How to Import Cosmetics to Hong Kong: 6 Steps

To import cosmetics to Hong Kong you do not pay import duty and, for ordinary cosmetics, you do not need an import licence or a product registration.

What you must do is lodge an import declaration within 14 days of arrival and make sure the goods meet the Consumer Goods Safety Ordinance (Cap. 456)¹ and the Trade Descriptions Ordinance (Cap. 362)². Products that qualify as pharmaceutical products are the exception: they need registration and a licence for every shipment.

The six steps below follow the order an importer bringing Korean cosmetics into Hong Kong would work through them. Each point was checked against the ordinance text or the Customs and Excise Department website.

Step 1: Decide whether the product is a cosmetic or a pharmaceutical product

Section 2 of the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance (Cap. 138)³ defines a pharmaceutical product as one presented for treating or preventing disease, or used to restore, correct or modify physiological functions through a pharmacological, immunological or metabolic action.

Under regulation 36 of the Pharmacy and Poisons Regulations (Cap. 138A)⁴, such a product may only be sold if it is registered with the Pharmacy and Poisons Board; for products made outside Hong Kong, the importer applies.

A 2021 Legislative Council reply (LCQ11) adds that imports of pharmaceutical products are controlled under the Import and Export Ordinance (Cap. 60)⁵ and that licensed wholesalers apply to the Department of Health for an import licence for each shipment.

A 2018 reply (LCQ14) notes that hair dyes containing phenylenediamines are Part 2 poisons and may only be sold by authorised or listed sellers of poisons. Ordinary skincare and make-up do not go through these procedures, but treatment claims on the pack can change the classification, so check before you ship. In April 2026 the Pharmacy and Poisons Board’s registration committee updated its classification guidance to state that products intended for human parenteral injection are pharmaceutical products⁶.

Step 2: Check general safety and bilingual warnings

Section 6 of Cap. 456 prohibits supplying, manufacturing or importing consumer goods that do not meet the general safety requirement. Section 4 says safety is judged with regard to factors such as markings, instructions and warnings for keeping and use, and published safety standards.

Section 2 of the Consumer Goods Safety Regulation (Cap. 456A)⁷ requires any warning or caution about safe keeping, use or disposal to be in both English and Chinese.

Customs says it does not require products to be tested before sale, but it encourages testing by an accredited laboratory, which can support a due diligence defence if a problem arises.

Step 3: Make sure label and marketing claims are true

Under section 2 of Cap. 362, a trade description covers composition, fitness for purpose or performance, testing, place and date of manufacture and the manufacturer.

Section 7 makes it an offence to apply a false trade description in the course of trade or to supply or keep for sale goods that carry one, and section 12 bans importing or exporting goods with a false trade description or a forged trade mark. Check that origin and ingredient statements match the product.

Step 4: Prepare shipping and clearance documents

Cosmetics are not dutiable, so there is no duty to pay. Hong Kong Customs lists only four kinds of dutiable commodities: liquor, tobacco, certain hydrocarbon oils and methyl alcohol. For clearance, have the manifest, bill of lading or air waybill, commercial invoice and packing list ready.

Step 5: Lodge the import declaration within 14 days

Regulation 4 of the Import and Export (Registration) Regulations (Cap. 60E)⁸ requires anyone who imports a non-exempt article to lodge an accurate and complete import declaration no later than 14 days after the day of importation.

Declarations are lodged electronically through the government-appointed service providers (Brio, Global e-Trading and Tradelink). For non-food imports the charge is HKD 0.20 for the first HKD 46,000 of value plus HKD 0.125 for each further HKD 1,000, capped at HKD 200 per declaration since 1 August 2018. Late lodgement attracts a penalty.

Step 6: Keep supply and testing records

Keep invoices, packing lists, batch records and any test reports from your supplier. They help if Customs makes enquiries or a customer asks about a product. SEONGWOO GLOBAL’s Hong Kong company, SEONGWOO GLOBAL LIMITED (BR 81375387), contracts locally on this basis. Its Kwun Tong address is a registered address, not a warehouse.

Sources

• Hong Kong Customs, import and export declaration: https://www.customs.gov.hk/en/service-enforcement-information/cargo-clearance/import-export-declaration/index.html
• Hong Kong Customs, dutiable commodities: https://www.customs.gov.hk/en/service-enforcement-information/cargo-clearance/dutiable-commodities/index.html
• Hong Kong Customs, goods safety: https://www.customs.gov.hk/en/service-enforcement-information/consumer-protection/goods-safety/index.html
• Cap. 60E: https://www.elegislation.gov.hk/hk/cap60E!en · Cap. 456: https://www.elegislation.gov.hk/hk/cap456!en · Cap. 456A: https://www.elegislation.gov.hk/hk/cap456A!en · Cap. 362: https://www.elegislation.gov.hk/hk/cap362!en · Cap. 138: https://www.elegislation.gov.hk/hk/cap138!en
• LegCo replies LCQ11 (2021): https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202106/09/P2021060900376.htm and LCQ14 (2018): https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201806/27/P2018062700331.htm

Related reading: Hong Kong vs China cosmetics rules · Hong Kong cosmetics labelling · Cosmetics claims in Hong Kong · Re-export via Hong Kong

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Notes

1. Hong Kong Department of Justice, Consumer Goods Safety Ordinance (Cap. 456), verified 2026-10-25. ↩

2. Hong Kong Department of Justice, Trade Descriptions Ordinance (Cap. 362), verified 2026-10-25. ↩

3. Hong Kong Department of Justice, Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance (Cap. 138), verified 2026-10-25. ↩

4. Hong Kong Department of Justice, Pharmacy and Poisons Regulations (Cap. 138A), verified 2026-10-25. ↩

5. Hong Kong Department of Justice, Import and Export Ordinance (Cap. 60), verified 2026-10-25. ↩

6. Department of Health Drug Office, Update of “Guidance Notes on Classification of Products as Pharmaceutical Products” (PDF), verified 2026-10-25. ↩

7. Hong Kong Department of Justice, Consumer Goods Safety Regulation (Cap. 456A), verified 2026-10-25. ↩

8. Hong Kong Department of Justice, Import and Export (Registration) Regulations (Cap. 60E), verified 2026-10-25. ↩