Import License Singapore: 3 Checks, Licence or Permit?
Updated: Sep 30
Updated 30 September 2026
If you searched "import license Singapore", the answer for most importers and exporters is a Customs permit, not a general licence. The permit is filed in TradeNet. A licence only comes into it when the goods are controlled, and it then comes from the Competent Authority for that product, before the permit is filed.
This guide covers both sides of the question, the import and export license Singapore traders ask about, and shows which document your goods really need, in what order, and who issues it. It's written for traders with a shipment coming who aren't sure whether they're missing a licence, a permit, or both.
The mix-up has a cost. Wait for a licence your goods never needed and you lose days. Assume the permit is the licence when the goods are controlled, and the application may be delayed or rejected.
Everything below comes from Singapore Customs and the government's own licensing guide. If you'd rather hand the filing to someone, our import and export permit service is where we file the TradeNet permit.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
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In this article |
Do you need an import licence in Singapore?
Usually not the way the search suggests. Singapore Customs asks for a Customs import permit before goods are imported. A licence or approval is needed only if the goods are controlled, and it comes from the Competent Authority that regulates the product.
So the real question isn't "licence or permit". It's whether your goods are controlled.
Customs puts the rule in one line: the permit has to be in place first, ahead of the import itself. Customs says the import and its tax are accounted for through a permit (Singapore Customs, import procedures overview). You file it through TradeNet (Singapore Customs, obtain a Customs import permit).
GoBusiness, the government's licensing portal, lists six steps: activate your Customs Account, determine the HS code, apply for relevant licences, register a declaring agent, apply for Inter-Bank GIRO, then apply for the Customs permit. The licence step is conditional: "if your goods are controlled, you will need to apply for relevant licences from the Competent Authority" (GoBusiness, import, export and transhipment guide).
For ordinary goods, that step drops out. If you're still unsure whether a permit is even needed, read whether you need an import permit in Singapore next to this guide.
What is an import and export licence in Singapore, and who issues it?
People use "licence" for four different documents. They come from different places and apply in different situations. Sorting them is most of the work.
Document | Needed when | Where it comes from |
Customs import permit | Goods are imported and no exemption applies | Singapore Customs, filed in TradeNet |
Customs export permit | Most exports, even though exports carry no duty or GST | Singapore Customs, filed in TradeNet |
Competent Authority licence, approval or certificate | The goods are controlled | The Competent Authority for the product, before the permit is filed |
Strategic Goods Export Permit | The goods fall under the Strategic Goods (Control) Act | Set out in Singapore Customs' export procedures |
Customs Account | Before any import permit application. It's a registration, not a licence | Activated with Singapore Customs after you hold a UEN |
Two rows are easy to miss: exports need a permit too, and the Customs Account, which sounds like an approval, is only the registration that lets you file. Neither is a licence.
Licence, permit or both? How to tell
Don't start from the word "licence". Start from the goods. Three checks, in this order, settle most consignments.
Check whether the goods are controlled. Put the item description, HS code or CA product code into the HS/CA Product Code Checker. Customs says controlled goods need authorisation from the Competent Authority before they may be imported (Singapore Customs, controlled and prohibited goods). Customs' checker lets you check whether an item is controlled, and GoBusiness says a controlled item comes back with its CA code, the authority's contact details and suggested licences.
Check whether two authorities apply. Some items are controlled by more than one. Customs publishes a product code pair list. If your item is on it, both CA product codes go into the TradeNet permit, and an incomplete or missing code may delay the application or get it rejected (Singapore Customs, Competent Authorities' requirements).
Check the exemptions last. Customs lists low-risk situations with no import permit, such as trade samples, specimens for analysis or test, and gifts worth S$400 or less in total, excluding liquor and tobacco (Singapore Customs, types of import permits). That's a list for small, low-risk items. Stock you buy to sell on is a different situation, so ask before you rely on it.
Once you have those answers, this table tells you what to obtain first.
Your situation | Get first | Then |
Importing ordinary, non-controlled goods | UEN, then Customs Account | Customs import permit in TradeNet |
Importing goods the checker marks as controlled | Approval from the Competent Authority | Customs import permit declaring the CA product code |
Exporting locally made or GST-paid goods | Customs export permit before the goods leave | Lodge the cargo after the permit is in place |
Exporting strategic goods | Strategic Goods Export Permit | Submit 5 working days before export (Strategic Trade Scheme individual permit) |
Importing samples or gifts within the exemption | Confirm the exemption applies | Possibly no import permit, unless the goods are liquor or tobacco |
When the answer is both
Controlled goods are where "licence" is a real requirement, and the order matters. The Competent Authority approval comes first, and the Customs permit then declares the CA product code. Customs tells traders to read the authority's requirements, get the approval where one applies, and upload the supporting documents with the TradeNet application (Singapore Customs, Competent Authorities' requirements).
Customs gives a worked example. A cake that's not ready to eat carries a CA product code and is controlled for import by the Singapore Food Agency (Processed Food). A suitcase isn't controlled for import, export or transhipment. Two products, two completely different paths, and you can't tell which is which from the product name alone.
Customs' list of Competent Authorities includes the Health Sciences Authority, the National Environment Agency, the National Parks Board and the Singapore Food Agency, among others. Each sets its own requirements, so this page can't replace the authority's own guidance. What it can do is get you to the right authority before you file.
Some goods can't be imported at all, and no licence changes that. Customs' prohibited list includes chewing gum, apart from oral dental and medicinal gum approved by the Health Sciences Authority, and imitation tobacco products such as electronic cigarettes and vaporisers (Singapore Customs, controlled and prohibited goods). If your goods include liquor, our guide to the alcohol permit and import licence in Singapore covers that case.
Which import regulations in Singapore sit behind the permit?
Every import falls under three laws, says Singapore Customs: the Customs Act, the GST Act and the RIEA, which governs imports and exports. That's why the permit exists even when no licence does. Imports attract GST, duty or both, and Customs needs a permit to account for the import and its tax (Singapore Customs, import procedures overview).
Duty applies to fewer goods than GST. Customs lists four kinds of dutiable goods: intoxicating liquors, tobacco products, motor vehicles and petroleum products. Everything else is non-dutiable and incurs GST only. None of that turns a permit into a licence.
Do you need an export licence in Singapore?
For most exporters, no licence, but yes to a Customs export permit. Singapore Customs requires the permit before the goods leave, and exports themselves carry no duty or GST (Singapore Customs, export procedures overview).
The permit covers, among others, locally manufactured or GST-paid goods, goods from a Free Trade Zone, goods under the Major Exporter Scheme, and goods temporarily exported for re-import. A handful of low-risk items can leave without one: parcel post, documents, and samples, test specimens or gifts worth S$400 or less in total. Dutiable or controlled goods still need a permit whatever their value (Singapore Customs, permit exemptions).
One export document does behave like a licence: the Strategic Goods Export Permit. It applies to goods that fall under the Strategic Goods (Control) Act. Customs says strategic goods on an individual permit under the Strategic Trade Scheme should be submitted 5 working days before export. Everything else is filed before export, and Customs' stated practice is before cargo lodgement with the sea port operators for sea exports, and with the air cargo ground handling agents for air exports.
Some movements have their own permit instead of the standard one. If your goods are moving on, passing through or being carried by a traveller, see our pages for the re-export permit, transhipment permit, shut-out permit and hand carry permit. Businesses that re-export much of what they import should also look at the Major Exporter Scheme.
Need help with a permit or customs clearance? Talk to a Declaration Nexus declaring agent on WhatsApp for a quick answer. or call +65 6589 8122 · email enquiry@declarationnexus.com |
How long does each document take?
The two clocks differ by a wide margin. In an AskGov answer dated 26 February 2025, Customs said more than 99% of permit applications and amendments submitted through TradeNet are processed within 10 minutes (AskGov, Singapore Customs). Customs says gaps in the information or documents can slow down processing of the application.
Competent Authority approvals run on their own schedules. One example: the police licensing division for certain controlled items normally turns applications around inside 5 working days, and it says it can't speed a case up when asked (Singapore Customs, Singapore Police Force requirements). Each Competent Authority sets its own requirements.
The permit also has a shelf life. Import permits that pay duty or GST, and those that suspend it, typically stay valid for 9 working days from the approval date (Singapore Customs, permit validity). Customs says to obtain the approval before submitting the permit application. For the full timeline, see how long customs clearance takes in Singapore.
Import license Singapore: what to set up before your first permit
The "application" people search for is really a one-time setup. A typical order, drawn from Singapore Customs and GoBusiness, looks like this.
Get a UEN. Customs says to register with ACRA or the relevant UEN issuance agency first.
Activate your Customs Account. Customs says no import permit application can be submitted without it.
Find the HS code. GoBusiness says every item you import, export or tranship needs an HS code. Our guide to getting the HS code chain right shows where mistakes creep in.
Decide who files. Appoint a declaring agent, or register as one yourself and apply for a TradeNet User ID (Singapore Customs, obtain a Customs import permit).
Arrange payment. GoBusiness lists Inter-Bank GIRO for duties, taxes and fees as step five, ahead of the permit.
None of that is a licence. It's registration. Once it's done, each shipment needs a permit, plus a Competent Authority approval where the goods are controlled.
Where the "licence" idea comes from
The phrase "Singapore import license" suggests one document every business must hold. It's a tidy idea, and it doesn't match how Singapore Customs describes the process. Customs describes a permit filed through TradeNet, and reserves licences and approvals for controlled goods, which need Competent Authority authorisation.
The mix-up can send traders in two directions. Some wait for an import license Singapore rules never asked them for. Others, with controlled goods, treat the permit as the licence, skip the Competent Authority, and see the application delayed or rejected for a missing approval or product code.
A second habit follows from the same confusion: printing everything. For sea imports, Customs says you don't need to show the permit or supporting papers at the inward checkpoint. Air and land imports are different, and there you do present documents. For containerised cargo, the permit application must declare the container number and the shipper seal number (Singapore Customs, documents for clearance of goods).
What goes wrong when the two are mixed up?
Four problems are worth catching before the shipment moves.
A controlled product goes in without its CA product code. The application may be delayed or rejected. Our guide to a TradeNet permit rejected in Singapore covers what to do next.
The Competent Authority approval arrives late. Customs says to get the approval before you submit the permit application, so the shipment waits on the slower of the two documents. How long customs clearance takes in Singapore explains which clock is which.
The wrong permit is filed for the movement. Customs' own checklist asks you to settle the movement type: whether the goods stay for local use, go into storage, enter temporarily, leave again or are destroyed. See how to amend or cancel a permit.
The goods are described in shorthand. Customs Circular 09/2025 says the goods description should clearly indicate the goods, and that the official HS code and CA product descriptions must not be shortened. Permit and invoice should tell the same story.
Every one of these is a paperwork problem, and each is easier to deal with before the shipment moves.
Who files the permit: you or a declaring agent?
Either can. Singapore Customs offers two routes: appoint a declaring agent, or register as one yourself and apply for a TradeNet User ID. The trade-off between the two is set out in filing your own TradeNet permits or using a declaring agent.
Freight forwarder vs declaring agent explains how the two set-ups differ. What customs clearance actually costs covers the fees. For a closer look at the permit itself, see import permit declarations in Singapore and obtaining a cargo clearance permit.
Not sure if your goods are controlled? WhatsApp the declaration desk on +65 8786 3987 with the product description or the supplier's invoice. |
Questions about your permit? Talk to us
Declaration Nexus is a Singapore customs broker and declaring agent. We prepare and file the TradeNet permit.
Send us the product description, the HS code if you have one, and the supplier's invoice, and tell us what you're trying to work out. We'll tell you what we can do for you.
Reach us on WhatsApp at +65 8786 3987 or through the contact page. If your import license Singapore question is still open after this guide, you can send it to us there.
We can't promise an approval, a release date, or that any authority will grant a licence, and no price is quoted on this page. You can also browse all our customs permit services.
Need a declaring agent in Singapore?
Speak to a Declaration Nexus declaring agent about your next permit or clearance. Call: +65 6589 8122 WhatsApp: +65 8786 3987 Email: enquiry@declarationnexus.com Office: 60 Paya Lebar Road, Unit 07-54 Paya Lebar Square, Singapore 409051 |
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Frequently asked questions
Do I need an import license in Singapore?
Not a general one. You need a Customs import permit, filed through TradeNet. A licence or approval is needed only when your goods are controlled, and it comes from the Competent Authority for that product.
How do I apply for an import and export licence in Singapore?
There's no single application form, which is the honest answer to "how to apply import license in Singapore". You get a UEN, activate your Customs Account, check the HS code, obtain any Competent Authority approval for controlled goods, then file the permit in TradeNet yourself or through a declaring agent.
Do I need an export licence in Singapore?
Usually a Customs export permit, not a licence. Exports carry no duty or GST but still need a permit before the goods leave. Strategic goods need a Strategic Goods Export Permit, and for individual permits under the Strategic Trade Scheme Customs says to submit 5 working days before export.
Which agencies issue import licences in Singapore?
The Competent Authority that controls the product. Customs' list of Competent Authorities includes the Health Sciences Authority, the National Environment Agency, the National Parks Board and the Singapore Food Agency. The HS/CA Product Code Checker shows which one covers your item. That covers import export licenses in Singapore for controlled goods.
Can I import goods without a permit?
Only in the low-risk situations Customs lists, such as trade samples, specimens for analysis or test, and gifts worth S$400 or less in total, excluding liquor and tobacco. Goods bought to sell on are a different case, so check before you ship.
Is a Customs Account the same as a licence?
No. It's the registration you activate after getting a UEN, and Customs requires it before any import permit application. It lets you file. It doesn't approve any goods.
Will a declaring agent apply for the licence for me?
A declaring agent files the TradeNet permit. Whether an agent also handles a Competent Authority application varies, so ask any agent, before you appoint one, exactly what's included. At Declaration Nexus, we file the permit.
This article summarises publicly available guidance from Singapore Customs and GoBusiness as at the date above. It's general information, not legal advice, and each Competent Authority sets its own requirements.
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PUBLISHED BY Declaration Nexus Team Declaring agent and customs broker at Paya Lebar Square, Singapore |
WRITTEN BY · SEO & GEO BY  SingRank Team Written by the SingRank Team together with the Declaration Nexus team. SEO & GEO by SingRank.com · singrank.agency |
Last updated 30 September 2026. Have a customs question? WhatsApp the Declaration Nexus team at +65 8786 3987. |
