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Singapore shipping customs
Singapore shipping customs
Hi all, had a bit of a mix up and now I fee like a plum.
So we packed all out boxes to Singapore via seven seas worldwide and they have now shipped. God knows how long they will take.
So I realised I have packed a bunch of prescription meds in some of the boxes mixed in with our supplements, vitamins and non prescription meds.
How big of an issue do you think this is? I'm guessing they check every box at the port and will want an explanation when I try to collect my stuff?
It's just so hard to remember everything now this has happened! Oh and I don't have the prescriptions to show them either!
How big of an issue is this?
So we packed all out boxes to Singapore via seven seas worldwide and they have now shipped. God knows how long they will take.
So I realised I have packed a bunch of prescription meds in some of the boxes mixed in with our supplements, vitamins and non prescription meds.
How big of an issue do you think this is? I'm guessing they check every box at the port and will want an explanation when I try to collect my stuff?
It's just so hard to remember everything now this has happened! Oh and I don't have the prescriptions to show them either!
How big of an issue is this?
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Re: Singapore shipping customs
It depends on the drugs, whether they were properly declared, and whether ICA finds them. If you want to be at least a little more precise about the first two elements we might be able to offer opinions.
- Strong Eagle
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Re: Singapore shipping customs
Since he realized that he packed the meds, it's unlikely that he declared them.BBCWatcher wrote:It depends on the drugs, whether they were properly declared, and whether ICA finds them. If you want to be at least a little more precise about the first two elements we might be able to offer opinions.
It's also quite unlikely that anything is going to happen. The inbound shipment may or may not be inspected, and if it is inspected it may be rather cursory or it could be extensive... something that is relatively rare, and in my opinion, probably related to the origin of the shipment.
I'd just wait. If the meds were to be discovered in an inspection, I would
a) Explain the the shipper piled everything into one box
b) Have doctor's presriptions for the meds in question
I know a fellow who moved from KL to Singapore with a container that had hundreds of DVD's in it, none declared, an oversight, just like yours. Nothing happened.
Re: Singapore shipping customs
Thanks a lot for the reply. It's just I know how strict they 'can' be here in Sin. The meds are nothing fancy, Antibiotics, pain meds like co-codomol ok, some breast cancer meds (belonging to mom)and fertility meds. No 'party drugs' as they say. I guess we just gotta wait and see - I suppose worst case I'm looking at a big fine and confiscation...lets hope neither.
Re: Singapore shipping customs
TBH I think you're over-worrying. You do have to itemise/list media, every single CD, DVD, etc, but we never give a thought to what meds we relo with into SG. [3* now, just for context].
So there will be various remnants of prescription meds, and we've never had copies of original prescriptions on us, NOR felt any necessity at all to declare any of these products on any customs forms.
I reckon absolute worst case is a tiny chance they happen to find something and ask you to explain it. So you explain, perhaps getting a copy of the original prescription as proof if needs be. That said, I've never heard of anything like even this happening before...
So there will be various remnants of prescription meds, and we've never had copies of original prescriptions on us, NOR felt any necessity at all to declare any of these products on any customs forms.
I reckon absolute worst case is a tiny chance they happen to find something and ask you to explain it. So you explain, perhaps getting a copy of the original prescription as proof if needs be. That said, I've never heard of anything like even this happening before...
'Do it or do not do it: You will regret both' - Kierkegaard
- Strong Eagle
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Re: Singapore shipping customs
The customs folks aren't out to whack people like you... they are actually quite reasonable. They are after entirely different game.Pinshot wrote:Thanks a lot for the reply. It's just I know how strict they 'can' be here in Sin. The meds are nothing fancy, Antibiotics, pain meds like co-codomol ok, some breast cancer meds (belonging to mom)and fertility meds. No 'party drugs' as they say. I guess we just gotta wait and see - I suppose worst case I'm looking at a big fine and confiscation...lets hope neither.
They require that everyone declare because if they do catch a big fish, the law's been broken.
I really wouldn't sweat it.
Re: Singapore shipping customs
As the others said, don't worry. It's not about cases like yours. It's about smuggling the real drugs or restricted drugs in large quantity. It's not like in EU where a friend of mine got prosecuted for bringing over from Egypt a single package of Valium. Authorities here are reasonable and don't attempt to punish everyone for the sake of blind, literal law obedience.
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Re: Singapore shipping customs
Naive question: Aren't these bottles of prescription medications labeled? For example, approximately, "For Jane Smith, take 2 tablets every 4 hours, Boots Pharmacy, Liverpool...."?
Re: Singapore shipping customs
In the UK they are, similar to in SG, with a summary of the dosage (the 'indications').BBCWatcher wrote:Naive question: Aren't these bottles of prescription medications labeled? For example, approximately, "For Jane Smith, take 2 tablets every 4 hours, Boots Pharmacy, Liverpool...."?
Other countries you're told by the doctor what you need, then you go and buy it in a pharmacy, and it's not labelled with your details. Certainly where we are now you're just handed the packages and you're left to translate the indications back home. In fact you don't need a formal prescription to buy most things, and you can buy stuff that would be illegal to import into SG [IIRC pseudoephedrine might be one such drug?]. So the situation here is more akin to my experience in say Thailand, Malaysia, Indon etc.
But as long as you have some form of recourse, if it came to it, retrospectively getting proof it was prescribed, or it innocently got packed by mistake... well, it's never been a risk that's concerned me. Packing/moving is stressful enough with sweating the micro-stuff.
'Do it or do not do it: You will regret both' - Kierkegaard
Re: Singapore shipping customs
Actually, the purpose of declaration is two fold: 1) If you fail to declare, you are charged for same, and if you misdeclare, add failure to declare + misdeclaration :p
As said, fret not, unless you are bringing in severely controlled drugs in large volume
As said, fret not, unless you are bringing in severely controlled drugs in large volume
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