For foreigners coming to China for visit, sightseeing and business, they will normally be required to fill in three forms when entering the country - the "Traveler's Luggage Declaration Form," the "Traveler's Health Declaration Card" and the "Entry-Exit Registration Card."
First of all, foreign travelers shall be required to show Chinese quarantine authorities the "Traveler's Health Declaration Card" when entering the country. For travelers who are not coming from regions of infectious diseases including cholera and yellow fever, they will not be required to take inoculation of vaccines. For foreigners planning to stay in China for six months or longer, they shall be required to show the documentation proving they are negative for the HIV.

When entering China, foreign travelers shall be required to provide Chinese frontier authorities with their passports, Chinese visas and the "Entry-Exit Registration Card" for verification. They will be allowed to enter the country after Chinese frontier authorities verify their passports, Chinese visas and the "Entry-Exit Registration Card" and affix on them official seals for verification.

For foreigners carrying gifts, sample products or goods whose import is restricted by Chinese customs authorities or carrying major articles taxable or exempted from import duties, they shall earnestly declare them in the "Traveler's Luggage Declaration Form" and clear customs through the "Red Passage." For travelers carrying articles for their own use only, they can clear customs through the "Green Passage."

Appendix: Articles Whose Entry into the People's Republic of China Is Prohibited and Restricted

1. Articles Whose Entry Is Prohibited

Various types of weapons, articles in emulation of weapons, ammunitions and explosives;
Counterfeit currency bills and fake securities;
Printed matters, films, photos, phonograph records, movies, audio tapes, video tapes, laser optic discs, computer memory media and other articles which are harmful to China's politics, economy, culture and morality;
Various types of acrid poisons;
Opium, morphine, heroin and marijuana as well as other narcotics and spiritual drugs which can make people addicted to them;
Animals and plants and their products carrying dangerous disease germs, pests and other harmful living things;
And, foods, drugs and other articles which are harmful to the health of human beings or animals, which come from infectious disease-stricken regions or which are capable of spreading diseases.

2. Articles Whose Entry Is Restricted

Radio transceivers and secure communication devices;
Cigarettes and alcoholic drugs;
Endangered species of fauna and flora (including their specimens) as well as their seeds and reproductive materials;
The national currency of China, with every traveler restricted to carrying a total of 6,000 Chinese yuan in the maximum each time when he enters the country;
And, other articles whose entry is restricted by customs.
II. Departure

For foreign travelers leaving China, they shall be required to go through the formalities for customs clearance and consignment of luggage by showing their passports, air tickets (or train, bus or ship tickets) and the "Traveler's Luggage Declaration Form." For those leaving by air, they shall be required to pay an airport fee (50 Chinese yuan for traveling within China and 90 Chinese yuan for exiting from China). In go through these formalities, they shall also be required to get a registration card and accept border exit examination. Those to depart by air shall accept a security check.

Appendix: Articles Whose Exit from the People's Republic of China Is Prohibited and Restricted

1. Articles whose exit is prohibited

All those listed in the category of articles whose entry into China is prohibited;
Manuscripts, printed matters, films, photos, phonograph records, movies, audio tapes, video tapes, laser optic discs, computer memory media and other articles whose contents are related to State secrets of China;
Rare antiques and other antiques whose exit is prohibited;
And, endangered species of fauna and flora (including their specimens) as well as their seeds and reproductive materials;

2. Articles whose exit is restricted

Valuable metals, including gold and silver, and their products;
The national currency of China, with every traveler restricted to carrying a total of 6,000 Chinese yuan in the maximum each time when he exits from the country;
Foreign currencies and securities in foreign currencies;
Radio transceivers and secure communication devices;
Precious traditional Chinese medicinal materials;
General antiques;
And, other articles whose exit is restricted by customs.