Two things make posting purchases home appealing in China. Buying is cheap, and Chinese trains have no baggage hold, so an extra suitcase is a burden you carry up every station staircase for the rest of the trip.
Before you post anything, though, there is one rule that decides whether shipping is clever or expensive.
Posting your purchases forfeits the tax refund#
China's departure tax refund is conditional on you leaving the country with the goods, in person.
Bank of China's own description of the scheme is unambiguous: visitors "must personally carry or check in the goods when departing China". Beijing's municipal guidance uses the same construction, requiring goods to be consigned with the traveller's luggage. The refund is verified at the departure port, against the goods, the invoice, your identity document and a stamped application form — and a parcel already in the postal system cannot be produced at that desk.
So the sequence matters:
- Claiming the refund? The item travels with you, unused, and you present it at customs before checking in.
- Posting it? You are choosing convenience over the rebate. That can still be the right call for something bulky and low-value, but make it deliberately.
The thresholds, the 90-day window and the mechanics of claiming are on the tax refund page, which also covers the detail that catches most people — the form has to be requested at the till, not afterwards.
What you may not send, and what you may not export at all#
These are two different questions and it is worth separating them.
What the post will not carry is largely the familiar dangerous-goods list. International airmail from China does not accept lithium batteries, lighters, aerosols or perfume, which rules out posting home a power bank, a phone, a laptop or a drone by ordinary mail — and the power bank rules are worth reading anyway, because they bite in the other direction too. Products made from endangered species — ivory, rhino horn and the rest — are prohibited outright. Reporting on China Post's terms notes that where contraband is found in the post, the item is returned, the postage is not refunded, and prosecution is possible.
What China will not let leave the country is a stricter and more consequential list, and it has nothing to do with which carrier you choose. Antiques are governed by a graduated rule rather than the single cut-off most guidance quotes, and a genuinely old item without the cultural relics bureau's red wax seal will be confiscated. That is covered in full in the shopping guide, and it applies identically whether the item is in your suitcase or a box.
The practical options#
| Route | Best for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| China Post, EMS service | Ordinary parcels, most destinations | The default; branches everywhere |
| Private courier | Speed and tracking | Costs more |
| Carry it yourself | Anything you want the tax refund on | Weight, and every staircase |
China Post is the universal operator and its international express service is EMS. Post offices are common, including inside some large stations, and staff will usually help with the box and the form even without shared language.
You fill in a customs declaration, itemising contents, quantity and weight. Do it accurately. A vague declaration is the most common reason a parcel is delayed or opened, and an inaccurate one is a problem rather than a shortcut.
Private couriers — the large Chinese operators run international services alongside their domestic ones — are faster and more expensive. For a single box of tea or ceramics, the post office is usually the sensible choice.
Pack for handling, not for display. Ceramics and tea sets need real padding; shops that sell them will often box them properly if you ask, and are generally better at it than you will be with hotel materials.
Duties land at the other end#
Whatever you pay in China is not the whole cost. Your own country decides what it charges on an incoming parcel, and thresholds vary widely — the value at which duty and import VAT begin is a rule of the destination, not of China.
Check your own customs threshold before you post something valuable. A parcel that seemed cheaper than a checked bag can arrive with a bill that reverses the arithmetic, and you cannot decline it without abandoning the contents.
Frequently asked questions#
Can I get the China tax refund on goods I post home?#
No. The scheme requires you to personally carry or check in the goods when you depart, and customs verifies the refund against the goods themselves at the departure port. A parcel already in the post cannot be presented, so posting an item forfeits the refund on it.
Can I post a power bank or a laptop home from China?#
Not by ordinary international airmail, which does not accept lithium batteries. That rules out power banks, phones, laptops and drones as normal postal items. Carry them instead, subject to the airline's own rules on batteries in cabin baggage.
How do I send a parcel home from China?#
Through China Post, whose international express service is EMS, or through a private courier for more money and more speed. You complete a customs declaration itemising contents, quantity and weight — accurately, since a vague declaration is the usual cause of a parcel being delayed or opened.
Will I pay customs duty on a parcel sent from China?#
Possibly, but that is decided by your own country rather than by China. Import thresholds for duty and VAT vary widely by destination, so check your own before posting anything valuable — an unexpected bill on arrival can cost more than the shipping saved.
Can I post antiques home from China?#
Only if they may legally be exported at all, which is a separate question from what the post will carry. China's rules on antiques are graduated rather than a single date cut-off, and genuinely old items need a red wax seal from the cultural relics bureau. Customs screens outbound mail, so posting is not a way around the restriction.