Fish products refer to any of the varieties of marine, brackish water or fresh water fishes, crustacea, aquatic mollusca, marine sponges, trepang and any other form of aquatic life and their young and eggs. Fish products here do not include the ornamental varieties. Fish products may be in chilled, frozen, processed or canned forms.
As part of AVA's integrated food safety system, we regulate the import of fish to ensure that they are safe to eat.
The import of fish for food is regulated under the Wholesome Meat and Fish Act and its subsidiary legislation. Imports must meet the following requirements:
- Importers are required to apply for the AVA Licence for Import/Export and Transshipment of Meat Products and Fish Products. For more information on the licence, please click here. There will be an application fee of $21.50 (inclusive of 7% GST) for every new application.
- Fish may be imported from any country, subject to the following restrictions:
- The import of chilled shucked raw oyster, chilled cockle meat, chilled cooked prawn/shrimp and chilled crab meat is prohibited for food safety reasons.
- Live oysters may only be imported from countries which meet AVA's requirements for a shellfish sanitation programme. The countries currently approved for such exports are Australia, Canada, France, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, United Kingdom and USA.
- An import permit issued by AVA is required for every consignment of fish products.
- Each consignment of live/frozen oysters, frozen blood cockle meat, frozen cooked prawns or frozen raw/cooked crab meat, must be accompanied by a Health Certificate issued by the relevant authority of the exporting country, certifying that Singapore's animal health and food safety requirements have been complied with.
- Import of the following fish species, including their parts or derivatives must be accompanied by a CITES permit from the importing and exporting countries because these species are listed under CITES.
- Sturgeon (Acipenseriformes species)
- Whale shark (Rhincodon typus)
- Basking Shark (Cetorrhinus maximus)
- Seahorses (Hippocampus species)
- Great White Shark (Carcharodon carcharias)
- Humphead wrasse (Cheilinus undulates)
- Mediterranean date mussel (Lithophaga lithophaga)
"Rock Sea Cucumber" (sotichopus fuscus) from Ecuador.
For more information on CITES, please click here or call Tel: 62270670.
- Upon import, each consignment of frozen oysters, frozen blood cockle meat, frozen cooked prawns and frozen raw/cooked crab meat will be subjected to mandatory inspection by AVA before sale. Other types of food imports may also be subjected to inspection by AVA. Sampling for laboratory analysis may be required. Some consignments may be placed on "hold and test" pending the outcome of the laboratory analysis.
The applicant must obtain the following (where applicable):
- Health Certificate from the authorities of the exporting country (for high risk items such as live/frozen oysters, frozen blood cockle meat, frozen cooked prawns and frozen raw/cooked crab meat only)
- CITES permits from the exporting country at AVA's CITES unit (if CITES listed species).
The import procedures are as follows:
- The applicant must apply for an AVA import permit by declaring the import through TradeNet. For the product codes for declaration, please click here.
- Where applicable, the applicant must submit the original health certificate or CITES permit to AVA for processing. Supporting documents such as invoices and air waybills or bills of lading need to be submitted if requested by AVA.
- Upon approval, the AVA import permit for the consignment is incorporated into the Cargo Clearance Permit (CCP) to be printed at the applicant's terminal.
- Traders must check the approval codes (e.g. A03) on the CCP for specific conditions of import. If the conditions indicate the need for inspection, the trader is to contact AVA at Tel: 67952862 or 67952827 to arrange for AVA to inspect the consignment.
- AVA may collect samples for laboratory analysis. Some consignments may be placed on "hold and test" pending the outcome of the laboratory analysis.
The fee payable for the import of fish products is S$3 per consignment. Payment will be deducted through the applicant's GIRO account (for a GIRO application form, please click here).
Traders are required to apply for the AVA Licence for Import/Export and Transshipment of Meat Products and Fish Products. For more information on the licence, please click here.
An export permit from AVA is also required. The applicant can apply for an AVA export permit by declaring the export through TradeNet. For the product codes for the declaration, please click here.
If a Health Certificate from Singapore is required by the importing country, you can apply for the Health Certificate from AVA's Veterinary Public Health Centre.
The fee for export of fish is S$3 per consignment. Payment will be deducted through the applicant's GIRO account (for a GIRO application form click here).
Fish may be transshipped through Singapore.
Traders are required to apply for the AVA Licence for Import/Export and Transshipment of Meat Products and Fish Products. For more information on the licence, please click here.
A transshipment permit is also required from AVA. The trader can apply for an AVA transshipment permit by declaring the import through TradeNet. For the product codes for the declaration, please click here.
The fee for transshipment of fish is S$3 per consignment. Payment will be deducted through the traders' GIRO account (for a GIRO application form click here).
Import and Export Division
Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority
5 Maxwell Road, #02-03, Tower Block, MND Complex
Singapore 069110
Fax: 63257648 / 50
Operating hours:
| Mon - Thu |
: |
8.30am - 1.00pm
2.00pm - 6.00pm |
| Fri |
: |
8.30am - 1.00pm
2.00pm - 5.30pm |
| Sat, Sun and Public Holidays |
: |
Closed |
For enquiries:
|
Mr Lee Woei Sing
Tel : 63257102
Mr. Koh Cheng Liat
Tel : 63257879 |
Mr. Lee Boon Shuek
Tel : 63257652 |
|