Traders who intend to import food and food contact articles into Singapore are required to meet the import conditions and licensing requirements of the Singapore Food Agency (SFA).

The products subject to SFA’s licensing schemes are listed in the table below.

The licensing requirements apply to products originating in and coming from all countries.

SFA's import licensing procedures are maintained for food safety, public and animal health reasons and are not intended to restrict the quantity or value of imports.

The laws, regulations and/or administrative orders under which the licensing procedures are maintained are listed under question 2. All import licensing procedures are statutorily required and published in government gazettes. While SFA administers the licensing system, the designation of products to be subjected to licensing and the abolishment of any licensing system require legislative approval.

Applications should be made in advance of arrival of the goods. The importer's licence application will be processed within one working day upon receipt of the completed application form and required information/documents. 

There are no limitations on the period of the year during which applications for licence and/or importation may be made.

Consideration of licence application is effected by a single administrative body (i.e. SFA). The importer does not have to approach more than one administrative body.

An application for an import licence is granted if it meets the stipulated criteria. SFA will generally provide the reason(s) in the event of a refusal to issue a licence. Applicant may contact SFA to appeal against the rejection of a licence application.

Generally, all persons, registered firms and institutions are eligible to register with SFA and apply for licences/registrations with SFA.

The following information is required in applications for import licences: particulars of importer, company registration certificate issued by the Accounting & Corporate Regulatory Authority, and statement of Medisave contribution (for self-employed persons only). For table eggs, a Business Continuity Plan is required in addition to the above.

Upon actual importation, importers are required to make an Inward Declaration showing the correct description and quantities of each consignment made electronically through TradeNet. Shipping documents such as the Bill of Lading/ Airway Bill and invoice are also required. Additional requirements for the importation of certain products include:

• for meat and meat products, imports must be accompanied by a veterinary health certificate issued by the approved sources in the exporting country.

• for live poultry, imports must be accompanied by a veterinary health certificate issued by the approved sources in the exporting country.

• for livestock, imports must be accompanied by a master’s/captain’s declaration and a veterinary health certificate issued by the approved sources in the exporting country.

• for selected fish or fish products, additional health certificate and quarantine requirements apply.

• for selected processed food products, additional supporting documents (e.g., health certificates or laboratory analytical reports) to certify the safety of the products are required.

• for table eggs and egg products, imports must be accompanied by a veterinary health certificate issued by the approved sources in the exporting country, the invoice and the packing list.

• for animal feed meant for food-producing animals, imports must be accompanied by the bill of lading / airway bill, invoice, packing list, ingredient list / product composition, product specifications / data sheet, and manufacturer’s declaration (stating that the product does not contain meat/meat products and is meant for animal consumption only).

In addition, some types of food imports require inspection upon entering the country. These include all food consignments, live poultry and livestock imports. The requirement for an inspection will be indicated on the Cargo Clearance Permit (CCP) issued. The inspection may involve a collection of samples by SFA for laboratory analysis. In some cases, consignments may also be placed on “hold and test”, i.e. the consignment cannot be sold or distributed until the laboratory results have been released and the sample found compliant with Singapore food laws.

SFA's licensing/registration fees for food importers are provided in the table below.

SFA’s licensing / registration fees for importers of food-producing animals and animal feed are provided in the table below.

The CCP fees for the import of various types of food are provided in the table below.

There are no deposit or advance payment requirements associated with the issuance of licences.

Licences are valid for a year unless sooner revoked or suspended. Licences may be renewed upon its expiry but cannot be extended.

There is no penalty for the non-utilisation of licence or a portion of it.

Licences are not transferable without the approval in writing from the relevant authority.

Traders who wish to import food into Singapore must ensure that their products meet SFA’s conditions, including importing from approved sources, obtaining health certificates, providing required food labels, etc. Such information can be found on SFA’s website. Additional conditions for the following products are listed below:

To import sheep / goat, importers are required to obtain a Special Slaughter Permit from SFA for each consignment.

• To import fresh table eggs, importers must have their egg storage premises inspected and approved by SFA to meet SFA’s requirements on hygiene and sanitation, location (i.e. away from heavy industries), storage conditions, etc. Importers are also required to submit a Business Continuity Plan (BCP) for approval prior to licence application and/or renewal. This BCP would detail preventive strategies adopted by the importer to mitigate the impact of supply disruptions.

There are no other administrative procedures, apart from import licensing and similar administrative procedures, required prior to importation.