Ship boxes from United Kingdom to Singapore
1 to 10 boxes, collected from your door in United Kingdom and delivered to the door in Singapore. Price up front, customs paperwork prepared for you.
- Typical transit
- 4–7 business days
- Duty-free up to
- Boxes sent by air, including by express courier, with a CIF value (goods plus insurance and freight) of S$400 (about $313) or less pay no GST at import
United Kingdom → Singapore
Enter a weight to see your price.
Who ships on this route
- Expats and people relocating for work
- Households moving a few boxes, not a whole home
Affluent international customers.
Leaving United Kingdom
Sending boxes out of United Kingdom
Sending your own belongings out of the UK is straightforward for everyday things. The courier prepares the export paperwork from your packing list. The UK rules that matter most are export licenses for antiques and art, and the import rules where the boxes land.
Documents
- Itemized packing list with a fair value for each item, marked as used personal effects or gift
- Sender's passport or ID
- The receiver's tax or ID number if the destination requires one
- A UK export license from Arts Council England for any object of cultural interest that needs one; a digital copy is attached to the export declaration
Can't leave United Kingdom
- Objects of cultural interest, such as antiques and artworks, need a UK export license to leave Great Britain for any destination outside the UK. Arts Council England runs licensing, including an Open General Export Licence, and can confirm whether an item needs its own license.
- From Northern Ireland, cultural objects going directly to non-EU countries need an EU export license, and those going to the EU need a UK license. Arts Council England issues both.
- Medicines containing controlled drugs: other countries have their own import laws, so check with the destination's embassy before sending any.
- Items made from protected species (CITES), such as exotic leather, furs, or some wooden instruments, may need permits. Check with the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) before you ship.
- Couriers won't carry cash, weapons, or dangerous goods.
Arriving in Singapore
Singapore customs, in short
- Duty-free threshold
- Boxes sent by air, including by express courier, with a CIF value (goods plus insurance and freight) of S$400 (about $313) or less pay no GST at import. Alcohol and tobacco never qualify, and the relief doesn't apply to boxes that arrive by sea or land. Above S$400, GST applies to the whole value. Since 2023, online purchases of S$400 or less from GST-registered overseas sellers have GST charged by the seller at checkout; your own used belongings and gifts aren't bought from such a seller, so the normal S$400 border relief applies to them.
- Import tax
- GST (Goods and Services Tax) at 9%, charged on the CIF value plus any duty. Customs and excise duties apply only to alcohol, tobacco, motor vehicles, and petroleum products, so most household goods pay GST alone.
- Who pays
- Shipments are sent DAP. The receiver pays any duties and taxes before or on delivery. The courier may add a clearance or disbursement fee.
- Moving there?
- Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents returning to live in Singapore after living overseas, and foreigners relocating or migrating there, can get GST relief on used household items and personal effects. You must be moving your home to Singapore, own the items, have used and had them for at least 3 months, and agree not to sell, give away, or dispose of them within 3 months of arrival. The items must arrive within 6 months of your first arrival in Singapore. File an online Declaration of Facts with Singapore Customs before the goods arrive: applications for goods already imported are rejected and GST is due. Alcohol and tobacco still pay duty and GST.
Not allowed into Singapore
- Aerosols, spray cans, and compressed gas cylinders
- Flammable liquids and solids: fuel, lighter fluid, paint, nail polish, matches
- Loose or spare lithium batteries and power banks not installed in a device
- Cash, gift cards, checks, and other negotiable items
- Firearms, ammunition, replicas, and weapon parts
- Perishable food, and meat, dairy, or fresh produce
- Cannabis, CBD, and THC products, even where they are legal at origin
- Chewing gum. The only exception is HSA-approved dental and medicinal gum, and HSA doesn't allow personal imports of medicines in gum form
United Kingdom to Singapore: questions
How long does it take to ship boxes from United Kingdom to Singapore?
Typically 4 to 7 business days door to door after pickup, plus any time customs in Singapore takes to clear the shipment.
Do I pay duty on used belongings sent to Singapore?
Boxes sent by air, including by express courier, with a CIF value (goods plus insurance and freight) of S$400 (about $313) or less pay no GST at import. Alcohol and tobacco never qualify, and the relief doesn't apply to boxes that arrive by sea or land. Above S$400, GST applies to the whole value. Since 2023, online purchases of S$400 or less from GST-registered overseas sellers have GST charged by the seller at checkout; your own used belongings and gifts aren't bought from such a seller, so the normal S$400 border relief applies to them. Shipments are sent DAP. The receiver pays any duties and taxes before or on delivery. The courier may add a clearance or disbursement fee.
What paperwork do I need to send boxes from United Kingdom?
A commercial invoice listing what's in each box and what it's worth today. Onvoyo prepares it from your contents list for you to review and approve. Sending your own belongings out of the UK is straightforward for everyday things. The courier prepares the export paperwork from your packing list. The UK rules that matter most are export licenses for antiques and art, and the import rules where the boxes land.
Is there a tax-free limit for parcels to Singapore?
Yes. Boxes sent by air with a CIF value (goods plus insurance and freight) of S$400 or less pay no GST, except alcohol and tobacco. Above that, 9% GST applies to the whole value. Boxes that arrive by sea or land pay GST at any value.
Do I pay GST on my own used belongings?
Above S$400 CIF, yes, unless you're moving to Singapore and get GST relief. The parcel rules don't separate used goods from new ones, but most household items pay no duty, only 9% GST.
How do I get GST relief when moving to Singapore?
File an online Declaration of Facts with Singapore Customs before the boxes arrive, with your passport and/or NRIC, proof of the move such as an Employment Pass or Student Pass, and the air waybill. Once it's approved, the courier or agent takes out a GST relief permit within 10 working days.
Official sources
Export rules for United Kingdom and import rules for Singapore, checked against these official pages. Customs makes the final decision on every shipment.
- 1.Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, Animal and Plant Health Agency, and Border Force · Bringing food into Great Britain (opens in a new tab)
- 2.Home Office · Travelling with medicine containing controlled drugs (opens in a new tab)
- 3.Department for Culture, Media and Sport · Exporting or importing objects of cultural interest (opens in a new tab)
- 4.Singapore Customs · Courier / Postal Procedures (opens in a new tab)
- 5.Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) · Current GST rates (opens in a new tab)
- 6.Singapore Customs · Do I Qualify for GST Relief? (opens in a new tab)
- 7.Singapore Customs · Sending Unaccompanied Items (opens in a new tab)
- 8.Singapore Customs · List of Dutiable Goods (opens in a new tab)
- 9.Singapore Customs · Duty-Free Concession and GST Import Relief (opens in a new tab)
- 10.Singapore Customs · Controlled and Prohibited Goods for Imports (opens in a new tab)
- 11.Singapore Customs · Customs Guide for Travellers (English) (opens in a new tab)
- 12.Singapore Customs · Establishing Customs Value and Methods (opens in a new tab)
- 13.Health Sciences Authority (HSA) · Travelling with medications to Singapore (opens in a new tab)
Going the other way? Ship boxes from Singapore to United Kingdom