Smartphones have become daily companions nowadays. This applies not only in everyday life but also when travelling. And since a charged battery is particularly important for navigation to the airport, mobile boarding passes, etc., many of us carry a power bank – a portable battery that can charge a smartphone on the go.
However, anyone planning to travel through China in the near future needs to be careful. Since June 28, 2025, a new regulation (translation) has come into effect regarding the carrying of portable batteries in hand luggage. According to this regulation, power banks are only permitted if they have a 3C certification. This stands for China Compulsory Certification and is essentially China’s equivalent of the European CE label.
The regulation states:
A few days ago, in order to effectively protect the safety of aviation operation, the CAA issued an urgent notice, since 28 June, passengers are prohibited from carrying rechargeable power banks without 3C marking, unclear 3C marking, or recalled models or batches on domestic flights.
Civil Aviation Administration of China, translated with DeepL
This is now causing problems. That’s because this certification has only existed since 2023 and is hardly found on any products sold here. In other words, there is a very high chance that your power bank will be confiscated when travelling through China. For example, on Reddit, there is a photo showing piles of power banks that were seized at security checks.
From my own experience, Chinese security has always examined my power bank very carefully in the past. Usually, they checked that the battery capacity did not exceed 100 Wh. In the future, they will likely scrutinise equally closely to check for the CCC logo.
Is my power bank allowed?
At the moment, the chances of buying a power bank with the required certification here are apparently very slim. The logo looks like this and would need to be engraved or printed somewhere on the power bank:
On my Baseus power bank, which I bought brand new in June 2025, I could not find the logo. Its capacity of just under 37 Wh would not be an issue, but no logo = no carrying it on the plane:
Officially, the rule only applies to domestic flights within China. However, it is conceivable that Chinese security may also refuse to allow it on international departures. Carrying power banks in checked luggage is also prohibited.
Translated by Ditmar
Cover Picture: Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash