Singapore arrival · Customs guide
Singapore customs declaration: goods, cash and the right channel
Goods and cash are reported through different official processes. Use this guide to choose the Red or Green Channel, understand Customs@SG and file a cash report when the CBNI threshold applies.
VisatoSingapore Editorial TeamReviewed Sep 1, 2026
The short answer
Declare dutiable, taxable, controlled or prohibited goods at the Red Channel. If you declared and paid for eligible overseas purchases through Customs@SG, keep the e-receipt and use the Green Channel; otherwise use Green only when you have nothing to declare. Separately, anyone entering or leaving Singapore with physical currency and bearer negotiable instruments totalling more than S$20,000, or the foreign-currency equivalent, must submit Form NP 727.
- Goods: Red or Green Channel
- Use the Red Channel when required
- Cash and CBNI: Form NP 727
- Above S$20,000 is a reporting threshold
- Official sources
Official sources checked 1 September 2026
- Singapore Customs: Red and Green Channels
- Singapore Customs: duty-free concession and GST import relief
- Singapore Customs: Customs@SG web application
First decide: goods or cash?
A goods declaration and a cash/CBNI report are not the same form. One journey can require both.
Goods: Red or Green Channel
Singapore Customs uses the two channels after immigration. Your choice is a declaration, so check the live official rules before you travel.
Use the Red Channel when required
Go to Red if you carry dutiable or taxable goods above your applicable relief, controlled or prohibited items, or goods for someone else. If you are unsure, ask an officer at the Red Channel or Customs Examination Area.
Use Green after no declaration or completed Customs@SG payment
Use the Green Channel if you have no declarable goods. You may also use it after declaring and paying for eligible purchases through Customs@SG; keep the e-receipt ready in case an officer asks. Removing packaging or using a newly bought item does not by itself make it an old personal belonging.
Check relief and item-specific controls
GST relief and duty-free concessions depend on the traveller, time spent outside Singapore and the type of goods. Food, medicine and other controlled items can have separate authority rules, so use the linked official pages rather than a generic quantity estimate.
Cash and CBNI: Form NP 727
CBNI means physical currency plus bearer negotiable instruments. This reporting rule applies on both arrival and departure.
Above S$20,000 is a reporting threshold
Report a combined value exceeding S$20,000, or its foreign-currency equivalent, whether you carry it for yourself or another person. The threshold is not a cap on how much cash or CBNI may be carried.
Submit within 72 hours before travel
File the online CBNI declaration, Form NP 727, within 72 hours before arriving in or departing from Singapore. Keep the summary page or acknowledgement email available for verification at the checkpoint.
Correct changes before crossing
If travel dates or other reported details change, void the earlier submission and file a new declaration where required. A separate report is needed for each relevant trip.
What the arrival route looks like
From baggage reclaim to the Customs exit
These three scenes show the usual order after immigration. Collect your baggage first, then follow the live airport signs and choose the Customs channel that matches what you are carrying.
01
Collect your baggage first
After passport control, collect every checked bag from the assigned belt. Keep receipts and purchase details easy to reach before you continue towards Customs.
02
Use Red if you must declare — or are unsure
Take declarable goods to the Red Channel. If you are not certain whether an item must be declared, choose Red and ask a Singapore Customs officer instead of guessing at the Green Channel.
03
Keep the Customs@SG e-receipt ready
If you declared eligible purchases and completed the duty or GST payment in Customs@SG, keep the e-receipt on your phone. Show it only if an officer stops you and asks to verify it.
These are illustrative reconstructions, not photographs of a guaranteed route. Baggage-hall layouts, signs, counters and officer positions vary by terminal; follow the live airport and Singapore Customs directions.
Which official online service should you use?
Customs@SG and Form NP 727 solve different declaration tasks.
01
Customs@SG for overseas purchases
Use Customs@SG to declare eligible overseas purchases and pay duty or GST up to 3 days before arrival. After successful payment, keep the e-receipt and exit through the Green Channel. Controlled goods and goods requiring a permit cannot be cleared through this web application; follow the official permit and Red Channel instructions.
02
e-727 for cash and bearer instruments
Use the ICA-linked e-727 service for the CBNI report within 72 hours before arrival or departure. It records the currency, amount, source and recipient details required by the official form.
Interactive guide · Customs@SG
How Customs@SG works
Walk through the official web application's main stages before you travel.
Step 1 · Terms
Read the terms and select I AGREE
The official service opens with its terms of use. Read them, then select I AGREE to continue.
What you need
- A moment to read the current terms
- Your agreement before the form opens
This is our interactive process diagram, not a screenshot or form from Singapore Customs. The official interface may change. Information entered here is not submitted.
Before you reach the checkpoint
A five-minute check can prevent choosing the wrong channel.
- 01List purchases, gifts and items carried for other people; keep receipts available.
- 02Check live GST relief, duty-free concession and controlled-goods guidance for your exact items.
- 03Add all physical currency and bearer negotiable instruments across currencies.
- 04If the combined CBNI value exceeds S$20,000, submit Form NP 727 within the 72-hour window.
- 05Keep declaration receipts or acknowledgement records accessible on your phone.
- 06When uncertain about goods, approach the Red Channel and ask an officer.
Continue the arrival journey
What to check before and after Customs
Customs, SG Arrival Card, transit, and the e-Pass are different stages. Choose the guide that matches your route.
Singapore customs declaration FAQ
How much cash can I bring into Singapore?
ICA states there is no restriction on the type or amount of CBNI you may carry. However, a combined value above S$20,000, or the equivalent in foreign currency, must be reported using Form NP 727. It is a reporting threshold, not a cash limit.
Do I use the Red Channel for more than S$20,000 cash?
The current process is an online Form NP 727 submission within 72 hours before arrival or departure. Keep the declaration summary or acknowledgement email for ICA verification. Treat this cash report separately from the Red/Green Channel decision for goods.
What is the difference between the Red and Green Channels?
Red is for declarable goods, including taxable, dutiable, controlled or prohibited items. Green is for passengers with nothing to declare and for eligible purchases already declared and paid through Customs@SG; keep the e-receipt for checks. If you are not sure about an item, approach an officer at Red.
Can I declare purchases online before arriving?
Eligible overseas purchases can be declared and duty or GST paid through Customs@SG up to 3 days before arrival. The service does not cover controlled goods or goods that need a Customs permit. Follow the linked official instructions for those items.
Does the SG Arrival Card include my customs declaration?
No. SGAC is a separate ICA arrival submission. It does not replace declaring goods or paying duty/GST. ICA may offer a link to submit the cash/CBNI report after SGAC, but Form NP 727 remains a separate legal report.
How much food or medicine may I bring?
There is no safe universal quantity to use for every product. Requirements depend on the exact food, medicine or controlled item and the responsible authority. Check the current official rules for the item and use the Red Channel if a declaration or permit is required or you are unsure.
Official sources
Rules can change. Check these Singapore Government pages again close to travel.
Customs ready — now check the visa route
Customs clearance and visa eligibility are separate. Check whether your passport needs a Singapore visa; if it does, continue to the application service.
Check whether I need a visaVisatoSingapore
Who we are
Our editorial team maintains these materials using the linked primary ICA, MFA and MOM sources. This information is not legal advice.
- Role
- Independent Singapore visa information, Form 14A preparation and filing-support service.
- What we do
- Fill in and proofread Form 14A, reconcile the supporting documents, and file eligible cases through a route ICA permits.
- What we do not do
- We are not ICA, do not issue visas, and do not guarantee approval or entry.
- Decision maker
- Final visa approval and checkpoint-entry decisions remain with Singapore's ICA.
This is general travel information, not an official declaration service or legal advice. Singapore Customs, ICA and other competent authorities decide which rules apply. VisatoSingapore is an independent visa assistance service and is not affiliated with the Singapore Government.