Can I take a power bank on a flight in China?
Yes, if it is for your own use, is not a recalled model or batch, and passes the following checks. On a domestic flight the power bank (充电宝) needs a clear 3C mark. Its energy must be 100 Wh or less, or up to 160 Wh with airline approval. And it goes in your hand luggage or your pocket, not your checked bag, and stays unused during the flight.
On a high-speed train the rule is shorter: clear markings and no more than 100 Wh per power bank. The sections below cover each case and what to do if a power bank is turned away.
Power bank with no 3C mark: will airport security take it?
CAAC (Civil Aviation Administration of China) published an urgent notice on 26 June 2025. From 28 June 2025 it bans passengers from carrying a power bank with no 3C mark, an unclear 3C mark, or a recalled model or batch on domestic flights (境内航班). The notice gives its reasons: power bank fires and smoke on board, recalls by several major brands, and the State Administration for Market Regulation revoking or suspending the 3C certification of several power bank and cell makers.
It also tells airport security to check the power banks passengers carry, and tells airlines and airports to put extra staff at the security check to guide and explain. The Northwest regional office reported that the four provincial-capital airports in its area checked more than 100,000 power banks from 28 to 30 June 2025, and passengers abandoned 33,000 or so.
Bought abroad, or flying an international route
The notice says "domestic flights" and says nothing about power banks bought abroad, international flights or foreign airlines. It does not say that a foreign-bought power bank is exempt either.
On a domestic flight in China, go by the notice's wording: a power bank with no 3C mark, or with an unclear one, is not allowed. If your trip includes an international flight, ask that airline what it applies, because the notice does not answer it.
CAAC's domestic-flight notice does not show what a 3C mark looks like or list which brands, models or batches are recalled. The Guangzhou transport bureau's advice to passengers is to check the certification mark, brand and model before you travel, and to take the power bank out of your bag before the security check so staff can look at it.
How many power banks can I carry, and how do I work out Wh from mAh?
CAAC's 2014 announcement sets the capacity limits. The power bank must be for your own use. It is judged by its rated energy in watt-hours (Wh):
- 100 Wh or less: no airline approval needed.
- Over 100 Wh, up to 160 Wh: allowed only with airline approval, and no more than two power banks per passenger. CAAC's air travel FAQ repeats this and says 160 Wh itself is included.
- Over 160 Wh: banned.
- No Wh marking: banned if the rated energy is not marked and cannot be calculated from other markings on the power bank.
Neither the 2014 announcement nor the 2015 reminder gives a limit on how many power banks of 100 Wh or less you may carry. The two-per-person limit is written for the over 100 Wh, up to 160 Wh band. If you carry several, your airline is the one to ask.
Wh from mAh
If the power bank shows only mAh, divide it by 1000 to get Ah, then multiply by the voltage printed on it: Wh = V x Ah. CAAC's example: 3.7 V and 760 mAh is 0.76 Ah, and 3.7 V x 0.76 Ah = 2.9 Wh.
Markings must be complete and clear. CAAC's 2015 reminder bans a power bank with unclear markings and a power bank carried for any purpose other than your own use.
Can I put a power bank in my checked bag, or use it on the plane?
Checked bag: no. CAAC bans power banks in checked baggage on both its 2014 and 2015 pages. They go in hand luggage or on your person.
Use on board: do not. The two CAAC texts differ slightly. The 2014 announcement says you may not charge electronic devices from a power bank in flight, and a power bank with a switch must stay off throughout. The 2015 reminder is stricter: use of a power bank in flight is banned, full stop. We'd follow the 2015 wording and leave it switched off in your bag. CAAC's 2014 announcement and 2015 reminder do not mention a newer in-flight rule.
For violations, the 2015 reminder says the police handle them "according to the circumstances, under national law". The same rules apply to crew.
Are power banks made before 2024 banned on planes in China?
The CAAC pages on power banks do not mention a production date or a year of manufacture. What they do name is the 3C mark, recalled models or batches, capacity in Wh, clear markings, how you carry the power bank and whether you use it. If a particular airline or airport tells you something else, ask them which rule they are applying.
Can I take a power bank on a Chinese high-speed train?
Yes, within a limit. The National Railway Administration and the Ministry of Public Security published a catalogue of banned and restricted items dated 17 May 2022, in force from 1 July 2022. Under restricted carry-on items it lists power banks and lithium batteries with clear markings, each with rated energy of 100 Wh or less (electric wheelchairs with lithium batteries are the exception).
What the catalogue does not say:
- It sets no limit on the number of power banks.
- It does not mention 3C.
- It lists nothing above 100 Wh, so it gives no allowance for a bigger power bank.
If a power bank is not allowed, the 12306 luggage FAQ says a passenger found carrying prohibited items is refused entry to the station at the boarding station. If it is found on the train, the train hands the dangerous or prohibited item over at the next stop. The station then charges luggage fees on the item's full weight, doubled, for the distance travelled. Suspected crimes go to the police. If a problem at the station costs you your train, the 12306 refund and change fees guide explains what a ticket change or refund costs.
What happens at the airport if my power bank is not allowed?
CAAC's notice tells airports to set up areas where you can abandon (自弃) a power bank or store it temporarily (暂存), with a clear procedure. It does not say which airports have which service or what they charge. The Northwest regional office reported that airports in its area set up storage and abandon points and a courier desk. For 28 to 30 June 2025 it counted 4,800 or so power banks mailed and nearly 900 stored at its four provincial-capital airports.
The airport-level detail on these pages comes from one airport, Guangzhou Baiyun, in July 2025. Treat it as an example, not a rule for every airport.
Guangzhou Baiyun as an example (July 2025 reports)
| Service | Terminal 1 | Terminal 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Storage point (暂存点) | Inside Gate 16, open 24 hours | End of N island, open 24 hours; end of D island, 4:30-23:30 |
| Courier desk (快递收寄点) | Level 1, opposite Gate 22 | Level 3, opposite the international departures security check |
- Storage is free for 7 days. After 7 days the power bank is treated as abandoned. To collect it, call the storage point at least one day ahead.
- A power bank over 160 Wh, or one that is damaged, swollen, leaking, smelly, or has missing or unclear markings, cannot be stored.
- The courier company will not mail a swollen or damaged power bank, or one with bare wires or electrodes.
- Abandoned power banks go to a third-party company for recycling.
The reports do not give the courier price or say whether a power bank can be mailed outside China. For any other airport, ask at the security check or the information desk.
Will the new 3C (CCC) rules for power banks change anything for flights?
On 31 May 2026 the market regulator and the certification authority (CNCA) announced new CCC certification rules for power banks, based on the new mandatory national standard GB 47372-2026. The standard takes effect on 1 April 2027. Until 31 March 2027, certifiers can use either the old or the new rules. Power banks certified under the old rules must convert their certificates before 1 April 2027.
These two pages are about product certification and say nothing about flights. They do not say that existing 3C marks become invalid. For your trip, the rule that matters is still the CAAC notice above.
Flying on to Lhasa, Dunhuang, Sanya, Harbin or Kunming? Those city guides cover what to do once you land.
