Ship in weeks, not months
Importer of Record service in Singapore
As your Importer of Record in Singapore, Emerhub handles customs clearance, GST settlement, and delivery to your address. You skip the Pte Ltd setup, the local resident director requirement, and ongoing compliance entirely.
Working with foreign brands shipping into Singapore
Why use an Importer of Record
Two paths to importing into Singapore
Direct import requires a Singapore-registered Pte Ltd with a local resident director and Singapore Customs registration — weeks of setup plus ongoing compliance obligations. Importer of Record uses Emerhub's existing infrastructure instead, so you can start immediately without any of that.
Without an Importer of Record
Set up a Pte Ltd first, then import
To import goods into Singapore directly, a foreign company needs a Singapore-registered Pte Ltd with a local resident director, plus registration with Singapore Customs and any sector-specific licenses for the product category. While entity setup can be done in weeks, it brings ongoing accounting, ACRA filings, and IRAS tax obligations that don't end.
For regulated products like cosmetics, food, supplements, or medical devices, you'll also need separate approvals from HSA, SFA, or other relevant authorities before goods can be released for sale.
With Emerhub as your Importer of Record
Skip the setup. Ship in weeks
We already hold Singapore Customs registration and the import permits needed to bring goods in. Your goods ship with Emerhub named as the Importer of Record. We clear customs, settle GST and any applicable duties, and deliver to your specified address in Singapore.
You can start importing within weeks of submitting your first shipment documents — without spending time on Pte Ltd formation, director arrangements, customs registration, or the ongoing compliance that comes with running a Singapore entity.
What's included
Everything a Singapore importer would handle, on your behalf
From port arrival to final delivery, with the legal infrastructure to back every step.
Customs clearance
Filing the customs declaration and clearing your goods at the Singapore port of entry.
Import licenses
We hold Singapore Customs registration and the sector-specific permits required for your product category.
Duty & tax settlement
Calculation and payment of import GST and any applicable duties at the point of clearance.
Warehouse handling
Storage and staging between customs clearance and onward distribution to your destination.
Delivery
Final-mile delivery to your address, distributor, or fulfillment partner in Singapore.
Shipment tracking
Visibility into your import status from port arrival through to final delivery.
Need product registration too? If your goods require HSA, SFA, or other Singapore regulatory approvals before they can clear customs or be marketed, our regulatory team can take care of that for you as well — handled alongside the Importer of Record service.
How it works
Three steps from documents to delivery
The first shipment takes a couple of weeks of onboarding. Every shipment after that follows the same compressed path.
Step 01
Submit your documents
- Confirm with your overseas supplier that Emerhub Singapore is acting as your Importer of Record.
- Submit the shipping documents to our team for review and verification.
Step 02
Verification & shipping
- You decide the shipment size and form — boxes, crates, or containers.
- Emerhub retrieves and verifies the imported goods on arrival.
- We handle outbound customs clearance and shipping coordination.
Step 03
Customs & delivery
- Emerhub prepares for and handles customs clearance in Singapore.
- The goods are delivered to your selected address.
Built for
Foreign brands selling into Singapore
Most clients using our Importer of Record service fall into one of these patterns. If yours matches, the service is built for your situation.
E-commerce
Importing for online sales
Bringing inventory into Singapore for sale on marketplaces like Shopee, Lazada, or Amazon. Often paired with our Seller of Record service for the marketplace selling side.
B2B exporters
Direct fulfillment
Companies fulfilling orders directly to Singapore business buyers, often on a per-order basis.
Distributor supply
Bulk shipments to partners
Sending bulk shipments to your Singapore distribution partner who handles the local retail side.
Market testing
Trying Singapore first
Brands testing demand or running pilot launches before committing to a permanent local presence.
Bridge to Pte Ltd
Starting now, formalising later
Companies that have begun Singapore Pte Ltd setup but want to start shipping before the entity, director arrangements, and customs registration are fully operational.
Regulated categories
Cosmetics, food, medical
Categories requiring HSA, SFA, or other Singapore regulatory approvals — handled by our regulatory team as a paired service alongside the import engagement.
Documentary requirements
What Singapore customs needs for every shipment
These three documents are required for every Singapore import, regardless of product category. Regulated categories may need additional documentation — we'll confirm the full list during initial review of your shipment.
Doc. 01
Packing list
Itemised list of shipment contents — number of cartons or containers, gross and net weight, dimensions, and packaging format.
Doc. 02
HS codes or product datasheet
Harmonised System classification codes for each product line, or a technical datasheet from which the codes can be determined.
Doc. 03
Commercial invoice
Declared transaction value of the shipment, including currency, Incoterms, and full shipper and consignee details.
Additional documentation may be required depending on your product category — for example, a Certificate of Origin for preferential duty treatment under Singapore's extensive FTA network (CPTPP, RCEP, EU-Singapore FTA, US-Singapore FTA, and bilateral agreements), MSDS for chemicals, or specific certificates for regulated goods (HSA, SFA). We confirm the full requirement set during initial review.
Common questions
Importer of Record FAQs
What foreign brands ask most often before their first shipment into Singapore.
What is an Importer of Record in Singapore?
An Importer of Record is the legal party on the customs declaration responsible for goods entering Singapore — declaring the shipment, paying GST and any applicable duties, and complying with Singapore import regulations. Under Singapore law, this role can only be filled by an entity registered in Singapore with Customs registration, plus any sector-specific licenses for the product category.
Foreign companies without a Singapore entity can't be the Importer of Record themselves. Through this service, Emerhub Singapore takes that role on your behalf — goods enter the country under our name, using our registration and licenses, while ownership of the goods and the brand remains entirely with you. It's commonly used by brands that want to start importing immediately without first setting up a Pte Ltd (and finding a local resident director), or by companies bridging the gap while their own entity setup is in progress.
How fast can I start shipping?
For most goods, once your supplier confirms Emerhub as the Importer of Record and we've reviewed your documents, the import can move forward immediately — typically within weeks of the first conversation.
For products requiring pre-import approval (cosmetics, food, supplements, medical devices), the relevant HSA or SFA approval needs to be in place before shipping. We can sequence that work in parallel with onboarding.
Whose name is on the import documentation?
Emerhub Singapore is named as the consignee and Importer of Record on the official documentation. You remain the owner of the goods and the brand throughout — the arrangement is a service relationship, with our licenses and infrastructure working on your behalf.
What types of goods can be imported through your Importer of Record service?
Most general consumer and commercial goods can be handled. Some product categories require additional product registration or sector-specific approvals before import or sale — for example, cosmetics, supplements, and medical devices through HSA, food and beverages through SFA, telecom equipment through IMDA, or specific certifications for chemicals.
We confirm category feasibility during initial document review. If a product needs registration in addition to the Importer of Record service, we can handle both.
How are customs duties and taxes handled?
Singapore customs calculates GST based on the declared customs value of your goods, and import duties on the few dutiable categories (alcohol, tobacco, motor vehicles, petroleum). Our team handles the calculation, filing, and settlement on your behalf during clearance.
The actual duty and tax amounts are passed through to you at cost. We confirm the applicable rates during the initial document review so you can factor them into your pricing.
Can I sell on Shopee, Lazada, or other Singapore marketplaces?
Selling on marketplaces is a separate role from importing. The Importer of Record service gets your inventory legally into Singapore. Acting as the marketplace seller — listing the products, processing customer payments, handling transactions — is a different service we offer called Seller of Record. We often run both engagements together for brands selling on Shopee, Lazada, Amazon, or other Singapore marketplaces.
Can I use this for one-off shipments, or only ongoing imports?
Both work. There's no minimum frequency or volume commitment. The service is useful for sporadic shipments where setting up your own import infrastructure isn't justified, and for ongoing imports while you test the market before committing to a permanent local entity.
Ready to send a shipment?
Talk to our Singapore team
Tell us what you're shipping, where it's coming from, and where it needs to go in Singapore. We'll confirm feasibility, the documentation required, and the timeline to your first delivery.
Phone / WhatsApp+60 17 684 9718
Office105 Cecil Street, #18-08
The Octagon
Singapore 069534
The Octagon
Singapore 069534