Whether it's simply a few boxes or the entire contents of your home, Seven Seas Worldwide's expert team make shipping personal belongings to China straightforward and affordable. Here's how our process works in three steps:

1. Firstly, get your obligation-free online quote, place your order and choose suitable collection and delivery dates. Then, before move day, we'll drop off any packing materials you've requested so you can securely wrap your possessions. Please write your name, job number and the destination country and city on at least two sides of each box to ensure everything runs smoothly.
2. Next, fill in the documentation available through your online account and upload scans of your passport and visa. One of our friendly drivers will then arrive on the designated date to pick up your shipment.
3. Lastly, we'll transport your belongings overseas to China, complete customs paperwork to ensure entry into the country, and deliver the containers to your chosen destination, whether that's a home address or to one of our depots or a port for you to collect.

We can ship boxes to China from South Africa by sea — Sending your goods via sea is the cheapest and most environmentally-friendly option, and it can take up to 151 days.

Fill out our free instant quote form to get the most accurate cost of shipping luggage and boxes from South Africa to China. It only takes a moment to submit and gives a transparent, itemised breakdown of all the fees involved, including warehouse handling, customs clearance, transportation and other related charges.

When shipping to China, there are several steps both citizens and visitors need to take to avoid paying customs duties. Before we send your belongings, confirm your arrival date with Seven Seas Worldwide and ensure you're present in the country when they land. Please note that your goods must arrive within six months of your landing, and due to Covid-19 quarantine regulations, you need to be in the country for at least two weeks before we can arrange customs clearance for your shipment.

Then, upon entering China, declare your unaccompanied luggage by taking the red customs channel at the airport and presenting your completed "Customs Baggage Declaration Form for Incoming Passengers" to the customs agent. You'll need to send this stamped form and a copy of the entry stamp on your passport by courier to the Seven Seas Worldwide Guangzhou office (see below for the address) before your goods arrive.

Guangzhou office details

Company: Seven Seas Worldwide China
Receiver: Kameron Liu
Address: Room 807, Winkong International Plaza, No.577, Jingang Ave, Nansha District, Guangzhou
Postcode: 511458

During your shipments inspection, Chinese customs officials might ask for additional documentation, such as your original passport, Chinese ID, or work/resident permit. In such an event, staff at our Guangzhou office will contact you for the necessary paperwork. Do note that failure to provide these can delay your shipment or result in your goods not qualifying for the tax exemption allowance. 

Also, all shipments are x-rayed during the customs inspection process, so your inventory list must be 100% accurate. Otherwise, your boxes will need to undergo a physical inspection causing delays and additional charges.

However, if you are already in the country and have a Chinese passport, meaning you're unable to provide a "Customs Baggage Declaration Form for Incoming Passengers", you'll need to:

• Pay all taxes and duties as your shipment doesn't qualify for the CNY 5000 allowance.
• Provide an entry stamp and a letter containing the date of your arrival in China, the reason for not obtaining the declaration form and confirmation that you will pay all taxes and duties on your items.
• Pay for a one-time additional clearance charge of CNY200.

Check our Chinese customs advice page for further information.

China has strict rules regarding what you can import into the country. To avoid fines and delays, ensure your inventory packing list is accurate and your shipment doesn't contain any restricted items. Our Prohibited Goods page contains a comprehensive list of all the items you can't send and certain service-based restrictions.

To ensure your goods arrive via the quickest and most efficient method possible, all shipping and air routes are predefined and cannot be altered.