SINGAPORE - Ahead of Chinese New Year, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) has put up a graphic reminding travellers that festive goods or food products brought into Singapore from overseas must meet the relevant guidelines.
"Here are some ruff guidelines for you to usher in the year of the dog in peace!" ICA quipped in a Facebook post on Friday (Feb 2).
The poster it put up showed prohibited items that cannot be taken into Singapore like firecrackers, pop pops or little firecracker boxes, and chewing gum.
It also included controlled items - like bak kwa or barbecued meat, poultry, seafood and potted plants - which are subject to travellers' allowance from approved countries.
In particular, meat, meat products and eggs as well as fresh or frozen oysters cannot be brought into Singapore from Malaysia.
Some of the common items that travellers can bring into the country from Malaysia for personal consumption only are in the following table:
According to the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority's (AVA's) SG TravelKaki app, each traveller can bring up to 5kg of meat products, such as bak kwa, into Singapore. The total value of the product must not exceed $100 per person.
Poultry, such as chicken or duck, can be imported into Singapore, but the total amount of meat products - whether cooked or processed - must not exceed the 5kg limit.
The limit for frozen cooked crabmeat and prawn meat is 2kg per person, provided that the total quantity of all seafood products the person is carrying does not exceed 5kg.
The limit for all other seafood, such as fish, squid, cockles and raw prawns, is 5kg per person.
AVA also has specific guidelines for bringing in potted plants from other countries.
Those who want to do so must have a phytosanitary certificate from the country of origin and an import permit from AVA, among other things.
When in doubt, declare your items to ICA officers or contact AVA.
Correction note: This article has been edited with clarifications from AVA regarding the rules for travellers bringing food products from Malaysia into Singapore.
