Singapore Expats

Hello boys/girls,

I want to ask you about fitness supplements which i want to bring with me. I will embark to the ship from Singapore and i want to take with me Protein Isolate 2 kg, Creatine 500 gr, Magnesium 250 tablets, Calcium 200 tablets, Vitamin D 100 tablets, L-Carnitine 60 caps, Omega-3 200 tablets, BCAA 500 gr. It's okay with this supplements or they will take out from my luggage ?

Thank you in advance all of you!
Have a good day!

fronow wrote: ↑

Tue, 20 Aug 2019 6:15 pm

Hello boys/girls,

I want to ask you about fitness supplements which i want to bring with me. I will embark to the ship from Singapore and i want to take with me Protein Isolate 2 kg, Creatine 500 gr, Magnesium 250 tablets, Calcium 200 tablets, Vitamin D 100 tablets, L-Carnitine 60 caps, Omega-3 200 tablets, BCAA 500 gr. It's okay with this supplements or they will take out from my luggage ?

Thank you in advance all of you!
Have a good day!

Read below

https://www.hsa.gov.sg/content/hsa/en/H ... apore.html

Your supply looks like it is more than 3 months, in which case you are expected to get approval.

Also, check carefully if your medicines/supplements are not in the PROHIBITED list.

I don't think any of that stuff qualifies as medicine and you can buy it by the ton at GNC stores... for a ton of money. I don't think the 3 month rule applies to any of this stuff. Magnesium may be useful, also possibly the Omega-3... the rest has no evidence to support its efficacy.

What means "evidence to support its efficacy" ? I will join the ship from Singapore for 4 months so this quantity it's too much for Singapore rules ?

So they will take my protein ? Magnesium ? Omega -3 ? Why this is not medicine ... they are fitness supplements ?! The problem is that i cannot buy from there because i will join the ship direct so i have no time to buy.

They are not considered "medicines", they are considered "supplements" because there is no hard evidence that they actually do anything. Medicines are designed to cure certain problems and there is testing and evidence to show that they work. For example, you know that Tylenol relieves pain.

When you are bringing drugs, ie, medicines, into Singapore, there are four types of which you need to be aware.

Controlled substances - Even if you have a doctor's prescription from somewhere else, you cannot bring these drugs into Singapore. Usually, these are opiate derivied drugs.

Prescribed drugs - Drugs which require a doctor's prescription in Singapore also require a prescription from your doctor. Fortunately, the list of prescription drugs pretty much aligns with everywhere else, and I've never heard on anyone begin denied their drugs so long as they can prove up the prescription.

Pharmacy controlled drugs - Oddly enough, you can't buy ibuprofen off the shelf in Singapore, you have to go ask a pharmacist to dispense it for you, along with antacids like Zantax. Don't ask why... it is what it is. But, you can also bring these in all day long. Because they are pharmacist dispensed, they cost a lot more, and when I traveled back to the states each Christmas, I'd bring back a 1000 or so of each... one time I brought back 5000 ibuprofen to distribute to my friends. No problems.

Over the counter drugs - Aspirin, laxatives, cold medicine... all the stuff you are used to buying is readily available in Singapore and no one is going to give two hoots if you bring the stuff in.

Supplements - Not drugs. Listen, Singapore is filled with people who think shark's fin, or rhino horn has medical properties. Mustafa's has absolutely tons of every kind of supplement you can imagine... all the crap you get in western stores... and tons more you won't find anywhere else. Go into some Chinese herbal stores and you'll find every kind of thing in the world.

So... no one is going to give a shit about a few bottles of supplements. Now, if you decide to bring in an entire suitcase full, you might get questioned about why so much stuff when it is readily available in Singapore. But six bottles of different stuff? You'll fit right in with the folks here always searching for a magic elixir.

You can also get your supplements online from Chemist Direct or iHerb

I used to bring NyQuil into Singapore over the years but never checked if it was allowed. After checking the ingredients, turns out it is allowed in small quantities. I don’t use it often, but when I do, it’s nice to have — knocks me out and alleviates the symptoms it’s designed to. It’s not difficult to look up what is or is not allowed.