How to Go through Customs Clearance for Reporting Equipment Carried with Foreign Journalists for their Own Use

All the accredited foreign journalists with valid OIAC or PIAC:

You may bring a reasonable quantity of reporting equipment into China for your own use free of duty, and the aforementioned equipment should be taken out of China's territory after their reporting activities are finished. When coming into China, you should apply for the Equipment Confirmation Letter to go through the customs.

There are 2 ways to apply for the confirmation letter.

1.       Through Chinese embassies,consulates or other institutions.

You may directly apply to the local Chinese embassies, consulates or other visa-issuing institutions authorized by the MFA. Or you should download the Equipment Declaration Form (the attachment), then fill in and submit three copies of it to Chinese embassies, consulates or other visa-issuing institutions authorized by the MFA which will issue the Equipment Confirmation Letter to you once confirmed. You should then present the confirmed Equipment Declaration Form and the Equipment Confirmation Letter, both of which are sealed by Chinese embassies, consulates or other visa-issuing institutions authorized by MFA, when going through customs clearance in China.

2.       Through BOCOG.

You may download the Equipment Declaration Form (the attachment). You should then fill in the form and send an electronic copy back to BOCOG (maxianying@beijing2008.cn). Besides, you should send your personal information (Name, Passport Number, Arrival &Departure Date, Postal Address, Postal Code, Valid Phone Number) to BOCOG as well. We will send two copies of the Equipment Confirmation Letter to you by UPS once confirmed and you should then present the confirmed Equipment Declaration Form and the Equipment Confirmation Letter, when going through customs clearance in China.

If you apply for the confirmation letters for all the organization members, please fill in the applicants' name on the up-left of the Equipment Declaration Form and submit us the applicant list.

We strongly recommend you going through Chinese embassies, for it will be more convenient and quicker.

IMPORTANT TIPS:

1.       Both the Equipment Declaration Form and the Equipment Confirmation Letter will need three copies. You should provide three copies of the Equipment Declaration Form to the organization which issues the Equipment Confirmation Letter. The organization will send two copies of each, with official seal, to you. You should then provide one copy of each to the entry customs office for temporary entry of equipment, and provide another copy of each to the exit customs office for exit of equipment.

2.       The professional equipment such as videos, cameras, communication facilities, needs to be declared. If you have only one laptop, you need not to declare.

3. In the confirmation letter, there are some personal details as follows: media organization, name, passport number, arrival and departure time, and so on. Please submit the above information all together with the Equipment Declaration Forms.