Singapore

Drug-related charges in Singapore carry severe penalties, including the death penalty or caning, and permanent residents of Singapore can be arrested and convicted even for drugs consumed outside Singapore.

Death penalty or caning for drug-related charges.

Verified Jul 26, 2026

Cannabis is illegal in Singapore and the penalties are among the harshest in the world. Cannabis and cannabis resin are Class A controlled drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Act, cannabis mixture and edibles are caught too, and even trace amounts count. Consuming it carries a minimum of one year in prison, and the death penalty attaches to trafficking, importing or exporting more than 500 g of cannabis - for hashish the figure is far lower, with more than 200 g of cannabis resin or more than 1,000 g of a cannabis mixture reaching the same capital band. Three rules catch visitors out because they reverse the usual burden of proof. Anyone proved to have had more than 15 g of cannabis is presumed to have held it for trafficking rather than personal use unless they can prove otherwise. If a controlled drug is found in anything you are carrying or anywhere you hold the keys to, you are presumed to have possessed it and to have known what it was, and showing that you never physically held it does not rebut that. And if drug-taking equipment is found in a place, that place is presumed to be used for drug-taking, and anyone found in it - or running from it - is presumed to have been consuming, which is an offence in itself. Separately, arranging a get-together of as few as two people knowing cannabis will be used there carries a minimum of three years in prison and caning, even if you supply nothing at all.

Consumption: not less than 1 year and not more than 10 years, plus a fine of up to S$20,000 (Misuse of Drugs Act 1973, s. 33(3A)). Possession of less than 330 g of cannabis: up to 10 years or S$20,000 or both. Trafficking, import or export of more than 500 g of cannabis, more than 200 g of cannabis resin or more than 1,000 g of a cannabis mixture: death (Second Schedule). Possession of more than 15 g of cannabis, 30 g of cannabis mixture or 10 g of cannabis resin raises a presumption that it was held for the purpose of trafficking (s. 17). Being the owner, tenant, occupier or person in charge of a place and permitting it to be used for drug-taking, trafficking or manufacture: up to 10 years or S$40,000 or both (s. 11 and the Second Schedule). Arranging or planning a gathering of 2 or more people knowing a controlled drug is to be consumed or trafficked there: 3 to 20 years and up to 10 strokes of the cane, and it applies even if you supply no drug at all (s. 11A). Introducing someone to a drug trafficker, which expressly includes merely passing on an address, telephone number or email address: up to 10 years, and the offence bites as long as either person is in Singapore (s. 11C). Teaching or instructing someone in cultivating cannabis, or giving them information on doing it: up to 10 years; publishing or disseminating that information: up to 5 years or a S$10,000 fine, subject to a defence of legitimate purpose related to justice, science, medicine, education or art (s. 11D). Two presumptions reach people who are simply present: equipment found in a place makes that place presumed to be a drug-taking place, and anyone found in or escaping from it is presumed to have been consuming (s. 19); and a drug found in a vehicle is presumed to be in the possession of both the owner and whoever is in charge of it at the time (s. 21).

Verified Sep 13, 2026

Singapore's Guns, Explosives and Weapons Control Act defines "weapon" item by item, and the list is far wider than guns: swords, machetes, parangs, bolos, kukris and hooked swords, bayonets, push and throwing knives, diving and hunting knives, kris, karambit, kirpan and dirk, butterfly, balisong and gravity knives, flick knives and switchblades, throwing stars and shuriken, knuckledusters including weighted or studded gloves, spears and spearheads, axes and tomahawks, nunchaku, sai and jitte, blow guns and their darts, crossbows, pistol crossbows and any bow regardless of draw weight. Pepper spray is caught separately as a "noxious substance" — the Act covers any nauseating or lachrymatory substance together with the cartridge, cylinder or pressurised can holding it and any spray gun that discharges it. Each of these needs a police licence: the noxious substance possession licence is "not issued to general public", the weapon possession licence is limited to entities with legitimate needs such as collectors, and applying requires a Singapore SingPass or Corppass login. As a visitor, leave all of it at home.

Verified Sep 25, 2026

Singapore bans all written materials published by the Jehovah's Witnesses (Watchtower / International Bible Students Association) and the Unification Church; possessing them is an offence.

Subject to local criminal penalties (fines/seizure).

Verified Jul 22, 2026

Singapore's duty-free alcohol allowance has three conditions you must meet before any litres apply: you are 18 or over, you spent at least 48 hours outside Singapore, and you are not arriving from Malaysia. Clearing immigration in Malaysia on the way counts as arriving from Malaysia, and then you get no duty-free concession at all. If you qualify, you pick one option: 1 litre spirits plus 1 litre wine; 1 litre spirits plus 1 litre beer; 1 litre wine plus 1 litre beer; 2 litres wine; or 2 litres beer. It must be for your own consumption — you must not sell it or give it away. You pay duty and GST on anything above your concession and on liquor carried for other people, and more than 10 litres of liquor products requires a Customs permit. Separately, there is no duty-free concession or GST relief at all for cigarettes and tobacco products.

Verified Sep 25, 2026

E-cigarettes and vapes are banned — possessing, using, buying, or bringing them in is illegal.

Individuals fined up to S$10,000 under the Tobacco and Vaporisers Control Act (in force 1 May 2026); etomidate 'Kpod'/specified-psychoactive-substance vapes up to S$20,000 and/or 10 years' jail. Foreigners caught vaping have devices seized and are issued a Notice of Composition; repeat offenders are barred from re-entry and etomidate offenders can be deported.

Verified Jul 16, 2026

Singapore gives no duty-free allowance for cigarettes or tobacco — you must declare every cigarette you bring in at the Red Channel and pay duty and GST.

Heavy fines (often 15–20x the duty) for non-declaration.

Verified Jul 26, 2026

Singapore caps how many SIMs one person may hold and, from 28 February 2026, will not accept a foreign passport to register a POSTPAID SIM at all. Prepaid is capped at 3 cards per person across all telcos (in force since April 2014); postpaid is capped at 10 cards across all telcos from 28 February 2026, replacing the earlier limit of 10 per telco. Registration requires a government-issued identification document, and online sign-up requires Singpass, which visitors do not have. Corporate and data-only SIMs are exempt from the postpaid cap, and anyone who already held more than 10 postpaid SIMs before 28 February 2026 keeps them but cannot add more. A visitor should plan on a prepaid tourist SIM, an eSIM, or roaming.

Verified Sep 17, 2026

Singapore repealed Section 377A (which criminalized sex between men), in force since 3 Jan 2023; same-sex marriage is not recognized.

Verified Jul 22, 2026

Importing chewing gum into Singapore is prohibited (only HSA-approved therapeutic/dental gum is exempt); bringing prohibited goods in is an offence.

Bringing prohibited goods into Singapore is an offence (fines/seizure).

Verified Jul 22, 2026