Which Products Require Cargo Declaration in Singapore?
Updated: Oct 25
Updated 30 September 2026
Every import, export and transhipment needs a permit, and some products also need approval from a Competent Authority (CA) first. Customs tells traders to use the product's HS code as a guide to whether it is controlled and by whom. Customs' HS/CA Product Code Checker shows which authority, if any, controls it. For cargo declaration in Singapore, that check comes before you file, and before the purchase order if you can.
This guide is for owners about to buy or ship stock. It answers one thing: whether a product needs an extra approval, and from whom. If you would rather hand the filing to a declaring agent, our import and export permit service is where we file the TradeNet permit. The cargo declaration services page lists the other permit types we file.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
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In this article |
Key takeaways
Customs' rule is that every import, export and transhipment is covered by the relevant permit.
Controlled goods need authorisation from a Competent Authority before they may be imported.
The Checker shows whether an item is controlled, which CA product code applies and which authority controls it.
When an item is on the product code pair list, both CA product codes go into the TradeNet application. Missing or incomplete codes may delay it or get it rejected.
HSA's page says cosmetic products and health supplements are currently not subject to HSA's licensing or approval requirements before importation.
Some goods cannot be imported at all, such as e-cigarettes and chewing gum (HSA approved oral dental and medicinal chewing gum excluded).
Your supplier is ready to ship. Does your product need more than a permit?
Check the HS code before anything else. Every other step in this guide depends on it. Customs asks for three steps before you submit a permit application for controlled items:
Find the HS code and the authority. Classify the product into the correct Harmonised System (HS) code. Use that code to see whether the product is controlled and who regulates it.
Check for a second authority. The Checker has downloadable lists for this. If your item is on the product code pair list, both CA product codes go into the permit application.
Get the approval before you file. Read the authority's requirements, obtain the approval where it applies, and upload the supporting documents with the TradeNet application.
Customs notes that an application with missing documents or incomplete information may be delayed.
Not sure whether you need a licence, a permit or both? Our licence vs permit guide walks through the decision.
What is a custom declaration in Singapore, and where do you file it?
Customs describes this step as preparing your permit application and submitting it through TradeNet. Its import pages say every import permit application goes through TradeNet, either with front-end software from an approved vendor or with the Government Front-End Application. Customs says you or your declaring agent use these channels to submit import declarations and get approval notices.
If you are looking for a declaration form, that is the route Customs gives for import permits. Customs requires the relevant permits to cover every import, export and transhipment, and says you can appoint a declaring agent or register as a declaring agent yourself.
How do you check one product?
Customs says you can check using the description of the goods, the HS code or the CA product code. It gives two examples of what comes back.
Item | HS code | What Customs' example shows |
Cakes | 19059030 | Controlled. CA product description: "Cake, not elsewhere specified, not ready to eat". Controlled by the Singapore Food Agency (Processed Food) for import. |
Leather suitcases or briefcases, up to 56cm x 45cm x 25cm | 42021110 | Not controlled for import, export and transhipment. |
The two examples land on opposite sides of the line, so check each product line separately. Don't rely on a supplier's assurance that an item "ships to Singapore all the time". The Checker and the authority's own page are Customs' route for confirming it.
Which Products Require Cargo Declaration in Singapore? Match Yours to Its Authority
The Competent Authorities are listed on Customs' overview page, which was last updated on 28 September 2026. Its own pages describe what these five regulate.
Your product | Authority | What Customs' page says it covers |
Food, produce, meat, fish, rice | Fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, rice and livestock, plus animal products, preserved eggs, processed food and food appliances. | |
Medicines, medical devices, health products | Medicines and other therapeutic products, medical devices, Cell, Tissue and Gene Therapy Products, Chinese proprietary medicines, controlled drugs, oral dental gums, poisons and active ingredients. | |
Chemicals, waste, used items | Waste (hazardous and some non-hazardous), recyclables and used goods, chemicals and other hazardous substances, ozone-depleting substances, HFCs, and radioactive or irradiating materials. | |
Plants, live animals, CITES specimens | Wildlife and plants covered by CITES, other plants and plant material, live animals and birds, ornamental fish, veterinary biologics, animal products and feed for non-food animals. | |
Guns, weapons, explosives | Guns, weapons, explosives, explosive precursors and noxious substances. |
The overview page also names the Building and Construction Authority, the Central Narcotics Bureau, Enterprise Singapore, the Info-communications Media Development Authority, the Land Transport Authority, the Ministry of Health and the Singapore Civil Defence Force, among others. Singapore Customs appears on its own list too, for Strategic Goods Control and other schemes.
Need help with a permit or customs clearance? Talk to a Declaration Nexus declaring agent on WhatsApp. or call +65 6589 8122 · email enquiry@declarationnexus.com |
Selling cosmetics, supplements or herbal products? Check this before you assume HSA approval
Don't assume a health product needs HSA approval, and don't assume it doesn't. Read HSA's list first. Then run the item through the Checker.
HSA's page on Customs' site, last updated on 31 March 2026, lists 9 categories of health products that need HSA licensing or approval. It says the following are currently not subject to HSA's licensing or approval requirements before importation, so they no longer need HSA product codes in TradeNet permit applications:
Cosmetic products
Health supplements
Quasi-medicines
Jamu, Ayurvedic and other traditional medicines (Chinese Proprietary Medicines are not on this list)
Medicated oil and balm
Herbal materials
Homeopathic medicines
Topical antiseptics
That is what the page says about HSA. Another authority may still control the item, and the Checker is Customs' tool for exactly that question.
Which products can't be imported at all?
Customs' list of prohibited goods, last updated on 24 February 2026, says these goods cannot be imported into Singapore. Take prohibited lines off the order before you file.
Chewing gum (HS code 1704 1000), except HSA approved oral dental and medicinal chewing gum.
Rhinoceros horn, and products derived from endangered species of wildlife.
Certain telecommunication equipment, with examples from Customs' list including scanning receivers, military communication equipment and radio-communication jamming devices.
Chewing tobacco, e-cigarettes and vaporisers, shisha, smokeless cigars, cigarillos and cigarettes, nasal snuff, oral snuff, and gutkha, khaini and zarda.
Controlled drugs listed under the 4th Schedule of the Misuse of Drugs Regulation.
What changes on the permit when a product is controlled?
The approval comes first. Each authority sets its own requirements.
Controlled goods in Singapore: examples on import
CITES specimens. Get the permit from NParks before the shipment.
Hazardous wastes. Get the Basel permit from NEA (CCMD) before the shipment, and before you submit the TradeNet application.
Guns, explosives and weapons. The police Guns, Explosives and Weapons Division says it will generally process permit applications within 5 working days.
Plants. The NParks import permit for plants costs $11.00, and you can buy it through TradeNet.
The police division asks you to apply at least 5 working days ahead of the intended import, export or transhipment date. It says it cannot speed up processing on request. Check the product before you pay a deposit, not after.
Strategic goods at export
Anything controlled by the Strategic Goods (Control) Act also needs a strategic goods permit. On the Individual Permit route of the Strategic Trade Scheme, Customs wants the application 5 working days before export.
Which exports can get the permit after the vessel leaves?
Customs' export page sets special timelines for a few goods. Liquid bulk petroleum and chemicals that go straight into a tanker may get the permit up to 10 working days after the vessel departs, if the goods came from licensed premises and left from a petroleum licensee berth. If they did not come from licensed premises, the limit is 3 working days after departure.
Steel bars loaded straight into a carrier with no extra packing also get 3 working days after departure. Goods without a special timeline follow the Standard Rule: submit before export.
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 the product description, the HS code if you have one, and the supplier's invoice, and tell us what you are trying to work out. We'll tell you what we can do for you. We can't promise clearance times or approvals. Those are decisions for Singapore Customs and the authority.
Need help with a permit or customs clearance? Talk to a Declaration Nexus declaring agent on WhatsApp +65 8786 3987 or call +65 6589 8122. You can also send an enquiry or email us.
For the wider view of clearance problems, read our customs clearance problem guide.
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
Which products need a permit in Singapore?
Customs' rule is that every import, export and transhipment is covered by the relevant permit. Controlled goods need authorisation from a Competent Authority as well.
How do I check a product in the HS/CA Product Code Checker?
Enter the description, HS code or CA product code. It shows whether the item is controlled, the CA product code, the authority that controls it and that authority's contact details.
Do cosmetics and health supplements need HSA approval to import?
HSA's page on Customs' site says cosmetic products and health supplements are currently not subject to HSA's licensing or approval requirements before importation. Check each item in the Checker for other authorities.
What if my product is controlled by two authorities?
When an item is on the product code pair list, both CA product codes go into your TradeNet permit application. Missing or incomplete codes may delay or result in rejection of your application.
Do I need the approval before I file the permit?
Customs' steps say to obtain the approval from the Competent Authority, where it applies, before you submit the application. Upload the supporting documents with it.
Which prohibited goods can't I import, such as chewing gum?
Customs' list of prohibited goods includes chewing gum, with HSA approved oral dental and medicinal chewing gum excluded, as well as e-cigarettes and shisha.
Do goods I export need approval too?
Goods controlled by the Strategic Goods (Control) Act need a strategic goods permit. Customs' list of exports that require a Customs export permit includes goods under the Major Exporter Scheme.
Who do I ask for the Competent Authority approval?
The Checker shows the authority that controls your item and gives its contact details. If you are unsure whether you need a licence, a permit or both, see our licence vs permit guide.
Which companies provide customs clearance services in Singapore?
Customs says an importer can appoint a declaring agent to apply for customs permits, or register as one and file for itself. Declaration Nexus is a Singapore customs broker and declaring agent. Our guide to choosing a declaring agent lists what to ask any of them.
This article summarises public guidance from Singapore Customs and the authorities it links to, as at the date above. It is general information, not legal advice. Confirm the treatment of your product with the relevant authority before you order or file your next permit.
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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 25 October 2026. Have a customs question? WhatsApp the Declaration Nexus team at +65 8786 3987. |
