1 CUSTOMS REQUIREMENTS CONCERNING CARGO AND OTHER ARTICLES
1.1 The following supporting documents: Airway Bill, Commercial Invoice, Packing List together with Customs Permits [for all goods including controlled goods, dutiable goods and goods subject to Goods and Services Tax (GST)] are to be produced if they are required for checks by Immigration and Checkpoints Authority officers at the checkpoint.
1.2 The following are applicable to the Free Trade Zone (FTZ):
- Transhipment within the same FTZ (In Through Airway Bill cases), no Customs documentation is required if the items are not controlled by the Competent Authorities (CAs);
- Transhipment of controlled goods within the same FTZ (In Through Airway Bill cases), a transshipment (Through transshipment within the same FTZ) permit is required; and
- Import for re-export within the same FTZ (In Non-Through Airway Bill cases) without storage, an import for re-export permit is required for the importation and exportation of the goods; and
- For the temporary storage of imported goods (excluding liquors and tobacco) in the Free Trade Zones, pending re-export to another destination or pending local release, an import permit is required. Subsequently for exportation, an export permit is required to be taken up.
1.3 Under the Strategic Goods (Control) Act (SGCA), goods in transhipment or transit are subject to controls under the full control list. No clearance documents are required for strategic goods in transhipment or transit which are taken into a FTZ immediately after they have been brought into Singapore and stay in the FTZ for not more than 45-days (for sea) / 21-days (for air) except for certain categories of goods. For transhipment and transit of certain sensitive strategic goods (listed under the Fourth and Fifth Schedule of the SGCR) and goods that are intended or likely to be used for nuclear, chemical or biological weapon purposes, or missiles capable of delivering such weapons (i.e. catch-all for WMD purposes), a strategic good permit is still required. Depending on the conditions stated in the permits, these goods may be required to be presented for Customs clearance at the checkpoint.
1.4 For the exportation of dutiable goods from a Licensed Warehouse, or non-dutiable goods from a Zero-GST Warehouse, Customs outward permits and goods are to be presented for checkpoint inspection and clearance.
1.5 For the importation and exportation of controlled goods, depending on the Competent Authorities’(CA) requirements, these goods may be required to be presented for Customs clearance at the checkpoint. For more information on the list of Controlled and Prohibited Goods for the importation and exportation of goods, please visit the respective pages on the Singapore Customs website. You may also refer to the Strategic Goods and the United Nations Security Council Sanctions webpages for more information on the relevant topics.
2 REQUIREMENTS FOR ANIMALS, BIRDS, PLANTS, VETERINARY BIOLOGICS, ORNAMENTAL FISH, CITES AND THEIR PRODUCTS
2.1 Prior permission of the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) is required for import, export or transshipment of:
- Animals, birds for the purpose of rearing and slaughter for human consumption, animal feed for food producing animals, eggs and egg products, meat and meat products (including canned or processed meat).
- Fish and aquatic animals (for rearing as food and for human consumption, fisheries products (in all forms).
- Fruits and vegetables.
- Processed food products and food contact articles.
More information can be obtained from the SFA website: https://www.sfa.gov.sg/food-import-export
2.2 Prior permission of the Animal & Veterinary Service (AVS) is required for import, export or transshipment of:
- Animals and animal products (including veterinary biologics,pet food and fertilizers containing animal products), birds, plants ornamental fish.
2.3 Prior permission of the Animal & Veterinary Service (AVS) is also required for export of:
- Animals and birds
- Ornamental fish
2.4 Prior permission of the National Parks Board (NParks) is required for the import of:
- Plants and propagatable plant parts including cuttings, seeds and bulbs with or without potting medium, organic fertilisers of plant origin, live insects and microorganisms.
2.5 In the case of live animals, prior permission is also required for animals in transit. No prior permission required for transshipment of plants and plant products.
2.6 Prior permission of the Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS) is required for the import, export and re-export of all species of animals and plants, including their parts or derivatives protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
3 REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO ARMS AND EXPLOSIVES
3.1 Arms, explosives and explosives precursors are items regulated under the Arms & Explosives Act, Chapter 13. Under the said Act, any import or export of any of these items will require a licence from the Police Licensing & Regulatory Department (PLRD). For avoidance of any doubt, any transhipment (i.e. import of goods into Singapore on one conveyance and moved to another conveyance for the sole purpose of export to any place outside of Singapore) would similarly require an import and export licence respectively.
4 REQUIREMENTS FOR THE CARRIAGE OF DANGEROUS GOODS IN AIRCRAFT
4.1 DANGEROUS GOODS
4.1.1 Regulation 5(1) of Air Navigation (92-Carriage of Dangerous Goods) Regulations 2022 states that an operator of an aircraft must not load or carry any dangerous goods as cargo on its aircraft unless the operator of the aircraftt has been granted a dangerous goods permit by CAAS and in accordance with any conditions which CAAS may impose. This requirement applies to all aircraft operated for the purpose of commercial air transport flying to or from the Republic of Singapore, and without an authorisation granted under regulation 14 of Air Navigation (121-Commercial Air Transport by Large Aeroplanes) Regulations 2018 or regulation 14 of Air Navigation (135-Commercial Air Transport by Helicopters and Small Aeroplanes) Regulations 2018.
4.1.2 Where an operator of an aircraft has diplomatic clearance from the Government of Singapore to land the aircraft in Singapore, the operator is not required, for the period of time that the diplomatic clearance is valid, to obtain a dangerous goods permit.
4.1.3 A dangerous goods permit, if granted, is subject to compliance with Annex 18 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation and the latest edition of the ICAO Technical Instructions relating to the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air.
4.1.4 Operators of aircraft that wish to carry dangerous goods as cargo should submit their online application for a dangerous goods permit via the Enterprise Safety Oversight Management System (eSOMS) at
https://esoms.caas.gov.sg/esoms/landingpage.html. Applications should be submitted at least 7 working days prior to the intended date of carriage of the dangerous goods cargo. New applicants may write to Dangerous Goods Section, Flight Standards Division, CAAS (email:
CAAS_dangerousgoods@caas.gov.sg), to request for an eSOMS account.
5 REPORTING OF DANGEROUS GOODS ACCIDENT/INCIDENT
5.1 Regulation 24(1) of Air Navigation (92-Carriage of Dangerous Goods) Regulations 2022 requires the operator of an aircraft to report to the Director-General of Civil Aviation:
- any dangerous goods accident or incident involving any aircraft that lands in or departs from Singapore; or
- the finding of undeclared or misdeclared dangerous goods in cargo, mail or passenger’s baggage that originate from or destined for Singapore, or are in transit in Singapore.
Operators are required to submit this report to CAAS in the quickest available means within 24 hours of the occurrence coming to the knowledge of the person making the report.
5.2 All dangerous goods occurrence reports will be administered through the CAAS’ reporting system known as the Singapore Aviation Accident / Incident Reporting System (SAIRS). Such reports are to be made using CAAS AW139 form, also known as the SAIRS Form. For the reporting of dangerous goods occurrences, only Part 4 of CAAS AW139 form needs to be completed. The form is available on the CAAS website and can be downloaded at the following link:
https://www.caas.gov.sg/operations-safety/safety-reporting/singapore-aviation-accident-incident-reporting-system 5.3 All written reports using Part 4 of CAAS AW139 form should be made by the air operator or it’s agent and submitted via email to
caas_dfirs@caas.gov.sg.