Gold Allowance for Travellers to Singapore (2026)
Singapore charges no customs duty on gold, but new gold jewellery is charged 9% GST on the value above your GST import relief: S$500 if you have been away 48 hours or more, S$100 if less, and none for work, student, dependant and long-term pass holders. Investment gold bars of 99.5% purity or more, and approved bullion coins, are exempt from GST but must be declared at the Red Channel, with a permit above 0.5 kg, and jewellery you already own is not taxed. Singapore's S$20,000 cross-border cash report covers cash and bearer negotiable instruments, not gold.
Reviewed October 2026 from official sources (listed below). Rules change — check with customs before you travel.
Estimate
Estimate only: customs charges GST on the value above your relief, based on your receipts or on similar goods if you have none. An estimate, not a customs assessment.
Duty-Free Gold Allowance in Singapore
| Traveller | Duty-free allowance | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Away from Singapore 48 hours or more | S$500 of new goods free of GST | For personal use. Applies to new items, gifts and souvenirs, including jewellery. |
| Away less than 48 hours | S$100 of new goods free of GST | For personal use. |
| Work, student, dependant and long-term pass holders; crew | No GST import relief | GST is due on the full value of new goods. |
| Jewellery you already own | Not taxed, no value cap | Used personal belongings in reasonable quantities, taken out of Singapore (or owned before arrival) and brought back. |
| Investment gold bars and coins | GST-exempt | Gold bars of 99.5%+ and coins listed in the GST Act. Declare all at the Red Channel; a GST Relief Permit is needed above 0.5 kg. |
GST on gold above your relief
Singapore has no customs duty on gold. Imported goods carry 9% GST, and travellers get GST import relief on new goods for personal use: S$500 if you have been out of Singapore for 48 hours or more, and S$100 if less. GST is charged on the value above the relief. Singapore Customs says holders of work, student, dependant and long-term passes, and crew, do not get the relief. Goods for sale or business do not qualify either. Used personal belongings, such as jewellery you took with you or owned before you arrived, are relieved without a value cap if they are in reasonable quantities.
Investment precious metals (IPM) are exempt from GST. They include gold bars, ingots and wafers of 99.5% purity or more that meet international standards, and coins listed in the Fourth Schedule of the GST Act. Jewellery, collectible and commemorative coins, scrap and gift items are not IPM.
Declaring gold in Singapore
If your new goods are worth more than your relief, declare and pay the GST on the Customs@SG web application (also available in the MyICA app) up to three days before you arrive, and then use the Green Channel. Otherwise use the Red Channel or a customs declaration kiosk. Declare the full value of your goods; GST is charged only on the part above your relief. Fraudulently evading GST can bring a fine of up to 20 times the tax evaded and up to 12 months in jail. A multi-agency checkpoint operation in September 2026 caught a traveller with undeclared jewellery for personal use.
Declare all investment gold to the checking officer at the Red Channel, with invoices and purity certificates. Hand-carried IPM of more than 0.5 kg needs a GST Relief Permit, which a local forwarding agent can apply for. The separate cross-border cash report, made on the MyICA app or ICA website within 72 hours before you travel, covers cash and bearer negotiable instruments over S$20,000; the Ministry of Home Affairs has confirmed it does not extend to goods such as gold.
Taking gold out of Singapore
Singapore sets no limit on the gold you can take out for personal use, and gold is not part of the S$20,000 cash report. Tourists aged 16 or over can claim back GST on jewellery bought from retailers in the Tourist Refund Scheme, if the purchases total at least S$100 including GST (up to three same-day receipts from the same shop can be combined) and the goods leave by air from Changi or Seletar in your luggage. Use the eTRS kiosk before check-in for checked items, or in the transit lounge for hand-carried items, and show the jewellery and receipts if asked. Investment gold bought in Singapore is GST-exempt, so there is no GST to refund.
Singapore to India, Malaysia and the UK
On leaving Singapore, keep your invoices and purity certificates, because your destination values the gold from them. India gives eligible passengers a duty-free jewellery allowance by weight and value and charges duty on more, and on bars and coins. Malaysia exempts goods up to RM1,000 by air or RM500 by land or sea, and cuts its import duty on minted gold bars from 10% to 0% from 1 November 2026. The UK, Australia and other destinations have their own allowances and declaration rules. Check the destination page before you buy.
Practical tips
Keep receipts for gold you buy abroad and for jewellery you take out of Singapore, so you can show it was yours before you left. Wear or hand-carry jewellery. If you are not sure whether something is within your relief, declare it. Rules change, so check with Singapore Customs before you travel.
Gold price in Singapore today
Live rates →| 24K (999) | $165.10 / gram | $1,651 / 10 g |
|---|---|---|
| 22K (916) | $151.38 / gram | $1,514 / 10 g |
| 18K (750) | $123.95 / gram | $1,240 / 10 g |
Bringing Gold to Singapore: FAQ
How much is 10 grams of 22K gold worth in Singapore today?
About $1,514 at the international price converted to SGD (Oct 22, 2026, 21:00 UTC). Customs use their own notified or assessed value, and shops charge more, so treat this as an estimate.
How much gold jewellery can I bring into Singapore without paying GST?
New jewellery is covered by your GST import relief: S$500 in total if you have been away 48 hours or more, S$100 if less. Above that you pay 9% GST on the excess. Jewellery you already owned and took with you is not taxed.
Is there GST on gold bars and coins brought into Singapore?
No, if they are investment precious metals: gold bars of 99.5% purity or more, or coins listed in the GST Act. You must still declare them at the Red Channel, and you need a GST Relief Permit above 0.5 kg.
Do I need to declare gold under Singapore's S$20,000 cash rule?
No. The cross-border cash report covers cash and bearer negotiable instruments only, not goods such as gold. Gold is dealt with under the customs and GST rules.
How much gold can I carry from Singapore to India?
Singapore sets no export limit for personal gold. India decides what is duty-free on arrival: eligible passengers get a jewellery allowance by weight and value, and more, including bars and coins, is dutiable and must be declared at the red channel. See our India page.
Can tourists get the GST back on gold jewellery bought in Singapore?
Yes, tourists aged 16 or over can claim under the Tourist Refund Scheme if their purchases from a participating retailer total at least S$100 including GST and the jewellery leaves by air from Changi or Seletar.
Gold Travel Allowance in Other Countries
Sources: Singapore Customs: duty-free concession and GST relief · Singapore Customs: GST exemption for investment precious metals · Singapore Police Force: multi-agency checkpoint operations, penalties and cash reporting (Oct 2026) · MHA: cash reporting does not extend to goods (2023) · Singapore Customs: Tourist Refund Scheme. Information, not legal advice: customs officers decide on the spot, and rules change. See also: gold price in Singapore · gold price by weight.