23,700 travelers caught with undeclared goods in Singapore this year

According to a Dec. 1 update from Singapore Customs, penalties issued between January and October surpassed S$7.1 million (US$5.48 million), reflecting what officials describe as a persistent pattern of travellers bringing in goods without proper declaration.

The agency said it continues to work with the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) to step up checks and deter violations.

The spike marks a notable climb from previous years: 7,139 travellers were caught over the same period in 2023, and 13,099 in 2024.

Composition sums imposed totaled more than S$2.3 million in 2023 and nearly S$3.5 million in 2024, Mothership reported.

This year alone, 142 offenders received the maximum S$5,000 penalty for making incorrect or incomplete declarations, far higher than the 46 such cases in 2024 and 51 in 2023.

Common undeclared items continue to include duty-unpaid cigarettes and alcohol, along with apparel, accessories and commercial goods such as renovation materials, mobile phones and skincare products.

Several recent incidents highlighted the variety of goods travelers attempted to bring in without declaring:

On Oct. 17, a woman arriving from Bangkok tried to exit via Changi Airport’s Green Channel with a new luxury bag, wallet and three pieces of jewellery. She was fined S$5,000, the maximum allowed.

On Oct. 18, another woman arriving from Malaysia was fined S$565 for failing to declare a pewter collectible figurine.

Singapore Customs reminded travelers that all goods brought into the country, regardless of sales tax paid overseas, are subject to goods and services tax (GST), and exceeding duty-free allowances without declaration can lead to hefty penalties or even jail time.