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Customs file · 03

Temporarily Importing a Foreign Vehicle into China

A foreign vehicle must complete customs temporary admission before it can receive Chinese temporary road documents. China Customs treats touring self-drive vehicles within the temporary-admission framework and normally requires re-export within the approved period. Do not assume an ATA Carnet or CPD will be accepted at every port. Confirm the exact declaration, security, entry broker, exit broker and cancellation method with the responsible customs offices before travelling.

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Field verification2026-08-27China · overland

01Temporary, not permanent

Customs closes a loop from entry to re-export.

At entry

National rule
  • Record the vehicle identity, value and removable equipment
  • Set the approved temporary period and re-export obligation
  • Secure potential tax exposure using the method accepted for the case

At exit

National rule
  • Match the vehicle and declared equipment to the entry file
  • Complete re-export cancellation
  • Use the cancellation evidence to release or refund the security

02Do not merge the deadlines

Customs and the road permit run on separate clocks.

Customs clock · usually six months

National rule

Temporary-admission goods normally must be re-exported within six months, subject to the approved customs record and any lawfully handled extension.

Road clock · maximum three months

National rule

The temporary-entry vehicle plate and registration for this journey can be valid for no more than three months and cannot be extended.

03ATA, CPD or local filing

Ask what this customs office accepts for this vehicle.

ATA Carnet

National rule

The Istanbul Convention's definition of goods excludes means of transport. Do not describe ATA as the universal required vehicle document for China.

CPD

Not verified

A CPD is an international customs document designed for vehicles. Whether and how the exact Chinese port accepts it still needs written confirmation.

National procedure and security

Local procedure

Local declaration, valuation, guarantee or deposit and broker arrangements are the default questions for the actual entry and exit offices.

APort and quote tools

Ask the same seven questions at entry and exit.

Replace general assurances with written answers tied to the exact vehicle, direction, customs office and date.

Customs questions template

  1. Does this customs office accept a third-country privately owned vehicle for temporary admission?
  2. Which declaration or carnet is accepted for this exact case?
  3. Who provides the customs security and how is it calculated?
  4. Which original documents and Chinese translations are required?
  5. Can the vehicle exit through a different customs office?
  6. Who completes export cancellation at the exit port?
  7. What evidence releases or refunds the security?

Operator quote comparison

01Document pack

Make entry and exit read the same vehicle.

Vehicle and owner

Operational advice
  • Registration, ownership and authorization when the registered owner is absent
  • VIN, engine number, technical specifications and valuation evidence
  • Photographs of all sides and identifying numbers
  • Inventory of removable high-value equipment

Route and filing

Local procedure
  • Driver/passport details, entry and exit route and dates
  • Accepted declaration/carnet/security evidence
  • Chinese translations requested by the specific customs office

02Handoff sheet

Name the exit owner before the entry broker files.

Before entry

Operational advice
  • Pre-confirm both customs offices and both brokers, even when ports differ.
  • Agree who advances or guarantees security and how a refund is evidenced.
  • Have the exit broker pre-check the planned entry documents.

At entry and exit

Operational advice
  • Verify every identifier and declared item, then keep complete paper and digital copies.
  • Send the file to the exit broker before arrival.
  • Obtain re-export/cancellation proof and track security release after the trip.

03Failure and refund risk

Most expensive failures are handoff failures.

Identity and route failures

Operational advice
  • VIN or registration mismatch
  • Owner authorization rejected
  • Different exit port cannot complete cancellation
  • Uncoordinated route change or late re-export
  • Modification or removable equipment differs from the declaration

Traveller account signal

Traveller experience

A 2025 traveller report identifies exit-broker coordination and deposit return as practical risks. Treat this as a question generator, not proof of a national legal rule.

Evidence file

Sources and change log

Open an original source to verify scope. A source can support a national rule without confirming a specific port operation.
  1. 01

    General Administration of Customs

    Temporary Entry and Exit Goods Service Guide Retrieved 2026-08-27 · Temporary admission confirmation and the usual six-month re-export framework.
  2. 02

    Ministry of Public Security / State Council Gazette

    Provisions on Temporary-Entry Motor Vehicles and Drivers (Order No. 90) Retrieved 2026-08-27 · Temporary vehicle plates, driver permits, document requirements, route limits and three-month validity.
  3. 03

    World Customs Organization / International Chamber of Commerce

    Convention on Temporary Admission (Istanbul Convention) Retrieved 2026-08-27 · The convention's goods definition excludes means of transport.
  4. 04

    Caravanistan traveller report

    Self-driving in China: 2025 Experience Report Retrieved 2026-08-27 · A traveller account used only to identify broker handoff and security-refund risks.

Change log

2026-08-27Initial publication. Correctly separated the three-month foreign-vehicle road path from the longer-stay Chinese-vehicle permit path.