, forbids the possession of the prohibited weapons, such as Chinese-style throwing dart, knuckleduster, spring-loaded steel baton, gravity knife and gravity-operated steel baton, as listed in the Schedule of the Ordinance.

Under the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (Toothfish Catch Documentation Scheme) Regulation, Cap. 635A, any import of live or dead toothfish items, including any flesh or other part (whether raw, or in any way processed or preserved) is prohibited except under and in accordance with an import licence issued by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department.

No licence is required for the toothfish items imported in the personal baggage of a person for personal consumption or as gifts, in an amount not exceeding 15 kg.

Under the Mercury Control Ordinance, Cap. 640, the import of mercury and mercury mixture shall be covered by a permit issued by the Environmental Protection Department. In addition, the import of mercury-added products (e.g. non-electronic thermometer, cosmetics having a mercury content exceeding 1ppm) is prohibited.

Importing an alternative smoking product (ASP) is prohibited under the Import and Export Ordinance, Cap. 60.

The import ban does not apply in relation to an ASP that is:

1. carried by a person arriving at the Hong Kong International Airport in transit without passing through immigration control;
2. an article in transit;
3. an air transhipment cargo; or
4. a specified intermodal transhipment cargo imported by a registered operator under the Alternative Smoking Product Transhipment Control Scheme (ATCS).

What is ASP

ASP is defined under Part 2 of Schedule 7 of the Smoking (Public Health) Ordinance, Cap. 371. In general, ASPs include electronic cigarettes, heated tobacco products, herbal cigarettes, and anything that is designed for use as a component of, and accessory to, an ASP, as well as any substance or tobacco that is packaged as being suitable for use with an ASP device.

Alternative Smoking Product Transhipment Control Scheme (ATCS)

Any person who wishes to seek exemption for ASPs that is a specified intermodal transhipment cargo shall make a prior application to the Commissioner of Customs and Excise for registration as a registered operator under the Alternative Smoking Product Transhipment Control Scheme (ATCS).