Izinto onokuzonwabela ezinento yokwenza notywala e-Singapore
As an experience host, you get to share your passion with travellers from around the world. This article can help you share your passion responsibly. You design and control your experience listing, what service you offer, when and where you host, and what you charge. It is your responsibility to be aware of and comply with all legal and regulatory requirements when hosting your experience.
You can use this article as a starting point for learning about local laws or regulations that may apply to your experience, but it doesn’t constitute legal or tax advice. We’re also not responsible for the reliability or accuracy of the sources we’ve linked to, so we encourage you to double-check the sources and seek your own legal advice. We don’t update this information in real time, so you should always confirm that the laws or procedures haven’t changed recently.
This page contains information about responsible hosting in Singapore. We also have articles that contain general information about hosting experiences anywhere in the world, which you can find in the Responsible hosting section of our Help Center.
Alcohol guidelines for experiences in Singapore
If you are considered to be supplying alcohol to your guests, you will need to have a liquor licence under the Liquor Control (Supply and Consumption) Act 2015. You should be aware that there is potential criminal liability for failure to obtain a liquor licence which may include financial penalties and/or jail. Where licensed premises are specified in the liquor licence, the liquor licence only allows you to supply alcohol at the licensed premise(s).
It may be necessary to have registered a business with the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) in order to apply for a liquor licence. You can find out more information on liquor licences and the application process at the Singapore Police Force website on liquor licence.
Serving alcohol to your guests is generally a tricky area, even if you sell the alcohol at cost (without a mark-up), so we encourage you to check with the liquor licensing unit of the Singapore Police Force or speak to your lawyer to make sure you are following the laws.
Additionally, you may also wish to consider if the selling of alcohol renders your premises a “Food Establishment” which requires a Food Shop licence under the Environmental Public Health Act (“EPHA”). Under the EPHA, “food” includes drinks and a “food establishment” refers to any place or premises used for the sale, or for the preparation or manufacture for sale of food for human consumption. For more details see the guide on Experiences involving food in Singapore.
If your experience takes place at a bar, you are unlikely to run afoul of the liquor licensing requirement so long as you do not supply alcohol to your guests, the bar holds a liquor licence and the experience takes place during the trading hours permitted by the licence.
You may not require a liquor licence nor a Food Shop licence if your experience is BYOB or guests bring their own food, but we encourage you to confirm your position with the Singapore Food Agency and the liquor licensing unit of the Singapore Police Force.
Brewing your own alcohol
Under the Customs (Home-Brewing of Fermented Liquors) (Exemption) Order, home-brewers can make their own beer and other fermented liquors for their personal use, and not for sale, if they fulfil the following conditions:
- the home-brewer is 18 years old and above
- the manufacture of liquor is by fermentation and not by distillation
- the amount of liquor manufactured does not exceed –
- (i) in relation to beer, 30 litres per household of the person per month
- (ii) in relation to any other fermented liquor, 30 litres in total of all such liquors per household of the person per month
- the manufacturing activities do not create a nuisance to the public or degrade the environment
- the home-brewing is carried out at the home of the individual, and it could be a HDB flat or private property
You can teach guests how to brew beer or other fermented liquors as long as you comply with the above conditions. If you do not fulfil the above conditions, you will be considered to be engaging in commercial manufacturing of dutiable goods and will require a manufacturing licence under the Customs Act. More information can be found on the Singapore Customs website.
Additionally, if you intend to supply your self brewed/produced beer or other fermented liquors to any Guests, you will also need to have a liquor licence.
Please also note that you should ensure that all the guests are of the minimum legal drinking age (currently 18 years and over).