Understand the requirements to import, manufacture or sell homoeopathic medicines in Singapore.
Homoeopathic medicine (HM) refers to a medicine that is formulated for use on the principle of "like cures like". It means any substance used in the system of therapeutics in which a disease is treated by the use of minute amounts of one or more substances which, in their undiluted forms, are capable of producing in a healthy human being symptoms similar to those of the disease being treated. It is prepared to a homoeopathic manufacturing procedure described by a Homoeopathic pharmacopoeia.
Food and supplements of food nature come under the purview of the Singapore Food Agency (SFA). View the interactive Food-Health Product Classification Tree1517 KB for more information.
Answer a few questions in our self-help tool to find out if your product is considered a complementary health product (e.g. Chinese Proprietary Medicine, Health Supplement, Traditional Medicine) in Singapore.
You can also get a print-out of your product classification outcome from the tool.Let's go
Want to know more about CHP product classification? Click here for our FAQ.
HM are not subject to approvals and licensing by HSA for their importation, manufacture and sales. HSA prohibits the addition of medicinal ingredients such as steroids in HM. HSA also sets strict limits on toxic heavy metals in these products. Dealers (importers, manufacturers, wholesale dealers and sellers) have the obligation to ensure that their products are not harmful or unsafe, and that they conform with the following guidelines before supplying HM into Singapore.
Your product must not exceed the following heavy metal limits:
Your product must not exceed the following microbial limits:
Total aerobic microbial count
Not more than 105 CFU per g or ml
Yeast and mould count
Not more than 5 x 102 CFU per g or ml
Escherichia coli, Salmonellae and Staphylococcus aureus
Absent in 1g or ml
Notwithstanding the limits stated above, it is the obligation of the dealers and sellers to ensure that the microbial content and heavy metals of the product is appropriate and safe when used according to the recommended conditions of use and target users.
Your product label should include the ingredients and their strengths in English. You are also not allowed to claim or indirectly suggest that the product will prevent, alleviate or cure any of the following conditions:
Dealers must ensure that all health claims and information associated with the products are sufficiently supported and submitted to HSA as and when required. Otherwise, all unsubstantiated health claims and information will be considered misleading and must be removed from the product materials.
HM manufactured or imported and sold here cannot contain these ingredients or substances:
Transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) refers to a group of progressive diseases including scrapie in sheep and goats, chronic wasting disease in mule, deer and elk, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in cattle, as well as Kuru and Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) in humans.
The infectious agents causing these diseases replicate and cause neurological disorders and eventual death in the infected individuals. There are currently no early diagnostic tests or known therapies for these diseases.
If your product contains animal derived ingredients, you must comply with our TSE guidelines236 KB to minimise the risk of TSE transmission.
If your product contains substances from endangered species listed under the Endangered Species (Import & Export) Act, you should contact the Wildlife Management Group of NParks to obtain the necessary Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) import and export permits.
You will require a valid permit from us before publishing any medical advertisement or conducting any sales promotion activity directed at the general public.
Refer to our advertisements and promotions guidelines for more information on what is required before you run any advertisement or promotion for your products.
To complement the traditional medicines, homoeopathic medicines, MOB and medicated plasters Guidelines, a list of questions and answers on the controls, safety and quality, claims and labelling can be found here142 KB
Some importing countries may require a certificate to show that the product is currently sold and distributed in Singapore.
As such, local exporters may apply for a FSC from the Health Sciences Authority.
Each FSC is specific to one product and allows the inclusion of up to five importing countries. Information in the FSC includes:
With effect from 1 June 2025, HSA will no longer issue hard copy certificates for FSC. Instead, verifiable electronic certificates will be issued via GovTech's TrustDocs digital platform. There will not be any changes to the application process, regulatory requirements and application fees for these certificates. For further information, please refer to our Frequently Asked Questions.