Announcement on the Introduction of “Guarantee and Instant Pick-up Delivery Methods” for Duty-Free Shopping on Hainan Island

Introducing “Guarantee Delivery” and “Instant Purchase and Pick-up” Methods

In an effort to enhance the duty-free shopping experience for island-bound tourists, Hainan Island has introduced new delivery methods for duty-free goods. These methods, known as the “Guarantee Delivery” and “Instant Purchase and Pick-up” modes, are now available for tourists purchasing duty-free goods from Hainan’s duty-free shops (excluding online sales), provided they present valid identification and information on their departure from the island.

Under these new methods, tourists can choose the “Guarantee Delivery” mode for duty-free goods priced over RMB 50,000 (inclusive), and the “Instant Purchase and Pick-up” mode for duty-free goods priced under RMB 20,000 (exclusive) that are included in a list at the bottom of this article.

Please note: these modes are not applicable for goods that are to be collected in designated areas of airports, train stations, or ports, or can be sent by mail or picked up by island residents.

It is important to note that duty-free goods purchased using these new delivery methods are for personal use only and must be taken off the island in one go. Any reselling of these goods is strictly prohibited.

“Guarantee Delivery” Method

Hainan Island has introduced a new “Guarantee Delivery” method for island-bound tourists purchasing duty-free goods before their departure. Under this method, tourists who purchase duty-free goods priced over RMB 50,000 (inclusive) can choose to use the “Guarantee Delivery” mode for pick-up.

To use this method, tourists must provide a guaranteed equivalent to the import tax of the purchased items when submitting their customs declaration.

(The guarantee serves as a deposit to ensure that the purchased items will be taken off and not sold within the island).

Tourists can obtain their purchased items immediately after providing the guarantee and submitting their customs declaration. After submitting the guarantee and paying for the goods, tourists can pick up their duty-free items on the spot. It’s important to note that goods purchased using this delivery mode cannot be used on the island.

For tourists to get their guarantee reimbursed for the purchased items when leaving the island, they must apply to customs and have their purchased items checked.

They will need to provide their duty-free shopping vouchers, valid identification or travel documents, and ensure that the duty-free items are not yet in use or consumed. Customs will stamp and confirm the purchase information on the shopping vouchers.

However, customs will not process the refund if any of the following situations occur:

1. The duty-free items have been used or consumed by the tourist.
2. The duty-free items submitted for verification do not match the shopping vouchers.
3. The shopping information and the tourist’s personal information do not match.
4. After physical verification by the customs and confirmation of the departure of the purchasing tourist, the guarantee deposit will be refunded. However, if the purchasing tourist does not leave the island within 30 days after the purchase or does not apply for verification of the duty-free goods or fails the verification, the relevant deposit will be directly converted into tax.

“Immediate Purchase and Pickup” Method for Duty-Free Goods

When leaving the island, tourists can choose the “Immediate Purchase and Pickup” method for duty-free goods listed below, provided that the price of each item does not exceed 20,000 yuan. They can purchase within the limit of each category per person and collect the goods immediately after paying.

Customs at the island departure point will not conduct physical inspections of the goods.

Legal Responsibilities:

1. Tourists who use the above two methods to pick up their duty-free items must leave the island within 30 days of purchase (inclusive). Those who fail to leave the island within the stipulated time and cannot provide a valid reason will not be allowed to purchase duty-free items on the island for a period of three years.
2. Those who engage in smuggling or violate customs supervision regulations will be dealt with by the customs according to relevant regulations. If such behaviour constitutes a crime, criminal responsibility shall be pursued in accordance with the law.
3. Customs will handle cases where duty-free shops on the island fail to sell duty-free goods in accordance with relevant regulations, in accordance with Article 26 of the “Regulations on Administrative Penalties for Customs of the People’s Republic of China” and Article 28 of the “Measures for the Supervision of Duty-Free Shops and Duty-Free Goods by the Customs of the People’s Republic of China.”
4. Other regulatory matters related to the “guarantee pick-up” and “immediate pick-up” methods of duty-free shopping for Hainan Island tourists will be implemented in accordance with the Announcement No. 79 of 2020 issued by the General Administration of Customs on the supervision of duty-free shopping for Hainan Island tourists.
5. This announcement will be effective from April 1, 2023. The provisions of Announcement No. 33 of 2020 issued by the Ministry of Finance, the General Administration of Customs, and the State Administration of Taxation on the duty-free shopping policy for Hainan Island tourists will continue to be implemented.

The State Administration of Customs, the Ministry of Finance, and the State Taxation Administration jointly issued an announcement on March 18, 2023, specifying the duty-free goods eligible for the “Immediate Purchase and Pickup” pick-up method for passengers. The list includes a range of products, such as cosmetics, perfume, clothing, and sports equipment, with limits on the number of items per person per island departure.

The duty-free goods list and the corresponding limits for each item are as follows:

1. Cosmetics: 5 items (limit of 1 item per single type)
2. Perfume: 1 bottle
3. Sunglasses: 1 pair
4. Clothing: 1 item
5. Scarf: 1 item
6. Shoes and hats: 1 item
7. Luggage: 1 item
8. Diapers: 3 packs
9. Infant formula milk powder: 3 cans (packages)
10. Candy: 3 items
11. Shaver: 1 item
12. Conversion plug: 1 item
13. Sports equipment: 1 item
14. Toys (including strollers): 1 item (set)
15. Belt: 1 item

Passengers can use the “Immediate Purchase and Pickup” method for duty-free items with a unit price not exceeding 20,000 yuan (excluding taxes), and the goods can be picked up on the spot after payment. For goods purchased under this method, the departure date from the island should not exceed 30 days, otherwise, passengers will not be eligible for purchasing duty-free goods for three years. Violators of customs regulations will be punished according to relevant laws and regulations.

Related article: New Duty-Free Pickup Point for Rail and Ferry Travelers Opens at Haikou South Port