Visitors to China certainly don't want to miss out on shopping opportunities. Most travelers want to take home some bargains or mementos. With so many options available, shopping can be time consuming, confusing, and exhausting. Try these tips to shop smarter and have a much happier travel experience.
4. Tax Refund
The refund rate is 11% of the invoice value. However, 2% of the rebates are charged by the rebate agency as service fee. Therefore, visitors actually enjoy a rebate rate of 9%.
Purchase goods in designated stores with the "Tax Free" sign. Ask for the sales invoice and tax refund form from the clerk. Visit the customs office at the departure port and present the refund form, invoice, passport or ID card as well as the purchased products. If nothing goes wrong, the officer will stamp on the refund form. After, go through the joint inspection, head to the refund counter, have the materials examined and have the rebates back.
5.Import restrictions
Many countries have restrictions on what you can bring into that country, including food, pets, and medications. Even over-the-counter medications may be prohibited in some countries. Check with the foreign embassies and consulates in the U.S. for your destination country to find out what is prohibited. Foreign embassy and consulate contact information can also be found in the Country Specific Information for each country.
Remember to check for voltage differences. Provided your home country's voltages are the same as those in China, then you should be fine. If not, you may find your electronic goods to be unworkable upon your return home. Chinese sockets are not universal so again, please check before making any purchase. See China Power Supply and Adapters for more information. Better not buy a mobile phone in China. Android phones in particular will not be able to connect with Google Play, necessitating the use of third-party app providers which may prove risky. However, other devices may, too, be adapted to the Chinese market in terms of restricted usage and various additional apps and hidden programs you would rather not have on your phone. These can be difficult to remove, and any effort you make to do so may lead to the device becoming unusable.
