Alcohol regulations in Solomon Islands

Licences needed

Ministerial distilling permit under Liquor Act s. 50, Customs and Excise manufacturing/bonded warehouse licence under Customs and Excise Act (Cap. 121), and a local business licence from the relevant Provincial Executive or City Council.

Authority

Ministry of Home Affairs, Solomon Islands Customs and Excise Division (SICED), and relevant Provincial Government / Honiara City Council

Documents

not confirmed

Fees

not confirmed

Time to obtain

not confirmed

Who can import

Registered commercial businesses possessing a valid wholesale or retail liquor licence and an active customs registration.

Licences or registrations

Wholesale or retail liquor licence issued by the relevant Liquor Licensing Board; Tax Identification Number (TIN) with the Inland Revenue Division; customs importer registration in ASYCUDA World.

Authority

Solomon Islands Customs and Excise Division (SICED) and local Liquor Licensing Boards

Documents

Commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading or airway bill, customs declaration (ASYCUDA), and certificate of origin (if claiming trade preferences).

Fees

Standard customs entry and processing fees (rates vary by shipment value; exact tariff processing fees not confirmed).

Time to obtain

not confirmed

Required

no

Process

No pre-market brand or label registration system exists for alcoholic beverages. Products must comply with standard food and beverage labelling rules under the Pure Food (Food Control) Regulations 2010 upon customs clearance.

Authority

Ministry of Health and Medical Services (Environmental Health Division) and SICED

Commercial imports must enter via designated customs ports (e.g., Port of Honiara) and be cleared through ASYCUDA World. Importation of stills, distillation apparatus, or brewing equipment is strictly prohibited without prior written approval from the Minister under Section 50(2)(a) of the Liquor Act. Physical strip/tax stamps are not required.

Spirits under HS Heading 2208 are typically subject to customs import duty ranging between 10% and 20% ad valorem on CIF value.

Imported spirits are subject to specific excise duty under the First Schedule of the Customs and Excise Act (Cap. 121), plus Goods Tax (VAT equivalent) of 15% levied on the cumulative CIF value plus customs duty.

Private licensed retailers, supermarkets, bottle shops, hotels, clubs, and bars licensed by the local Liquor Licensing Board. Under Section 5 of the Liquor Act, off-premise retail premises may sell only on weekdays between 8:00 AM and 6:00 PM (sales are prohibited on Sundays, Good Friday, and Christmas Day). On-premise sales under publican licences operate from 10:00 AM to 10:30 PM on weekdays with restricted midday/evening hours on Sundays and public holidays.

not confirmed

Under the Pure Food (Food Control) Regulations 2010: label must be in English, displaying product name/description, net volume in metric units, list of ingredients, alcoholic strength (% ABV), batch/lot identification, name and business address of manufacturer/packer/distributor, and country of origin. Claims encouraging excessive consumption or claiming disease treatment/cure are prohibited. Mandatory health warning statements are not legally required.

Advertising or claims promoting excessive consumption or medicinal/therapeutic properties are prohibited under the Pure Food (Food Control) Regulations 2010. General alcohol advertising, branding, and commercial sponsorships are otherwise legal and not subject to comprehensive statutory bans.

Solomon Islands applies general Codex Alimentarius standards incorporated through the Pure Food (Food Control) Regulations 2010. No independent national minimum ABV standards of identity for individual spirit categories are established in the Liquor Act.

Under Section 82 of the Liquor Act (Cap. 144), the Minister may declare temporary full prohibition orders closing all bars and bottle shops across the nation (routinely invoked during national elections). In addition, local provincial ordinances, island councils, and traditional tribal authorities in certain rural provinces enforce dry zones and prohibit the sale and possession of alcohol.

• In April and May 2024, the Minister for Home Affairs issued nationwide Liquor Ban Orders under Section 82(1) of the Liquor Act (Cap. 144), closing bottle shops, bars, and nightclubs across the country during the 2024 joint parliamentary and provincial elections.
• Customs and Excise (Import Duties) (Amendment) Orders continued updating tariff line implementations and ASYCUDA World customs clearance compliance for excisable imported goods.
• The Honiara City Council re-appointed and restructured members and leadership of the Honiara Liquor Licensing Board under Section 17 of the Liquor Act to tighten urban outlet inspections.

Because Solomon Islands has negligible commercial spirit distilling capacity, the domestic market depends entirely on imports for whisky, rum, vodka, and liqueurs. Exporters should partner with licensed beverage wholesalers in Honiara catering to supermarkets, urban consumers, and hospitality venues.

• Solomon Islands Customs and Excise Division (SICED) - Ministry of Finance and Treasury
• Ministry of Home Affairs
• Ministry of Health and Medical Services
• Honiara Liquor Licensing Board / Honiara City Council
• Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF)

1. Solomon Islands Liquor Act (Cap. 144)
2. RSIPF - Liquor Ban Order under Section 82(1) of the Liquor Act
3. Pure Food (Food Control) Regulations 2010 - Solomon Islands
4. Solomon Islands Customs and Excise Division (SICED)
5. WHO Solomon Islands Alcohol Consumption and Policy Profile
6. IARD Beverage Alcohol Labeling Regulations - Solomon Islands