How to Say “Customs declaration form” in Chinese
Getting around · HSK 4
"Customs declaration form" in Chinese is 海关申报单 (Hǎi guān shēn bào dān). 海关 (hǎi guān) literally means 'sea pass'; historical term from when foreign trade entered through ports. 申报 means 'to declare,' and 单 (dān) is the measure-word-like noun for any printed form or slip (账单 bill, 名单 name list).
Primary translation
海关申报单
Hǎi guān shēn bào dān
Traditional: 海關申報單
Variants by register
Formal
请填写海关申报单。
Qǐng tián xiě hǎi guān shēn bào dān.
Casual
填一下海关单。
Tián yī xià hǎi guān dān.
When to use it
海关 (hǎi guān) literally means 'sea pass'; historical term from when foreign trade entered through ports. 申报 means 'to declare,' and 单 (dān) is the measure-word-like noun for any printed form or slip (账单 bill, 名单 name list). Since 2019 most arrivals at Mainland airports use a digital declaration via WeChat mini-program (海关旅客指尖服务), so flight attendants rarely hand out paper forms anymore. Taiwan still uses paper 申報單 in many cases.
Example sentences
请填写海关申报单。
Qǐng tián xiě hǎi guān shēn bào dān.
Please fill out the customs declaration form.
我没有需要申报的东西。
Wǒ méi yǒu xū yào shēn bào de dōng xi.
I have nothing to declare.
现在可以用微信小程序申报。
Xiàn zài kě yǐ yòng wēi xìn xiǎo chéng xù shēn bào.
You can now declare through a WeChat mini-program.