Alcoholic Drinks During Singapore Transit

by Sangeetha Shankar
(Austrslia)

I am travelling to India from Australia via Singapore. I would like to take wine purchased from Australia. Can you tell whether I am allowed to take the wine along while I'm travelling? If so how much?

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Alcoholic Drinks During Singapore Transit

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Mar 27, 2009

Alcoholic Drinks - Limited by Your Final Destination Airport
by: Gabriel Tan

Hi Sangeetha

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I'm assuming that you are transiting at one of the main terminals at Singapore Airport, and also not leaving the transit area.

If you plan on leaving the transit area, or are transiting at the Singapore Budget Terminal, a different set of rules apply.

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I think there are a few issues here:

1. Where are you buying the wine in Australia?

There's currently an international aviation rule that goes like this:

A passenger intending to take liquids, gels and aerosols into a plane's cabin must store them in transparent bottles no larger than 100ml. And all bottles must go into a re-sealable transparent plastic bag no larger than 1 litre.

So your chance of taking bottles of wine bought from outside the airport into a plane's cabin in Australia is as good as zero. (But please verify this with the Australian airport.)

However, you may still be able to buy wine from the duty-free shops at an Australian airport.

These shops usually have special licenses to sell duty-free wine to passengers. They normally pack the wine bottles in specially sealed plastic bags, which security personnel will allow through.

2. How much wine can you take into India?

You need to find out how much wine you are allowed to take through Indian Customs, especially if you don't want to pay duties. This will over-ride everything else.

3. What happens at Singapore Airport transit area?

a. They same rules governing liquids, aerosols and gels apply (i.e. they must be in 100ml transparent bottles, in 1-litre re-sealable transparent plastic bag)

So, if for whatever reason, a transit passenger turns up at Singapore Airport with un-approved bottles of wine, she/he will not be able to take these bottles of wine onto the connecting plane.

b. If you are buying your wine from the duty-free shops at the Australian airport, let them know that you are transiting at Singapore Airport.

Seek their advice. Find out how much duty-free wine will get through at Singapore Airport, so that you'll get onto your India-bound plane hassle-free - and with your bottle of wine still in your hands.

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