How to Send your Parcel from Singapore to the Philippines

The Philippines is a country that comprises a collection of many beautiful islands. It is also home to many scenic spots, making it one of the busiest destinations for tourism and trade. If you have your loved ones living there and are looking to send parcel to the Philippines from Singapore, DHL’s shipping services will guide you end-to-end with the shipping process. Right from your Air waybill creation to packing and delivering your shipment on time, our easy-to-follow procedure will also provide you with the necessary customs rules that you would need to follow. 

Philippines’ customs rules that you must consider

Books (non-commercial use) & Films: promotional, training (dvd,vhs)

• All non-documented shipments like maps, diaries, calendars, charts, and business cards are subject to duties and taxes upon its importation in accordance with the Tariff & Customs Code of the Philippines. If you’re sending books, then the quantity must be mentioned on the HAWB and on the commercial shipping invoice. The information of the importer must be on the first line on the HAWB and commercial invoice.
   
• Diskettes/CDs/DVDs/USB/Hard Disk Drives will need an OMB (Optical Media Board) clearance. Make sure that the importer will be able to process clearance from OMB before sending the commodity to the Philippines. 

Plants

• If you’re shipping plants, plant products, seeds, or soil samples, then the consignee needs to secure a Bureau of Plant & Industry (BPI) permit prior to import. Apart from that, the consignee must secure a Phytosanitary Certificate from the shipper or the shipper must attach an original Phytosanitary Certificate to the shipment prior to export.

Chemicals & Liquids (non-hazardous) 

• If the shipper is sending chemicals or liquids, then a laboratory analysis or material safety data sheet/chemical analysis is also needed along with the shipment. The chemical analysis/MSDS must be imaged in the CIA. This is a mandatory Philippines customs requirement. For shipment weighing 10kgs and above, clearance from the District Collector of Customs is required, which is subject to delay.

Drugs (prescription and w/o prescription in pharmacy)

• For prescribed drugs and drugs in pharmacy, the shipper must attach a laboratory analysis or Material Safety Data Sheet/Chemical Analysis to the shipment. MSDS/Chemical Analysis must be imaged in CIA. This is a mandatory PH customs requirement. For shipment weighing 10kgs (22 lbs) and above, clearance from the District Collector of Customs is required, which is subject to delay. 
   
• Further, all drugs (prescription or non-prescription; for commercial purposes/sampling purposes or personal consumption) mandatorily need an FDA (Food & Drug Administration) clearance. In case it is for personal consumption, then it must be accompanied by a doctor's prescription.

Computer software

• If you are sending computer software, then make sure you add the details such as its name and type on the HAWB description field or in the goods description field of data entry. Since the term software is too generic, it will result in physical inspections and an up-gradation of value by the Philippines customs.

Telecommunication equipment

• The consignee will need to secure a National Telecommunication permit before importing telecommunications equipment, mobile phones, accessories, and its parts. Any such shipment arriving in the Philippines without an import permit is subject to long clearance delays, high penalties, or even customs seizure.
   
• The Philippines has a de minimis rate of PHP 10,000.00 or approximately USD 190.
   
• E-cigarettes/vapes (inc. parts and accessories) are considered as a prohibited commodity.

Your detailed shipping process from Singapore to Philippines

Shipping to the Philippines through DHL is as easy as these simple points. Get your Air waybill (AWB) and shipping invoice in place. If the package consists of more than one item, the sender must provide a value breakdown of each commodity. 

Shipments valued above PHP 50,000 are subjected to Formal Clearance processing and all commodity requiring Formal Clearance Processing, the Importer MUST be accredited with the Bureau of Customs (BOC) Account Management Office (AMO) or clearance will not be allowed by Customs.

All de-minimis shipments with a dutiable value of PHP 10,000 and below into the Philippines are subject to additional regulatory charges totally of PHP 430 per waybill. The Philippines Authorities implemented these additional regulatory charges in order to protect the country's industry from low-value imports.

The receiver will not be charged prior to the delivery of goods if the shipper has opted to pay for the Import Customs Duties, VAT, and other Customs-Related Charges.  The receiver will be charged prior to delivery only if the shipper has NOT opted to pay for the Import Customs Duties, VAT, and other Customs-Related Charges. 

A 3rd party Broker would have to be nominated by the importer to clear their shipment. DHL Philippines will not be able to process the clearance of shipments on behalf of the importer without Customs accreditation.

Correct Incoterm must be indicated on the Waybill and Invoice. Discrepancy on the Incoterm stated on both documents will incur a customs penalty of PHP 5,000 which the consignee has to settle. Only the following incoterm can be used (EXW, FCA, CPT, CIP, DPU, DAP, AND DDP).

Currency type used as declared value must be stated. The invoice must be in English. Description of goods on AWB & invoice must be clear & specific. Trade Terms - CIF, FOB, C&F, etc. must be on the invoice. Any discrepancy on Trade of Terms between Invoice and Goods Declaration will result in a penalty.

DHL Express won’t be taking the responsibility of packaging your shipment. You need to find a suitable packaging material for your shipment. Once it’s packed and ready to ship you can now arrange for your collection. To do that, you can either:

• Call DHL Express Customer Service
• Schedule a pickup from MyDHL + 
• Deliver the shipment to a nearest DHL Express retail store

Benefits of using DHL Express

Good knowledge about the Philippines’s customs regulations for each type of goods will prevent delays in your shipping process and any extra expenses. Besides, customs clearance, as well as completion of declarations, is done by DHL Express on your behalf.

Take a look at some of its top advantages:

• DHL Express provides flexible delivery options that help customers choose where and when their shipment should be delivered
• DHL Express provides easy international door-to-door shipping services
• DHL’s wide network covers over 220 countries and territories
• Parcel collection time is as per the customers’ choice
• With the help of DHL Express’s shipping tools such as MyDHL+, MyBill, and ODD (On-Demand Delivery), your shipping process is made easier
• Its feature of real-time updates helps customers know about their shipment’s clearance statuses

So, if you are shipping any of the above-mentioned goods from Singapore to the Philippines, then make sure you abide by the customs rules. If you wish to know what other goods you can ship to the Philippines, talk to our certified international specialist today!