Dear Sir / Mdm,

Commencement of Import Control Regime for Power-Assisted Bicycles (PABs) and Motorised Personal Mobility Devices (PMDs)

With effect from 28 June 2021, under the Small Motorised Vehicles (Safety) Act 2020 (“SMVA”), all importers of Power-Assisted Bicycles (PABs) and motorised Personal Mobility Devices (PMDs) will be required to obtain approval from the Land Transport Authority (LTA) before importing these devices into Singapore. This will apply to devices imported under Harmonised System (HS) codes 87116091 and 87116092.

2. The import control regime is a key upstream measure to stem the inflow of non-compliant PABs and motorised PMDs into Singapore. It reinforces the government’s existing efforts to promote public path and fire safety in the use of active mobility devices.

3. Under the SMVA, it will be an offence to:

1. Import PABs and/or motorised PMDs without an import permit
2. Provide false or misleading information in an import permit application
3. Fail to comply with the conditions of an import approval

4. An individual who imports a PAB or motorised PMD without valid approval from LTA can be fined up to $5,000, or face a jail term of up to 6 months, or both, if convicted for the first offence. Businesses can be fined up to $10,000 for the first offence.

5. The import control regime will also apply to individuals bringing in PABs or motorised PMDs for personal use (e.g. residents returning to Singapore or travellers entering Singapore).

Scope of Import Control Regime

6. The following types of devices will be designated as controlled goods, and will require LTA’s approval before importation:

1. All PABs (HS code 87116091);
2. All motorised PMDs (HS code 87116092), including:
   1. those registrable under the Active Mobility Act 2017 (“AMA”) e.g. electric scooters;
   2. those which are not registrable under the AMA e.g. electric unicycles, electric skateboards, hoverboards.

7. Completely knocked down (CKD) devices will not be subject to import control at this point. However, LTA may expand the import control regime to include them in future.

8. The following types of devices will not be controlled under LTA’s import control regime:[1]

1. Non-motorised PMDs or bicycles
2. Personal mobility aids (e.g. mobility scooters, motorised wheelchairs)
3. Motorised pedal cycles with three or more wheels
4. Electric motorcycles[2]

Criteria for Import Approval

9. In general, LTA will only grant import approval for compliant PABs and motorised PMDs.[3] For non-compliant devices, LTA may grant approval under specific circumstances and subject to LTA’s strict assessment, such as for:

1. Research
2. Re-export
3. Commercial or government use exclusively on private land or land with restricted public access
4. Military or national security use

10. Approval granted to import non-compliant devices may be subject to conditions imposed by LTA.

Applying for an Import Permit

11. To import PABs and/or motorised PMDs, importers must apply for an import permit and pay the permit fee via TradeNet.[4]

12. You will need to provide the appropriate HS codes, Product codes, and CA/SC codes (where applicable[5]) in your import permit application, and provide all necessary supporting documents. For details, please refer to the LTA website at the following link: https://go.gov.sg/pmdimport.

13. Importers and declaring agents should also take note of the following processes and timelines:

14. The following fees are applicable for import permits for PABs and motorised PMDs:

1. Compliant devices – $30 per device
2. Non-compliant devices – $90 per device

Import Permits Approved Before 28 June 2021

15. If you have an import permit for PABs or motorised PMDs approved before 28 June 2021, but the devices will only be imported on or after 28 June 2021, you will be allowed to use the prior-approved import permit for as long as it is valid, but no later than 27 July 2021. Please seek a letter of approval from LTA at LTA_import_amdevice@lta.gov.sg to use your prior-approved permit on or after 28 June 2021. Please also take note of the validity period of your import permit and extend it via TradeNet before it expires, if necessary.

16. If your devices will only be imported after 27 July 2021, you will not be able to use an import permit approved before 28 June 2021. Please apply for a new import permit via TradeNet.

Further Information

17. If you need further information or have any enquiries about the import control regime, please visit the LTA website at https://go.gov.sg/pmdimport or contact us at LTA_import_amdevice@lta.gov.sg.

Thank you.

[1] When applying for import approval, devices in this list should not be declared under HS codes 87116091 or 87116092. The exception is pocket motorcycles (see footnote 2). For enquiries regarding HS classification, you may submit an enquiry to Singapore Customs.

[2] Some electric motorcycles, such as pocket motorcycles, may be classified under HS code 87116092. When applying for import approval, these should be declared under the product code “MISC”, which is for goods not controlled by LTA. Refer to the LTA website for more information.

[3] “Compliant” refers to: (1) PABs that comply with technical requirements such as having a maximum unladen weight of 20kg, and not having a throttle or start-up assistance feature, among others. From 1 July 2021, PABs must also comply with the revised EN15194:2017 standard, and not the old EN15194:2009+A1:2011 standard; (2) PMDs that comply with the device criteria for use on public paths, i.e. maximum unladen weight of 20kg, maximum width of 70cm, maximum motorised device speed of 25km/h, and certification to the UL2272 fire safety standard. Refer to the LTA and OneMotoring websites for more information.

[4] For more information on how to apply for an import permit via TradeNet, please visit the following link: https://www.customs.gov.sg/businesses/importing-goods/overview.

[5] When applying to import non-compliant devices, you will have to fill in the “CA/SC Code 1” field to declare the purpose of import.