Gold Allowance for Travellers to Hong Kong (2026)
Hong Kong charges no customs duty or tax on gold and sets no limit on the gold jewellery, bars or coins a traveller can bring in or take out for personal use; only gold for trade must be declared at the Red Channel with an import or export declaration. The HK$120,000 declaration for arrivals covers currency (legal-tender notes and coins) and bearer negotiable instruments such as cheques, not gold bars or jewellery. Mainland Chinese residents aged 18 or over returning from Hong Kong get a RMB 12,000 duty-free allowance (RMB 15,000 with arrival duty-free shop purchases) and must declare gold over 50 g to mainland customs.
Reviewed October 2026 from official sources (listed below). Rules change — check with customs before you travel.
Estimate
No Hong Kong charge to estimate. Your destination's rules apply when you arrive there. An estimate, not a customs assessment.
Duty-Free Gold Allowance in Hong Kong
| Traveller | Duty-free allowance | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Any traveller: gold jewellery, bars and coins for personal use | No duty, no limit | Hong Kong is a free port. Excise duty applies only to liquor, tobacco, hydrocarbon oil and methyl alcohol. |
| Gold carried for trade or sale | No concession | Use the Red Channel, tell the officer the goods are for trade and lodge an import or export declaration. |
| Currency and bearer negotiable instruments over HK$120,000 | Must be declared on arrival | Covers legal-tender notes and coins, traveller's cheques, bearer cheques, promissory notes, bonds and money orders. Gold bars and jewellery are not listed. |
| Mainland resident aged 18+ returning to the mainland | RMB 12,000 of goods duty-free | RMB 15,000 including purchases at mainland arrival duty-free shops. Gold above it is taxed by mainland customs at 13%; declare gold over 50 g. |
| Mainland frequent cross-boundary travellers and under-18s | Only articles needed for the journey | Mainland rule: gold bought in Hong Kong is taxable on return. |
No duty on gold in Hong Kong
Hong Kong is a free port and does not levy customs tariffs on imports or exports. Excise duty applies only to liquor, tobacco, hydrocarbon oil and methyl alcohol, so gold jewellery, bars and coins pay no duty and no tax, and there is no weight or value limit for personal use. There is also no sales tax or GST, so prices in Hong Kong shops carry no tax to reclaim.
Goods carried for trade or commercial purposes get no concessions. If you are bringing in or taking out gold to sell, use the Red Channel, tell the customs officer the goods are for trade and lodge the import or export declaration.
Declaring gold and cash in Hong Kong
Since 2018 anyone arriving at a specified control point with currency and bearer negotiable instruments (CBNIs) worth more than HK$120,000 in total must declare them at the Red Channel, on the paper form or by pre-filling the online e-form and showing its QR code. Departing travellers must disclose CBNIs if a customs officer asks. Customs defines currency as notes and coins that are legal tender in Hong Kong or elsewhere, and BNIs as instruments such as traveller's cheques, bearer cheques, promissory notes, bearer bonds and money orders. Gold bars and jewellery are not covered. Some gold bullion coins are legal tender, so if you carry them with a large amount of cash, ask an officer whether to include them.
A first breach of the CBNI rule can usually be settled by paying HK$2,000. Otherwise the maximum penalty is a fine of HK$500,000 and two years in prison.
Taking gold out of Hong Kong
Hong Kong sets no limit and no export duty on gold you take out for personal use. Smuggling is treated seriously: under the Import and Export Ordinance, importing or exporting unmanifested cargo carries a maximum fine of HK$2 million and seven years in prison. Customs has recently made its largest gold seizures, on air cargo bound for Japan, where gold pays 10% consumption tax on arrival. What you may bring in tax-free is decided by your destination, so check its rules before you buy.
Hong Kong to mainland China, Japan and India
Mainland China: mainland residents aged 18 or over arriving from Hong Kong or Macao can bring RMB 12,000 of goods duty-free, or RMB 15,000 including purchases at a mainland arrival duty-free shop. Frequent travellers and under-18s get duty-free treatment only for articles needed on the journey. Gold above the allowance is taxed at 13%, and mainland customs says gold over 50 g must be declared. See China.
Japan: every traveller must declare gold, which counts towards the ¥200,000 allowance; bars usually pay 10% consumption tax in full. See Japan. India, South Korea, Singapore and the US have their own allowances and declaration rules. Keep the shop's invoice showing weight, purity and price.
Recent changes
From 31 July 2026 the new Huanggang Port Hong Kong Port Area became a specified control point for the HK$120,000 CBNI declaration. In March 2025 customs seized about 145 kg of gold bullion hidden in air cargo for Japan, and in March 2026 about 168 kg of gold flakes and 285 kg of silver flakes in machines bound for Japan, each a record at the time. The rules for travellers carrying gold for personal use have not changed.
Gold price in Hong Kong today
Live rates →| 24K (999) | $976.95 / gram | $9,770 / 10 g |
|---|---|---|
| 22K (916) | $895.79 / gram | $8,958 / 10 g |
| 18K (750) | $733.45 / gram | $7,334 / 10 g |
Bringing Gold to Hong Kong: FAQ
How much is 10 grams of 22K gold worth in Hong Kong today?
About $8,958 at the international price converted to HKD (Oct 30, 2026, 21:55 UTC). Customs use their own notified or assessed value, and shops charge more, so treat this as an estimate.
Is there duty on gold in Hong Kong?
No. Hong Kong is a free port and charges excise duty only on liquor, tobacco, hydrocarbon oil and methyl alcohol. Gold jewellery, bars and coins pay no duty or tax, and there is no limit for personal use.
Do I need to declare gold under Hong Kong's HK$120,000 rule?
No. The declaration covers currency and bearer negotiable instruments such as traveller's cheques and bearer cheques. Gold bars and jewellery are not included. Some bullion coins are legal tender, so ask an officer if you carry them with a lot of cash.
How much gold can I take from Hong Kong to mainland China?
Hong Kong sets no limit. Mainland residents aged 18 or over get RMB 12,000 of duty-free goods (RMB 15,000 with arrival duty-free shop purchases), gold above that is taxed at 13%, and gold over 50 g must be declared to mainland customs.
Can tourists get tax back on gold bought in Hong Kong?
There is nothing to reclaim: Hong Kong has no sales tax, VAT or GST on gold.
How much gold can I take from Hong Kong to Japan?
Any amount, but Japan requires every traveller to declare gold. It counts towards the ¥200,000 allowance, a single item worth more than that is taxed in full, and gold bars pay 10% consumption tax. Gold over 1 kg also goes on Japan's means-of-payment declaration.
Do I need to declare gold when leaving Hong Kong?
Not for personal use. Gold for trade needs an export declaration, and you must disclose cash and bearer negotiable instruments if a customs officer asks.
Gold Travel Allowance in Other Countries
Sources: Hong Kong Customs: duty-free concessions and dutiable commodities · Hong Kong Customs: declaring currency and bearer negotiable instruments · L.N. 95 of 2026: Huanggang Port added as a specified control point · Hong Kong Customs: record gold bullion seizure and smuggling penalties (Mar 2025) · Ministry of Finance (PRC) Announcement No. 7 of 2024: RMB 12,000 allowance from Hong Kong and Macao · China Daily: declare gold over 50 g (2024). Information, not legal advice: customs officers decide on the spot, and rules change. See also: gold price in Hong Kong · gold price by weight.