Security Briefing: Money and Valuables

The information below has been excerpted from the following: 1) the US Department of State's "International Travel" website (www.travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages.html), 2) the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's "Smartraveller" website (www.smartraveller.gov.au), and 3) the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office's "Foreign Travel Advice" website (www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice). Additional information is available from these sources. World Trade Press annually assesses the information presented on this page.

Australia: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Travel Advice

Before you go, organise a variety of ways to access your money overseas, such as credit cards, travellers' cheques, cash, debit cards or cash cards. Australian currency and travellers' cheques are not accepted in many countries. Consult with your bank to find out which is the most appropriate currency to carry and whether your ATM card will work overseas. In large Chinese cities (e.g. Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen) ATMs that allow cash withdrawals using Visa, Mastercard, Cirrus, Maestro, American Express and JCB are widely available. Opportunities to make purchases by credit are common, particularly in international hotels and restaurants. In smaller cities, using international cards may be more difficult.

The Chinese Customs Administration requires that travellers carrying over US$6,000 (or equivalent in foreign currencies) in cash must declare it upon arrival in China. The declaration should be kept safely and shown to customs officials upon departure. Travellers who wish to depart China carrying between US$6,000 and US$10,000 (or equivalent in foreign currencies) should obtain permission from a Chinese bank to do so.

Make two photocopies of valuable documents such as your passport, tickets, visas and travellers' cheques. Keep one copy with you in a separate place to the original and leave another copy with someone at home.

While travelling, don't carry too much cash and remember that expensive watches, jewellery and cameras may be tempting targets for thieves.

As a sensible precaution against luggage tampering, including theft, lock your luggage. Information on luggage safety is available from Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority.

Your passport is a valuable document that is attractive to criminals who may try to use your identity to commit crimes. It should always be kept in a safe place. You are required by Australian law to report a lost or stolen passport. If your passport is lost or stolen overseas, report it online or contact the nearest Australian Embassy, High Commission or Consulate as soon as possible. You must also report your loss of passport to the nearest police station and obtain a confirmation report of passport loss before you are able to secure an exit visa to leave China. The police loss report will also assist you to check in to a hotel if required. The process of obtaining a new Chinese visa may take up to a week to complete.

You are required to pay an additional fee to have a lost or stolen passport replaced. In some cases, the Australian Government may also restrict the length of validity or type of replacement passports.

United Kingdom: Foreign and Commonwealth Office Foreign Travel Advice

China remains largely a cash economy. Outside major cities, credit cards are not always accepted and the availability of ATMs is limited. It is not possible to exchange Scottish or Northern Irish bank notes.