Singapore Booze Warning!

Last year we disembarked at Singapore from a cruise.

I diligently read the duty-free allowance on the Singapore Customs website, and I thought it said two litres of wine per person, or one litre of liquor and one of wine.

As we went ashore they just as diligently x-rayed everyone's suitcases and anyone with booze was singled out. We had bought some cheap rum in India and had a bottle or two left over from our on-board wine package - well within the limits?

Oh no, if you have come from Malaysia, THERE IS NO ALLOWANCE, and as our previous port of call was Port Klang (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) duty was payable at extortionate rates. We joined with other passengers in abandoning our purchases sooner than pay the tax. No-one warned us about this on the ship.

As far as I can see, now they have re-vamped the website to make it clearer, and I quote it below:

You can enjoy one of the following duty-free concessions for liquor products if:

• You are 18 years old or above;
  
• You have spent 48 hours or more outside Singapore immediately before arrival;
  
• You have not arrived from Malaysia; and
  
• The liquors are not prohibited from import into Singapore.
  

These options are also applicable for liquors consumed for health reasons and used in cooking such as D.O.M, Yomeishu, samsoo, rice wine and cooking wine.

Duty-free concessions can be granted on liquor products purchased outside Singapore as well as those purchased at DFS Singapore. For travellers who wish to purchase duty-free liquor products upon their arrival in Singapore, they may do so at the Arrival Hall after they have cleared immigration. For travellers departing Singapore, they may purchase duty-free liquor products at the Transit Hall after they have cleared immigration.

There is no duty-free concession on liquor products if you are arriving from Malaysia, whether by air, sea, road or rail.

If you are a bona fide crew member, you will be granted duty-free concession on 0.25 litre of spirits, and either 1 litre of wine or 1 litre of beer.

Duty-free concessions are granted on goods for your personal consumption only. It is an offence to sell or give them away.

Same for cigarettes. Not even allowed to take an open pack in, but usually customs will OK it if you declare, first.

Depends how many cigs in the open pack. If only a very few they might not charge any tax but will tell you that they can only be smoked at your hotel. There is a S$500 fine if caught smoking untaxed cigs in public.

You have the option of paying tax on arrival and carrying the receipt with you so that if questioned you can show they are S$ tax paid, or buying some tax paid cigs in a store to smoke these in public.

We disembarked last month in Singapore and had come from Malaysia. Many disembarking pax were caught bythe x-rays for having alcohol and/or tobacco products and had to pay tax or forfeit the items. Even tiny amounts of alcohol in an otherwise empty bottle were taxable.

Lee Kuan Yew, the father of Singapore decided rightly, that he did not want chewing gum on the pavements, no vandalism or graffiti on pain of corporal punishment, and the death penalty for various offences including drug smuggling and murder.

This is why it's such a succesful society, and I will be thrilled to visit again in three week's time.

Lee Kuan Yew also ruled that you cannot walk on the grass, feed the birds, pick flowers, smoke cigarettes in a private automobile, or vote against him in an election.

All Singaporeans are required to vote in national elections.

But just before the election, they received a message from their bank (which happened to be controlled by Mr. Lee), informing them that if they voted for the "wrong" candidate, the mortgage on their house would be revoked.

Hitler would have been proud.

And that's why people like me who have lived there previously refer to Singapore as "Disneyland with the Death Penalty".

Top man!

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Lee Kuan Yew also ruled that you cannot walk on the grass, feed the birds, pick flowers, smoke cigarettes in a private automobile, or vote against him in an election.

 

All Singaporeans are required to vote in national elections.

But just before the election, they received a message from their bank (which happened to be controlled by Mr. Lee), informing them that if they voted for the "wrong" candidate, the mortgage on their house would be revoked.

 

Hitler would have been proud.

 

And that's why people like me who have lived there previously refer to Singapore as "Disneyland with the Death Penalty".

Agree.

Gotta love their tee shirts, though, with all the banned and don't do's - at least they still have a sense of humour.

Is the same strict regime on cruises leaving Singapore I am so glad we have seen your post as we usually bring some duty free from the ship so can you confirm the rules, it's so much better to know in advance, any information would be appreciated

Sue

They are also very strict on medications. This attachment will explain what you can and can't bring into Singapore. For example, any medication with codeine in it, needs the usual copy of prescription, letter from doctor, original packaging PLUS the need to download/fill out/submit/obtain approval via authority form.

Here is the attachment http://www.hsa.gov.sg/publish/hsaportal/en/health_products_regulation/bringing_personal_medication.html Click on controlled substances for the list of no goes.

I mention this, particularly for longer cruises, as many people need to carry loads of medication for pain relief....and are used to just having the abovementioned prescription copies etc. The approval process after filling out the form is quick, less than a week. Carry the approval with you at all times.

We gave our two bottles of unused wine to the crew before we disembarked. We enquired to what the duty would be and said forget it. They know all the cruise ships call in at Malaysia, so they catch everyone. I had seen this written up before though on CC after we got home from our cruise in February this year.

Is the same strict regime on cruises leaving Singapore I am so glad we have seen your post as we usually bring some duty free from the ship so can you confirm the rules, it's so much better to know in advance, any information would be appreciated

 

Sue

Yes, afraid so. You can buy at the airport on departure, though.

Funny how alcohol is such big issue on this chat board, anyone would think we have a lot of alcoholics cruising the high seas.

Alcohol is certainly more expensive in Singapore, than other ports, unless you know where to look. If you need a bottle or two in Singapore, go into the large shopping centres, where you will find Cold Storage or Fair Price supermarkets, which sell not only food, but also alcohol at a reasonable price.

Not far from where I stay at my son's place along Bukit Timah Road, is a cold storage store, but inside the multi-level shopping centre, is a little South African store, which sells products from Sth Africa, eg. food, drinks & alcohol.

The owner sells a wine called Oanda (Sauvignon Blanc, Rose, etc) for $18 per bottle, now that's not a bad price.

in Costco or Cold Store supermarkets, you will pay around $30-$40 for a good Australian or NZ wine, still reasonable, when you think the wine has to be imported.

They are also very strict on medications. This attachment will explain what you can and can't bring into Singapore. For example, any medication with codeine in it, needs the usual copy of prescription, letter from doctor, original packaging PLUS the need to download/fill out/submit/obtain approval via authority form.

Here is the attachment http://www.hsa.gov.sg/publish/hsaportal/en/health_products_regulation/bringing_personal_medication.html Click on controlled substances for the list of no goes.

I mention this, particularly for longer cruises, as many people need to carry loads of medication for pain relief....and are used to just having the abovementioned prescription copies etc. The approval process after filling out the form is quick, less than a week. Carry the approval with you at all times.

Thank you so much for putting this link up! I had no idea that I needed to do this for our Christmas cruise out of Singapore. Love love love these boards, so informative :D

They are also very strict on medications. This attachment will explain what you can and can't bring into Singapore. For example, any medication with codeine in it, needs the usual copy of prescription, letter from doctor, original packaging PLUS the need to download/fill out/submit/obtain approval via authority form.

Here is the attachment http://www.hsa.gov.sg/publish/hsaportal/en/health_products_regulation/bringing_personal_medication.html Click on controlled substances for the list of no goes.

I mention this, particularly for longer cruises, as many people need to carry loads of medication for pain relief....and are used to just having the abovementioned prescription copies etc. The approval process after filling out the form is quick, less than a week. Carry the approval with you at all times.

Thanks for the info I was not aware of this we will be there in February and all 6 of us are on various medications so will have to go into this thoroughly.