Alcohol regulations in Singapore

Licences needed

Excise Factory Scheme (EFS) Licence; SFA Food Processing Establishment Licence

Authority

Singapore Customs and Singapore Food Agency (SFA)

Documents

ACRA business registration (BizFile), TradeFIRST self-assessment checklist and operational docs, audited financial statements for the past 3 years, premises floor plan/layout, physical security layout, banker's guarantee or insurance bond

Fees

Customs EFS licence fee varies by manufacturing activity and TradeFIRST tier; plus SFA food establishment licensing fees

Time to obtain

not confirmed

Who can import

Singapore-registered business entities registered with ACRA holding an activated Customs Account and SFA registration

Licences or registrations

Singapore Customs Account activation (UEN-linked); SFA Registration/Licence for Import of Processed Food Products

Authority

Singapore Customs and Singapore Food Agency (SFA)

Documents

ACRA registration/UEN, commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading/air waybill, Certificate of Origin, Certificate of Age (for whisky and brandy)

Fees

TradeNet declaration permit fees (standard S$2.88 government fee per permit plus declaring agent service charges); SFA food registration fees

Time to obtain

Customs Account activation and SFA registration: 1 to 3 working days; individual TradeNet import permits: minutes to a few hours

Required

no

Process

Singapore does not operate a pre-market brand or label registration approval regime (no COLA equivalent). Importers and manufacturers are legally required to self-assess compliance with the Sale of Food Act and Food Regulations before import. SFA conducts post-market surveillance and border inspection.

Authority

Singapore Food Agency (SFA)

Documents and samples

None required prior to import; certificates of analysis or product specifications must be produced upon SFA or Customs request

Fees

None

Renewal

None

Time to obtain

None

No state import monopoly; private commercial import is permitted. Every consignment requires an electronic In-Payment or Inward Permit declared via TradeNet prior to arrival. Dutiable spirits may be stored with duties and GST suspended in a designated Licensed Warehouse (LW). Physical excise stamps or strip stamps are not used. Whisky and brandy require a Certificate of Age attesting to a minimum of 3 years maturation in wood.

Nil (0% customs duty on distilled spirits under HS Heading 2208; customs duties apply only to beer, stout, and samsu)

Excise Duty: S$88.00 per litre of pure alcohol (LPA) on all spirits under HS 2208 (duties payable = Total litres x S$88.00 x ABV %). GST: 9% (applicable on CIF value + excise duty).

Private retail and on-premise venues. Retailers and bars must obtain a Liquor Licence from the Singapore Police Force (Liquor Licensing Board). Retail takeaway sale of alcohol from shops and supermarkets is strictly restricted to between 07:00 and 22:30. On-premise licensed trading hours depend on licence class (Class 1A/2A generally until 23:59, Class 1B until 22:00, with extensions subject to Police approval).

Allowed; restricted. Online sellers must hold a valid Class 4 or relevant liquor licence from the Singapore Police Force. Since January 2024, regulations mandate that online platforms verify customer age (18+) and display explicit warnings informing purchasers that purchasing alcohol under 18 is an offence carrying fines up to S$10,000. Alcohol delivery to public areas during public drinking prohibition hours is banned.

Mandatory in English under SFA Food Regulations: specific product name/description, ingredient list, net volume in metric units, name and business address of the local importer/distributor or manufacturer, country of origin, and alcoholic strength (% vol / ABV). Mandatory health warnings and tax strip stamps are not required.

Permitted subject to self-regulatory and broadcast standards. Governed by Appendix K of the Singapore Code of Advertising Practice (administered by ASAS) and the IMDA Television and Radio Advertising and Sponsorship Code (revised September 2025). Ads must not appeal to or depict individuals under 18, promote irresponsible drinking, associate consumption with driving, or claim therapeutic or performance enhancements. Brand sponsorship is permitted within these boundaries.

Defined under Singapore Food Regulations (Regulations 201-209): Whisky must be distilled from a fermented mash of cereal grains and matured in wood for at least 3 years. Brandy must be distilled from fermented grape juice and aged in wood for at least 3 years. Rum must be distilled from fermented sugarcane products. Gin must be distilled and flavoured with juniper berries. Vodka is neutral spirit distilled or treated to remove distinctive character.

Public consumption of alcohol is prohibited island-wide between 22:30 and 07:00 daily in all public places (parks, public housing void decks, streets). Stricter rules apply in designated Liquor Control Zones (Little India and Geylang), where public drinking is banned from 22:30 Friday to 07:00 Monday, and from 19:00 on the eve of public holidays to 07:00 the following working day, alongside tighter retail sale cut-offs.

• Goods and Services Tax (GST) rate increased from 8% to 9% effective 1 January 2024, applicable to all alcohol imports and domestic transactions.
• Enhanced online sales rules took effect 2 January 2024 under the Liquor Control (Supply and Consumption) (Liquor Licensing) Regulations, requiring online sellers and e-commerce platforms to implement age-verification mechanisms and display statutory warning notices and penalty disclosures against sales to minors under 18.
• IMDA enforced an updated Television and Radio Advertising and Sponsorship Code on 1 September 2025, maintaining strict restrictions against alcohol advertisements targeting underage audiences.

Singapore serves as a premier Southeast Asian trade hub with zero customs duties on spirits and no cumbersome pre-market label approval process. Demand remains robust for premium and super-premium spirits, particularly aged single malt whiskies, boutique rums, and artisanal gins, despite elevated specific excise taxes (S$88/LPA).

• Singapore Customs
• Singapore Food Agency (SFA)
• Singapore Police Force (Liquor Licensing Board)

1. Singapore Customs - Duties and Taxes on Dutiable Goods
2. Singapore Customs - Excise Factory Scheme (EFS)
3. Singapore Customs - Licensed Warehouse Scheme
4. Singapore Statutes Online - Food Regulations
5. Singapore Statutes Online - Liquor Control (Supply and Consumption) Act 2015
6. Singapore Police Force / GoBusiness - Liquor Licensing Regulations and E-commerce Requirements