Every country has its own set of import restrictions and controlled goods – Singapore is no exception. Furthermore, there are certain import restrictions in Singapore which include items from these main categories.
Many people coming to Singapore to visit or incorporate businesses fail to check if their goods or commodities are restricted, this is very common.
What is the List of Restricted Items & Controlled Goods in Singapore?
Some of the list of restricted items that are most commonly brought into Singapore include:
Check out the full list of controlled and restricted items on the Singapore Customs website!
Governing Bodies to Apply for Import Licenses in Singapore
There are different controlling agencies, depending on the nature of the product that you would be importing. Moreover, these agencies will decide whether to authorize these controlled goods.
Food Items
The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) and the Food Control Department oversee the importation of food items. Furthermore, there are various Acts that govern the importation of such food items:
- Fresh fruits and vegetables – The Plants Act governs these items and requires all packages to be labeled accordingly.
- Processed food – certificate of produced and manufactured products to ensure food safety
- Meat & seafood –The Wholesome Meat and Fish Act governs meat and seafood. All seafood products must be chilled, frozen, or canned.
Videos, Audio Recordings, and Video Games
The Media Development Authority (MDA) is the controlling agency for all media-related importation. Hence, they may request sample videos and audio. Additionally, Singapore law prohibits the inclusion of prohibited or obscene acts in these samples.
Furthermore, the permit, if approved by the MDA, is valid for one year upon renewal.
Guns & Ammunition
The Singapore Police Force requires an Arms and Explosive License for anyone importing such items. All licenses are issued with the condition that the user is of sound mind. The Police Force can revoke these licenses at any time if necessary.
Medications
The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) oversees the importing of pharmaceuticals and medicines. The HSA will issue an Import License for Medicinal Products to importers authorized by product license holders. These importers must comply with HSA’s Good Distribution Practice standard.
The HAS can approve the importation of unregistered medicinal products on a named-patient basis. The importer will have to disclose the product details, importer details as well as patient and physician details. In addition, the importer will also have to maintain records on both the supply and use of unregistered medicinal products.
Plants & Animals
The AVA also controls the importing of plants and animals. Visitors to Singapore bringing plants should have a certification from the country of origin.
The AVA requires an import license to be obtained one month before importing animals or birds, as per the Animals and Birds Act. Those intending to import animals or birds for sale must pay a fee to obtain a permit. Permits are available at no cost for the importation of domestic animals.
Poisonous Substances
Anyone importing poisons for local sale must first obtain a Poison License. The Poison Act requires non-pharmacy operators and visitors to complete a mandatory training session before approving their licenses.
How to Retrieve Restricted Goods in Singapore?
After knowing the controlling agencies, the next step is to apply for licenses and/or permits. Once approved, these are the steps for acquiring your restricted items.
FAQs
No license is required for the importing of toy guns, but a Licensing Officer from the A&E Division of the Singapore Police Force must still inspect and approve the toy guns. The toy guns must not look like real guns – if they do, they will not be approved by said Licensing Officer. All unapproved toy guns will either be disposed of, or re-exported – the choice is up to the importer.
Yes. CITES, which stands for The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora is an international between various countries. Its purpose is to ensure that any international trade in specimens of wild animals and plans does not threaten the survival of those species. An importer looking to import CITES-listed plants or animals, for either personal or commercial purposes, must apply for a CITES import permit. The permit can be obtained from AVA, one week prior to import. When applying for the Singapore CITES import permit, you must also attach a CITES export/re-export permit from the exporting country.
Countries have import restrictions to protect the safety and health of all citizens and foreigners living there. When a government senses danger which may be caused by the importation of an item, it may choose to ban or restrict the importation of such an item. If the imported items may threaten the economic condition of a country, a government may place restrictions which may be made through the trade authorities of both countries involved.
Some imported goods are duty-free, while certain others are subject to import control upon their arrival in Singapore. Chewing gum which is neither medicated nor approved by the Health Science Authority of Singapore (HSA) is prohibited. Singapore also restricts the entry of tobacco or any tobacco products into the country. Although all food items are allowed to brought into Singapore, food for human consumption from certain countries of origin can be restricted.
These, among other controlled goods, should be declared by an importer at the immigration checkpoint upon arrival in Singapore.
