🇸🇬How to import into Singapore
To import into Singapore, most goods clear customs freely, but specific sectors need a permit, product registration or import licence from a named regulator before the shipment lands. A legitimate importer of those goods holds the current document, ask for it and check it at the source.
Importing into Singapore: the basics
- Customs identity: UEN with Customs Account, plus an import permit
- Every shipment needs a TradeNet import permit filed against the importer's Customs Account. Singapore Customs
- Import tax at the border
- Standard GST in Singapore is 9%, charged on goods plus freight plus duty. IRAS Singapore Duty depends on the product's HS code, so we do not state a rate: look it up in TradeNet / Singapore Customs , then put both into the landed-cost calculator.
- Documents that travel with the shipment
- Commercial invoice · Packing list · Transport document (CMR, bill of lading or air waybill) · Customs declaration, filed by you or your broker · Proof of origin, when claiming a preferential duty rate
- Incoterms a small supplier will actually agree to: EXW or FCA
- Small and artisan producers normally sell EXW (you collect at their workshop) or FCA (they hand the goods to your carrier). Expect to arrange freight, insurance and customs clearance yourself, or through a forwarder. DAP and DDP shift carriage and import formalities onto the seller, and a small maker will usually decline them: under DDP the seller must even be able to pay import taxes in your country. Larger exporters more often quote FOB or CIF for sea freight. Compare all Incoterms.
- Worth knowing before the first shipment
- Singapore levies almost no import duty; GST on imports is the main border charge.
- Duty applies only to four categories: intoxicating liquors, tobacco, motor vehicles and petroleum products.
Reviewed 2026-07-21. Factual pointers to public rules, not legal advice; confirm with customs or a broker before shipping.
Sector import rules
These sectors carry their own import requirement in Singapore. For each, a legitimate importer holds the document named below, issued by the named regulator. Ask for it, then verify it at the source.
- medical devicesRegistration required
product registration from the Health Sciences Authority (HSA).
Importer must register the device on the Singapore Medical Device Register (SMDR) via the MEDICS portal.
Official source - pharmaceuticalsImport permit required
import licence from the Health Sciences Authority (HSA).
Importer must hold a Therapeutic Product Importer's Licence and ensure the product is registered in the HSA registry.
Official source - telecom/radio equipmentImport permit required
conformity certificate from the Info-communications Media Development Authority (IMDA).
Importer must apply for an IMDA Telecommunication Equipment Dealer's License and complete product registration.
Official source
This is a factual pointer to public rules, not legal advice, and the list is not exhaustive.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need a licence to import into Singapore?
- It depends on the product. General goods clear Singapore customs without a sector licence, but regulated sectors (medical devices, pharmaceuticals, telecom/radio equipment) require a specific permit, registration or licence from the regulator named on this page.
- How do I check an importer in Singapore is allowed to bring in my product?
- Ask the buyer for the import permit or product-registration number for the sector, then confirm it with the named regulator. A genuine importer of regulated goods already holds one; a buyer who cannot produce it may not clear customs.
- Is importing a specific product into Singapore ever banned?
- Most sectors are permitted with the right licence or registration. Always confirm the current rule with the named regulator before shipping.
- What do I need to clear customs in Singapore?
- A business importing into Singapore needs a UEN with Customs Account, plus an import permit. Every shipment needs a TradeNet import permit filed against the importer's Customs Account. A normal commercial shipment also travels with: commercial invoice, packing list, transport document (cmr, bill of lading or air waybill), customs declaration, filed by you or your broker, proof of origin, when claiming a preferential duty rate.
- How much tax do I pay importing into Singapore?
- Standard GST in Singapore is 9%, charged on the goods plus freight plus duty. Customs duty depends on the product's HS code, so there is no single rate: look yours up in TradeNet / Singapore Customs, then add both to the goods and freight to get the landed cost.
- Which Incoterms will a small supplier agree to?
- Usually EXW or FCA. Small and artisan producers normally sell EXW (you collect at their workshop) or FCA (they hand the goods to your carrier). Expect to arrange freight, insurance and customs clearance yourself, or through a forwarder. DAP and DDP shift carriage and import formalities onto the seller, and a small maker will usually decline them: under DDP the seller must even be able to pay import taxes in your country. Larger exporters more often quote FOB or CIF for sea freight.
Singapore suppliers by sector
Manufacturers and wholesalers based in Singapore, with the open-record facts we hold on each and a link to the free public source behind them.
Importing for the first time? Read the first-time importer sequence (country choice, maker checks, landed cost, a survivable first order). Sourcing from a specific country? Get the lane answer, sanctions, tariffs and VAT in one place: can Singapore buy from that country?