General Food Import Regulations (Personal Use Limit: Under 6kg)
I. Fish, meat, mushrooms:
*Processed Seafood: Prepared Mentai (pollock roe), Salmon roe, Fish floss, and Kelp (Konbu) are limited to 6kg for personal use.
*Dried Fish: Prepared dried fish is limited to 6kg for personal use. (!) Note: Products made in Mainland China are prohibited from import.
*Smoked Squid: Limited to 6kg for personal use. (!) Note: Products made in Mainland China are prohibited from import.
*Dried Shiitake Mushrooms: Limited to 6kg. (!) Note: Products made in Mainland China are prohibited from import (based on origin of harvest).
*Dried Porcini/Mushrooms: (Tariff Code: 07123990149).
*Dried Blazei Mushrooms (Agaricus subrufescens): (Tariff Code: 07123190110).
*Scallop Sauce: (If scallop content exceeds 20% of the total; Tariff Code: 16055210903).
*Shrimp Paste: (If shrimp content exceeds 20% of the total; Tariff Code: 16052900996).
Canned or Bagged Meat and Fish Products
*General Rule: Items containing chicken, pork, beef, or fish must be in sealed containers and commercially sterilized. These are allowed for personal use up to 6kg.
*Mainland China Restriction: Products made in Mainland China are prohibited from import.
Special Regulations for Specific Items:
*Beef Offal (Canned/Prepared): When importing from the USA, Canada, Netherlands, Sweden, Japan, and Mexico, you must apply for an import permit from the International Trade Administration (Ministry of Economic Affairs) and provide a Certificate of Origin.
*Shark Fins / Chilean Seabass (Canned/Prepared): Must include a letter of consent from the Fisheries Agency (Ministry of Agriculture).
*Pufferfish / Whale Shark (Canned/Prepared): Importation of whole fish or fillets (excluding minced) is strictly controlled.
*Mandatory Pre-check: You must provide the product’s origin, ingredients, and manufacturing process before importing to avoid legal violations.
Summary of Agricultural and Livestock Limits
*Total Weight: Agricultural, livestock, and aquatic products (including canned goods) must be treated with high-temperature sterilization and are limited to 6kg or 6 cans.
*Excess Weight: If you intend to import more than 6kg of meat, special regulations apply; please consult customer service.
*Prohibited Fish Imports: Canned shark fins, fish fins, pufferfish, Chilean seabass, and whale shark are prohibited.
II. Milk powder, rice, staple food, noodles, instant noodles
General Import Exemptions
*Personal Use Threshold: Imported food and related products for personal use with a value under $1,000 USD and a total weight under 6kg are assigned code DH000000000002.
*Inspection Exemption: Products (including infant formula) that fall within the 6kg weight limit for personal use are exempt from inspection and do not require a Certificate of Origin.
Specific Food Categories
*Infant Formula: While the per-shipment limit for personal use is 6kg, the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) stipulates that the total annual import volume per person must not exceed 30kg.
*Rice and Paddy Rice: Limited to 6kg for personal use. (!) Note: Imports from Mainland China are strictly prohibited.
*Instant Noodles:
1.Seasoning packets containing meat, oil, minced meat, seafood, fish, or shrimp must undergo high-temperature sterilization.
2.Total weight is limited to 6kg for personal use.
3.(!) Note: Products manufactured in Mainland China are prohibited from import.
III. Other Food and Beverages
*Beverages: Limited to 6,000ml and must not contain alcohol.
*Dried Shiitake Mushrooms: Limited to 6kg for personal use. Note that products from Mainland China are prohibited based on the place of harvest.
*Tea: Limited to 6kg for personal use. Products from Mainland China are prohibited based on the place of harvest, with the exception of Mainland Chinese Pu-erh tea, which is allowed up to 3kg.
*Protein Powder: Limited to 6kg for personal use, as it is classified as a food product.
*Raw Honey: Limited to 6kg for personal use.
*Roasted Coffee Beans and Coffee Bags: Classified under Tariff Code 09012100005.
*Ginseng: Requires quarantine and an approval letter from the Ministry of Health and Welfare.
1.Dried/Boxed Ginseng: Does not require quarantine but must be registered with the Department of Chinese Medicine and Pharmacy.
2.Application: Travelers may apply for a "Small Quantity Sample Application" once every 6 months via the official <-block _nghost-ng-c2557198912="" class="ng-star-inserted">MOHW E-Service portal.
*General Food (Non-Capsule/Tablet Form): For imports exceeding 6kg or for non-personal use, a formal inspection is required. An example of this is Barley Grass Juice Powder.
Import Codes for Dried Goods and Materials
a.Import Code 502 (Dried Goods):
(1) A photocopy of a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) dealer license or a drug manufacturing permit issued by the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) must be provided.
(2) For the import of powdered goods, a photocopy of a drug permit or a letter of consent issued by the MOHW must also be included.
(3) The product name must clearly state the Chinese herbal name and specify whether it is a Chinese medicinal material or Chinese medicine powder.
*Note: Non-dried goods are not subject to these specific restrictions.
b.Import Code 840 (Dried/Fresh Goods):
(1) Dried goods must be processed in accordance with regulations 502 and H01.
(2) Fresh goods must follow regulation F01, and the specific exemption code required under regulation 502 must be entered on the import declaration.
(3) Goods will not be allowed for import if the importer has not obtained the necessary import permit documents from the relevant competent authorities.
c.Import Code B01:
*Importation must comply with the "List of Regulated Plant and Animal Items" and related quarantine regulations compiled by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency (APHIA) of the Ministry of Agriculture.
Commonly Seen Food Import Codes
The following codes frequently appear in food-related import regulations:
*F01, F02: Related to food import inspections.
*MW0, 113: Specific regulatory or tariff-related designations.
A. Important Notice: African Swine Fever Prevention
Due to the extremely high risk of spreading African Swine Fever through international mail containing pork products, the Council of Agriculture has announced strict penalties for illegal parcels effective from the 20th.
*First-time offenders: The recipient will be fined NT$ 200,000.
*Second-time offenders (and above): The recipient will be fined NT$ 1,000,000.
B. General Restrictions and Compliance
These regulations apply to any edible non-meat food items:
*Real-Name Authentication: All shipments must be registered under the importer's name via the EZWAY App for customs real-name authentication.
*Medicine Import Permits: For applications regarding the specialized import of personal medicines, please contact the relevant authorities or call 02-27878000.
*Liability for Fines: In the event of a violation of the above regulations, the sender and the declared importer shall be held liable for the full amount of any fines incurred.
C. Packaging and Quantity Management
*Compliance Responsibility: Please ensure your orders and packaging do not exceed the quantity limits set by national regulations.
*Discretionary Splitting: While our company reserves the right to assist in splitting shipments into multiple boxes if they exceed national limits, we are not obligated to do so proactively.