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Shipping to Singapore from Thailand: duty, VAT and what gets through
Singapore is among the fastest destinations on our network to clear: no duty on general goods, 9 percent GST on CIF value for virtually all courier and postal imports, and customs processing measured in minutes rather than days.
What are the tax thresholds in Singapore?
| Threshold | Rule |
|---|---|
| ThresholdImport duty | RuleNo duty on general goods |
| ThresholdVAT / GST de minimis | Rule9% GST on CIF (no general import de minimis) |
| ThresholdVAT / GST rate | Rule9% GST |
| ThresholdTypical duty band | RuleOnly alcohol, tobacco, vehicles, petroleum |
Official references
Thresholds above are summarised for shippers. Confirm edge cases with the destination authority:
How long does delivery to Singapore take?
| Carrier option | Indicative delivery band |
|---|---|
| Carrier optionExpress courier | Indicative delivery band1-3 days |
| Carrier optionEconomy air (postal) | Indicative delivery band4-8 days |
| Carrier optionLand trucking (consolidated) | Indicative delivery band4-6 days |
What cannot be shipped to Singapore?
- Chewing gum (commercial quantities)
- E-cigarettes and vaporizers (total ban)
- Kratom
- Firecrackers
The full per-destination list lives on our restricted items policy and is enforced at our warehouse intake.
Worked example: what a real parcel costs
2 kg parcel of Thai homeware, declared SGD 180
| Cost line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Cost lineItem cost | AmountSGD 180.00 |
| Cost lineExpress shipping (2 kg) | AmountSee calculator |
| Cost lineDuty | AmountSGD 0.00 |
| Cost lineGST 9% on CIF (SGD 218) | AmountSGD 19.62 |
| Cost lineIllustrative total | AmountSGD 237.62 |
Express shipping is a live business parcel-calculator rate in THB (business, 0.5 kg, 10x10x10 cm). Duty, VAT and other lines use illustrative local-currency maths; total is a guide only until you confirm on the calculator.
GST is 9% of CIF (goods plus shipping). For some low-value retail purchases, GST may be collected at checkout by registered vendors instead of at the border.
What happens if it is held at customs?
Holds are rare and nearly always vape-related: e-cigarettes are completely banned and are seized with a fine to the recipient. We refuse them at our warehouse instead.
Claims process and Shipment ProtectionRelated operator pages
This page owns duty and VAT thresholds. Use the route page for freight bands, the express parcel calculator for package rates, and the FCL vs LCL volume tool for sea mode guidance.
Shipping to Singapore: questions we get asked
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