Chapter VI Taking or Bringing Cultural Relics out of or into China

Article 60 No state-owned cultural relics, valuable cultural relics among the ones not owned by the State or other cultural relics that are prohibited from being taken out of China according to State regulations may be taken out of the country, except the ones to be taken out of the country for exhibition in accordance with the provisions of this Law or for special needs upon approval by the State Council.

Article 61 Cultural relics to be taken out of the country shall be subject to examination and verification by the examination and verification authority for the entry and exit of cultural relics designated by the administrative department in charge of cultural relics under the State Council. For the cultural relics that may be taken out of the country after examination and verification, the administrative department in charge of cultural relics under the State Council shall issue an exit permit, and they shall be shipped out of the country at the port designated by the said administrative department.

Cultural relics to be transported, mailed or taken out of the country by any units or individuals shall be declared to the Customs; and the Customs shall let them leave the country on the strength of their exit permit.

Article 62 Cultural relics to be taken out of the country for exhibition shall be subject to approval by the administrative department in charge of cultural relics under the State Council; and if the number of Grade One cultural relics exceeds the quota fixed by the State Council, the matter shall be subject to approval by the State Council.

The only existing or fragile relics among the Grade One cultural relics are prohibited from being taken out of the country for exhibition.

Cultural relics to be taken out of the country for exhibition shall be examined, verified and registered by the examination and verification authority for entry and exit of cultural relics. The Customs shall let them leave the country on the strength of the approval document issued by the administrative department in charge of cultural relics under the State Council or by the State Council. The entry of the cultural relics into the country that have been taken out for exhibition shall be examined, verified and inspected by the original examination and verification authority for the entry and exit of cultural relics.

Article 63 Temporary entry of cultural relics into the country shall be declared to the Customs, and shall be subject to examination and verification by the examination and verification authority for the entry and exit of cultural relics and be registered with it.

Before leaving the country, the cultural relics that have entered the country temporarily shall be examined, verified and inspected by the examination and verification authority for the entry and exit of cultural relics that originally examined, verified and registered them; and if all is in order, the administrative department in charge of cultural relics under the State Council shall issue an exit permit for these cultural relics and the Customs shall let them leave the country on the strength of the permit.