China Power Bank Rules: 3C Mark and Flight Limits (2026)

Short answer

China power bank rules, set by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), ban power banks without a clear 3C (CCC) mark, and recalled models, on domestic flights in mainland China since June 28, 2025. Power banks go in your carry-on only. Up to 100 Wh is allowed, 100 to 160 Wh needs the airline's approval, and over 160 Wh is banned. China Eastern allows two per passenger. On board, CAAC rules ban charging a phone from a power bank, and China Eastern and China Southern also ban recharging one. Sources disagree on whether the 3C check applies on international flights from China: a CAAC official said it doesn't, but some airports have checked anyway.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) banned power banks with no 3C mark, an unclear 3C mark, or from a recalled model or batch on domestic flights from June 28, 2025.
Sources disagree on international flights. A CAAC official told The Paper that power banks made and sold abroad, and flights involving places outside China, are outside the rule. Yicai reported in July 2025 that some airports also checked for the mark at security for international flights.
Power banks go in carry-on bags only. Up to 100 Wh needs no approval, 100 to 160 Wh needs the airline's approval, and over 160 Wh is banned.
China Eastern allows two power banks per passenger and bans recharging them or using them to charge devices in flight.
If yours fails the check, airports let you give it up, store it or mail it. Beijing Capital and Guangzhou Baiyun offer 7 days of free storage.
Since March 2026, newly certified power banks carry a QR code next to the CCC mark. Scanning it shows whether the certificate is valid.
Flights leaving Hong Kong and Macau allow two power banks per passenger and ban recharging them in flight. Neither rule mentions the 3C mark.

China power bank rules: what you can bring on flights

China power bank rules let you fly with a power bank in your carry-on if it has a clear 3C mark, isn’t from a recalled model or batch, and is 160 Wh or less. The 3C rule is written for domestic flights in mainland China. On international flights, sources disagree.

3C mark: required on domestic flights since June 28, 2025, under a notice from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).
Recalled models and batches: banned on domestic flights, even with a 3C mark.
Where to pack: carry-on only. Power banks are never allowed in checked bags.
Size: up to 100 Wh needs no approval, 100 to 160 Wh needs the airline’s approval, and over 160 Wh is banned.
How many: two per passenger on China Eastern, and on flights leaving Hong Kong and Macau.
On board: keep it switched off. Don’t charge devices from it, and don’t recharge it.

Power bank on a China domestic flight: the 3C rule

On a domestic flight in mainland China, a power bank needs a clear 3C mark and must not be from a recalled model or batch. The CAAC issued the rule as an urgent notice in June 2025, and it took effect on June 28, 2025.

The notice bans three kinds of power bank on domestic flights (境内航班):

Power banks with no 3C mark.
Power banks with an unclear 3C mark.
Power banks from a recalled model or batch.

The CAAC said fires and smoke from passengers’ power banks had increased in 2025. Several leading brands had recalled batches over battery cell risks, and the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) had revoked or suspended the 3C certificates of several power bank and battery cell makers.

The rule also applies when the domestic flight is one leg of an international trip. IT Home’s July 2026 report, based on CCTV, says security on a domestic connecting leg checks the 3C mark strictly and stops power banks without it. The same report lists an unclear rated energy label as another reason a power bank is stopped.

Power banks bought outside China are a gray area. A CAAC official told The Paper that the notice covers power banks made and sold in China that should have 3C certification but don’t, plus recalled ones, and not products made and sold abroad. A few days later, security staff at Shanghai Hongqiao told Yicai that foreign-made power banks without a 3C mark wouldn’t pass either.

China power bank rules for international flights

Sources disagree on whether the 3C rule covers international flights from mainland China. The CAAC notice only names domestic flights, and these sources describe its reach differently:

A CAAC official, to The Paper (June 26, 2025): foreign visitors holding power banks the rule covers must follow it when their flight starts and ends in China. Flights involving places outside China (涉及境外的航班) are outside it.
IT Home, citing CCTV (July 11, 2026): domestic flights are checked strictly for the 3C mark. On international and regional flights, power banks within the energy limits that were bought through regular channels abroad pass normally.
Yicai (July 1, 2025): some airports had started checking for the 3C mark at security for international flights.
Executive Traveller (July 2, 2025): cited reports of passengers boarding international flights from Shanghai also being caught by the checks.
Universal Weather (June 26, 2025): this business aviation trip-support company wrote that the ban covers all business aviation flights departing mainland China. It advised crews and passengers not to bring power banks without the 3C mark into China.

Travelers on Reddit report both outcomes; their reports are below. To be sure of keeping your power bank, fly with one that has a 3C mark.

For flights into China, Universal Weather noted that power banks without the mark may be brought in, but are likely to be stopped when you leave.

China 3C power bank: what the CCC mark looks like

A China 3C power bank has the CCC mark, China’s compulsory product certification mark, on its casing or on a sticker. SAMR told People’s Daily in July 2025 that most power banks have the mark printed or molded on the casing.

Power banks may also use a standard CCC sticker. SAMR says the genuine sticker is a laser hologram with a white base and a black pattern. It has a diamond pattern and the words 中国认证 (“China Certification”) as a faint background pattern, and it looks three-dimensional. A sticker without that 3D effect is fake. SAMR also says CCC stickers sold online are illegal.

Power banks sold in China have needed CCC certification since August 1, 2024. SAMR added power banks and their battery cells to the scheme in March 2023, so a power bank bought before August 2024 may not have the mark. SAMR says such a power bank can still be used if it isn’t recalled, but transport rules still apply.

To check a certificate, SAMR points to the National Certification and Accreditation Information Public Service Platform (全国认证认可信息公共服务平台). Shanghai’s government suggests checking the label on the China Quality Certification Center’s website and choosing power banks made after August 2024.

Other countries’ marks don’t replace it. Universal Weather said UL certification is not accepted in place of the 3C mark. Executive Traveller noted that a power bank sold in China with the CCC mark may carry CE or FCC marks instead when sold abroad.

Power bank capacity limits in Wh and how many you can carry

Power banks go in your carry-on only, and no single power bank can be over 160 Wh. These limits come from the CAAC’s 2014 rules, as reported by The Paper, and match the China Eastern and Air China pages:

Rated energy	Allowed on board
Up to 100 Wh	Yes, no approval needed
Over 100 Wh, up to 160 Wh	Only with the airline’s approval
Over 160 Wh	No
No rated energy marked, and it can’t be worked out from the other markings	No

Look for the Wh figure on the label. If there isn’t one, IT Home’s report gives the formula: rated voltage (V) times rated capacity in amp-hours (Ah). Divide a capacity in mAh by 1,000 to get Ah.

China Eastern allows each passenger and crew member two power banks. Air China’s page limits batteries of 100 to 160 Wh to two per passenger. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) limited passengers to two power banks from March 27, 2026. On April 1, 2026, China Emergency Management News cited China Tourism News as saying domestic airports hadn’t changed screening yet. A CAAC notice applying that limit to all domestic flights is not confirmed, so carry no more than two.

Using or charging a power bank on the plane

You can’t use a power bank during a flight on a Chinese airline. The CAAC’s 2014 rules, as reported by The Paper, ban charging devices from a power bank in flight and say a power bank with a switch must stay off.

China Eastern’s lithium battery page sets these rules on board:

Don’t recharge a power bank from any power source, including in-seat power.
Don’t use a power bank to charge or power other devices.
If it has a switch, keep it off.
Don’t put it in the overhead bin. Keep it in a bag under the seat or in the seat-back pocket.

China Southern’s notice bans charging devices from a power bank, recharging the power bank and using its other functions on board, and says it must stay off for the whole flight. Air China’s page says a power bank with a switch must stay off during the flight.

Charge your phone before you board. The CAAC’s notice told airports to add and maintain charging facilities in their terminals.

China power bank rules at the airport: what happens at security

At security in a Chinese airport, staff check your power banks, and one that fails can’t board with you. The CAAC told airports to set up areas where passengers can give up or temporarily store power banks.

IT Home’s July 2026 report, based on CCTV, lists three options:

Hand it to a friend or relative seeing you off.
Mail it from the airport’s courier counter.
Leave it with the airport’s storage service and collect it later.

What the main airports offer:

Beijing Capital: free storage for 7 calendar days. Terminal 3’s storage point is the T3 Passenger Service Center on the first floor of the parking building. Terminal 2’s is the T2 Passenger Service Center on basement level 1. Items not collected in time are treated as abandoned (IT Home, citing CCTV, July 2026).
Beijing Daxing: has set procedures for giving up, storing and mailing power banks (Yicai, July 2025).
Guangzhou Baiyun: free storage for up to 7 days, mailing and safe disposal. Storage is at Gate 16 in Terminal 1 (24 hours), and at the end of Island N (24 hours) and Island D (4:30 am to 11:30 pm) in Terminal 2. Call at least a day before you collect. Storage and couriers may refuse damaged or swollen power banks, or ones with exposed wires (Info Guangdong, July 2025).
Shanghai Hongqiao: storage in the terminal. In July 2025, staff said the airport’s couriers didn’t accept power banks (Yicai).
Shenzhen Bao’an: free storage for 7 days, after which the power bank is treated as abandoned (Yicai, July 2025).

The Beijing government advised passengers to arrive early, as power banks may need checking at security.

Recalled power banks: how to check yours

Recalled models and batches are banned on domestic flights even if they have the 3C mark, so check yours against the recall lists before you fly.

In June 2025, Anker recalled some batches of models A1642, A1647, A1652, A1680, A1681, A1689 and A1257 in China. It said a supplier had changed battery cell materials without approval (The Paper).
Romoss recalled 491,745 power banks of three models made between June 5, 2023 and July 31, 2024. SAMR’s certification database then showed many of Romoss’s power bank certificates as suspended (The Paper).

To check yours:

China Eastern and IT Home’s July 2026 report point to the consumer product recalls on the website of SAMR’s Defective Product Recall Technical Center (缺陷产品召回技术中心).
For an Anker, find the model number on the bottom of the power bank, then check the serial number on Anker’s product recalls page.

In July 2025, Shenzhen airport said passengers could hand recalled Anker and Romoss power banks to staff at check-in or security, who would treat them as given up (Yicai).

Anker power bank on a China flight

An Anker power bank can go on a domestic flight in China if it has a clear 3C mark and isn’t from a recalled model or batch.

Anker power banks bought outside China may not have the mark. In an August 2025 r/travelchina thread, one traveler said their Anker from Amazon had only a CE mark. Security for a Beijing to Tokyo flight looked at it and let it through.

Several Anker models were recalled in June 2025. The recall section above lists them and explains how to check yours.

China power bank rules: the QR code

The QR code in China’s power bank rules is a traceability QR code on the CCC mark of newly certified power banks, required from March 2026. SAMR and its Certification and Accreditation Administration announced it in December 2025, Xinhua reported.

From March 2026, newly certified power bank models must carry the QR code before they leave the factory, go on sale or are imported.
From March 2027, after a one-year transition, all newly made certified models in the pilot must carry it.
The code sits to the right of the existing CCC mark.
Scanning it shows whether the product has a CCC certificate and whether the certificate is valid, plus the maker, the model and the certification body.

Whether airport security checks the QR code is not confirmed. HK01, a Hong Kong news site, wrote in February 2026 that power banks without a clear 3C mark and QR code are confiscated. The CAAC notice and the airline pages above don’t mention a QR code. When the new national standard came out in April 2026, a senior engineer at China’s civil aviation dangerous goods transport management center told Xinhua that CCC-certified power banks people already own can still be carried if they meet current rules.

China power bank rules 2026: what changed

The 3C rule for domestic flights didn’t change in 2026. IT Home’s July 2026 report, based on CCTV, describes the same rule as the 2025 notice. These did change:

March 2026: newly certified power banks must carry a traceability QR code next to the CCC mark (Xinhua).
March 27, 2026: ICAO limited passengers to two power banks and banned recharging them in flight (ICAO).
March 28 and 29, 2026: Hong Kong and Macau applied the ICAO limits to departing flights.
April 3, 2026: China published a mandatory national standard for power banks, GB 47372-2026, in force from April 1, 2027. Power banks made to it will show the standard number, an ID number for looking up details such as the battery brand, and a recommended safe service life (Xinhua).

A CAAC notice adopting ICAO’s limit for domestic flights is not confirmed.

Power banks on flights to and from Hong Kong and Macau

The CAAC’s 3C notice names only domestic flights, and the rules for flights leaving Hong Kong and Macau don’t mention the 3C mark. IT Home’s July 2026 report, based on CCTV, says that on international and regional flights, power banks bought abroad that meet the energy limits pass normally.

Leaving Hong Kong:

For all flights departing Hong Kong International Airport, Hong Kong’s Civil Aviation Department (CAD) allows no more than two power banks per passenger, in carry-on bags only, and bans recharging them during the flight. Its circular took effect on March 28, 2026.
Since April 7, 2025, Hong Kong’s own airlines must not let passengers use power banks to charge devices or recharge them in flight, or store them in overhead bins, the CAD said in March 2025.

Leaving Macau:

On March 29, 2026, Macao’s Civil Aviation Authority told Macau International Airport and Air Macau to limit each departing passenger to two power banks in carry-on bags, and to ban charging power banks during flights.

Renting or buying a 3C power bank in China

If your power bank has no 3C mark, you can buy one in China or rent a shared one.

Selling power banks without CCC certification has been illegal in China since August 1, 2024, SAMR says. Check the mark anyway, and check the certificate online if you are unsure, as described in the CCC mark section above. Travelers in 2026 r/travelchina threads mention buying power banks at Xiaomi, Huawei and Miniso stores and at FamilyMart. One reply warned that shops in tourist areas may sell power banks with fake labels.

Shared power banks are rented from stations in malls, restaurants, metro stations, airports, train stations and tourist sites, Shanghai’s government says.

Scan the station’s QR code with your phone.
Pay with WeChat Pay or Alipay.
Return the power bank to any station. Fees depend on how long you keep it, and late returns can cost extra.

Set up a payment app before you go: see Alipay for foreigners and WeChat Pay for foreigners. Whether a rented shared power bank may go on a flight is not confirmed.

China power bank rules: what Reddit travelers say

In r/travelchina threads, most 2026 replies say a power bank without the 3C mark gets taken on domestic flights. Reports on international flights are mixed.

October 2026: a traveler asked about bringing a power bank after one was confiscated at Beijing airport because it showed no information about its power rating. Most replies said a power bank without the 3C mark would be taken on a domestic flight. On international flights, one reply said a flight to Hong Kong was no issue and another said theirs passed at Beijing. Another said Beijing takes them on international flights too, and one said security checked batteries at Guangzhou, Xi’an and Kunming, international or not. One traveler had a confiscated power bank mailed to an address in Beijing.
March 2026: one traveler said both their power bank and their partner’s were confiscated on a flight from Xi’an to Chongqing. Others suggested buying a 3C power bank after arriving, or renting shared ones.
August 2025: one traveler left a power bank without the mark in storage at Guangzhou airport, where it could stay for 7 days.

These are individual reports, not official rules.

FAQ

Can I bring a power bank on a domestic flight in China?

Yes, if it has a clear 3C mark and a clear rated energy (Wh) label, isn't from a recalled model or batch, and is 160 Wh or less. It must go in your carry-on, and anything over 100 Wh needs the airline's approval. China Eastern allows two per passenger.

Do I need a 3C power bank for an international flight from China?

The CAAC notice only covers domestic flights, and a CAAC official told The Paper in June 2025 that flights involving places outside China are outside it. But Yicai reported in July 2025 that some airports also checked for the mark at security for international flights. A power bank with the 3C mark avoids the question.

Can I bring my Anker power bank on a flight in China?

On a domestic flight, only if it has the 3C mark and isn't a recalled model or batch. A power bank sold outside China may carry CE or FCC marks instead of the 3C mark, Executive Traveller reported. Check the model and serial number on Anker's recall page before you fly.

How many power banks can I take on a plane in China?

Carry no more than two. China Eastern allows each passenger two power banks, and so do flights leaving Hong Kong and Macau. Air China's page limits batteries of 100 to 160 Wh to two per passenger. A CAAC rule setting two for all domestic flights is not confirmed.

Can I use a power bank on a plane in China?

No. CAAC rules ban charging devices from a power bank during the flight, and China Eastern and China Southern also ban recharging power banks on board. Keep it switched off, and on China Eastern don't put it in the overhead bin.

What happens if my power bank has no 3C mark at a China airport?

You can't take it on a domestic flight. You can hand it to someone seeing you off, mail it from the airport, store it at the airport or give it up. Beijing Capital stores non-compliant power banks free for 7 calendar days.

Do I need the QR code on my power bank to fly in China?

No official rule we found says so. The CAAC notice and the airline pages don't mention a QR code, and it is only required on models newly certified from March 2026. A senior engineer at China's civil aviation dangerous goods transport management center told Xinhua in April 2026 that CCC-certified power banks people already own can still be carried if they meet current rules.

Can I take a power bank on a train in China?

Yes, if it is 100 Wh or less and its markings are clear. In July 2025, the 12306 railway customer service told Yicai that trains didn't check for the 3C mark.

Should I bring a power bank when travelling to China?

If you will fly within China, bring one with a clear 3C mark, or buy one after you arrive. Selling power banks without CCC certification has been illegal in China since August 1, 2024. You can also rent shared power banks in malls, metro stations and airports with WeChat Pay or Alipay.