Import Chemicals into Singapore: Licence First, Then Permit
To import chemicals into Singapore, the customs permit is the last step, not the first. Find the HS code, check which Competent Authority controls the chemical, and get that authority's licence. Only then is the TradeNet import permit filed, and it must be in place before the goods arrive (Singapore Customs).
A declaring agent can make that permit application on your behalf (Singapore Customs). Declaration Nexus works in Singapore as a customs broker and declaring agent, and our part is the TradeNet permit itself: see import and export permit declarations.
We checked these rules against pages from Singapore Customs, NEA, SCDF and AskGov on 31 October 2026.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
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In this article |
Key takeaways
Is your chemical controlled? Start with the HS code
Start with the 8-digit HS code. AskGov's advice is to look that code up in the HS/CA Product Code Checker and note which Competent Authorities it lists (AskGov). Where a product is controlled, the checker shows the authority in its Import, Export or Transhipment column. Customs adds that its classifications are for general reference only (Customs).
Customs puts it as the first step: classify the product, then use its HS code to see whether it is controlled and by which authority (Customs).
For chemicals, Customs has a Guidebook that walks you, step by step, through placing chemicals and chemical products under the HS codes in STCCED (Customs). See getting the HS code chain right, and for other goods, which authority controls your product.
NEA: hazardous substances need a licence before import
The Environmental Protection and Management Act (EPMA) requires anyone who imports, sells or exports a hazardous substance that the Act controls to hold NEA's Hazardous Substances Licence first (NEA).
The check is made ingredient by ingredient. Before filing, the declarant takes any item under an HS code that NEA's Chemical Control and Management Department (CCMD) controls and compares its ingredients with Part I of the Second Schedule to the EPMA. A single match means the importer must hold a valid licence from NEA, and the licence number goes in the permit's "Licence Number" field (Customs).
Customs gives a worked example: a product that is 55% Fenthion. Fenthion falls under the EPMA, so the permit declares product code PCDFEN115 and the 55 goes in "CA/SC Code 1" (Customs). One listed ingredient is enough.
You apply for the licence online through GoBusiness. Among NEA's conditions, the applicant has to show the substances will be kept safely at an approved location, and must hold a pass in the Management of Hazardous Substances Course, run by accredited training providers (NEA). The company name and UEN must match your ACRA filing (NEA).
Three points then decide the permit:
The substance must be on your licence. CCMD will only approve the import when the importer's licence names that substance, along with its other conditions (NEA).
Quantity per trip. The permit states the maximum quantity per trip, in kilograms, in "CA/SC Code 2". A load over the per-trip limits set in the EPM(HS) Regulations' Schedule needs a transport approval from CCMD (Customs). NEA says those limits range from 0 kg, for highly toxic chemicals like organochlorine pesticides, up to 1000 kg, for corrosives like sulphuric acid (NEA).
The same item name. What you type into TradeNet as the item name has to match the name on the licence (HSL) and the transport approval (TA) exactly. Both must also be valid (NEA).
On timing, the Customs page gives five working days for permit processing, counted once every required document is in (Customs). That is the permit. The NEA pages we checked give no processing time for the licence.
SCDF: petroleum and flammable materials
At import, petroleum and flammable materials (P&FM) fall to SCDF (Customs). SCDF's rule is that bringing in regulated P&FM, scheduled chemicals included, above the exemption quantities needs an SCDF import licence. Flammable liquids under 20 litres are one of the exemptions. Scheduled chemicals have none: any amount needs the licence (SCDF).
SCDF regulates Class 0, I and II petroleum. In Class III, diesel is the one product that needs a licence. A mixture with a flashpoint above 60°C is exempt, as long as it holds no scheduled chemical. The same condition covers listed products such as insecticides and pesticides, paints and lubricants (SCDF).
Where to apply: two official pages word this differently. SCDF's page sends P&FM Import Licence applicants to the "GoBusiness Portal" (SCDF). The Customs SCDF page, last updated 23 February 2026, says to apply online on the "SCDF website" (Customs). SCDF issues the licence, so we follow SCDF's page.
Once payment is made, SCDF gives its outcome on the same day if the submission is in order. The importer also has to declare a valid P&FM storage licence, at least one, for premises licensed to hold the goods being imported (SCDF). Only after that licence is issued does the TradeNet application for the cargo clearance permit follow (Customs).
One caution: SCDF's list exempts these products from the P&FM licence (SCDF), not from NEA's separate ingredient check described above.
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 |
Chemical Weapons Convention chemicals: Singapore Customs as NA(CWC)
Singapore Customs also acts as the Chemical Weapons Convention's National Authority in Singapore, NA(CWC), and is the country's focal point for every CWC matter (Customs). This is not only about rare substances. Customs notes that Schedule 3 chemicals are used widely in commerce (Customs).
Importing a CWC-controlled item needs a valid CWC licence. On top of that, each shipment of a CWC scheduled chemical needs its own approved import permit (Customs). Not every mixture is caught: quantity and purity thresholds decide when a licence or permit applies (Customs).
One case Customs lists as needing no CWC licence: a mixture that is 30% or less Schedule 3 chemical, imported or exported where the other country is a CWC Member State. Licence holders still have to apply for their import and export permits before the chemical actually moves (Customs).
If you cannot tell whether your product is controlled, Customs asks for a Product Enquiry Form, sent with the Safety Data Sheet and Certificate of Analysis (Customs).
Want a quote for your declarations? Ask a Declaration Nexus declaring agent on WhatsApp. or call +65 6589 8122 · email enquiry@declarationnexus.com |
One chemical, two authorities: the product code pair rule
Since 21 August 2023, three bodies have regulated 47 scheduled CWC chemicals together: Singapore Customs, NEA and SCDF (Customs). For those chemicals, one licence may not be the whole answer.
Customs is direct about it. When an item appears on the product code pair list, the TradeNet permit application has to carry both CA product codes (Customs). The CWC page applies the same logic to licence numbers: give the NA(CWC) licence number, and where another Competent Authority also controls the item, give both (Customs).
Our view: this is the step a single-agency answer misses. If you hold one licence, check the pair list before you place the order. The permit needs both codes, and for a CWC chemical, both licence numbers.
Chemical import route: which authority, which licence, what the permit carries
Authority | What brings it in | Licence first | What the permit carries | Timing the authority states |
NEA (CCMD) | An EPMA Second Schedule Part I ingredient, under a CCMD-controlled HS code | Hazardous Substances Licence; transport approval above the per-trip limits | Licence number, CCMD product code, composition ("CA/SC Code 1"), maximum quantity per trip ("CA/SC Code 2"), item name as on the HSL and TA | Permit: within five working days of complete documents (Customs) |
SCDF | Regulated P&FM above exemption quantities; any scheduled chemical | P&FM Import Licence; a valid P&FM storage licence declared | Cargo clearance permit, applied for with the valid import licence | Licence: outcome the same day after payment, when in order (SCDF) |
Singapore Customs as NA(CWC) | A CWC scheduled chemical above the thresholds and purities | CWC licence | NA(CWC) licence number (both, if another CA controls it), chemical name in the description, purity ("CA/SC Code 1") | Permit: within 2 working days of complete documents (Customs) |
Two authorities | Item on the product code pair list | Each authority's approval, where applicable | Both CA product codes | Each authority's own |
If the checker names no authority in the Import column, no import control shows for that code, and Customs still treats the HS code as a guide (Customs). For clearance once a permit is filed, see how long customs clearance takes.
What the TradeNet permit needs once the licence exists
Your TradeNet permit application has to meet the specific requirements of each CA involved. Where CA approval applies, you obtain it, and you upload the supporting documents with the application (Customs). Which documents depends on what each Competent Authority asks for (AskGov).
Before your supplier ships:
Get the 8-digit HS code and run it through the checker.
Check the composition against NEA's EPMA list, SCDF's P&FM list and the CWC schedules.
Check the product code pair list.
Hold each licence in your company's name, with the item name you will declare.
Have the numbers ready: licence numbers, product codes, concentration, quantity per trip, the Safety Data Sheet and the invoice.
File the permit before the goods arrive.
Step 6 is the part Declaration Nexus handles. We put the TradeNet import permit together from the licence numbers and item details in the approvals your company holds, then submit it: see our import permit filing service and writing the goods description in TradeNet.
To file the permit yourself, see filing your own permits or using a declaring agent.
Send us the details
As a Singapore customs broker and declaring agent, Declaration Nexus handles the TradeNet permit filing. Once your Competent Authority licence or approval is in place, send us:
the product name, and the name on its Safety Data Sheet;
the HS code, if you have it;
the NEA, SCDF or NA(CWC) licence or approval numbers you hold;
the supplier's invoice.
We'll review your documents and tell you what we need before we file.
Ask Declaration Nexus on WhatsApp (+65 8786 3987), see import and export permit filing, or contact the declaration desk.
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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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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 | Import / Export Permit · most relevant Price: request a quote Permit applications for goods imported into or exported from Singapore. |
 | Price: request a quote Permits for cargo transferred through Singapore between vessels or transport modes. |
 | Price: request a quote Permits and paperwork when cargo cannot be loaded onto its intended vessel. |
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Frequently asked questions
How can I find out if my chemical is controlled for import?
Start with the 8-digit HS code. Look it up in the HS/CA Product Code Checker, which AskGov points to for finding the Competent Authorities involved (AskGov). If the product is controlled, the result names the authority in the Import column. Treat the HS code as a guide: Customs says the classifications it provides are for general reference only (Customs).
What is the difference between prohibited and controlled chemicals?
Prohibited goods may not enter Singapore for local consumption at all (AskGov). Controlled goods can be imported, but only once the Competent Authority has authorised them, whether by advance notification, a licence or a certificate approval (Customs). The permit comes after that.
I am not sure of the HS code. Where can I check it?
Use the official routes. Singapore Customs publishes a Guidebook that takes you step by step through classifying chemicals and chemical products by HS code (Customs). For CWC status, NA(CWC) takes a Product Enquiry Form with the Safety Data Sheet and Certificate of Analysis (Customs). Once the code and any licence are settled, we can file the permit.
Can you file the import permit for us?
Yes. We prepare and file the TradeNet import permit, using the licence numbers and item details you supply from the NEA, SCDF or NA(CWC) licence or approval your company holds. Send us the details listed above, and we'll review your documents and tell you what we need before we file.
These rules are set by Singapore Customs, NEA and SCDF and can change: check the linked official page before your supplier ships.
Related guides
PUBLISHED BY Declaration Nexus Team Declaring agent and customs broker at Paya Lebar Square, Singapore |
Have a customs question? WhatsApp the Declaration Nexus team at +65 8786 3987. |
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 5 November 2026. Have a customs question? WhatsApp the Declaration Nexus team at +65 8786 3987. |
