In this guide · 7 sections
Short answer
To sell wireless or telecom devices in Singapore you need a Telecommunication Dealer's Class Licence (S$50 one-time) and the model must be registered with IMDA (free for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices under ESER). Each item or its packaging needs the IMDA compliance label; importers register their own models.
Which products count as telecommunication equipment
IMDA's dealer guidelines define telecommunication equipment as any appliance, apparatus or accessory used or intended to be used for telecommunications. In practice, for an online seller that means anything with a radio or a network connection. IMDA's Equipment Registration page groups them like this:
| Scheme | Typical products | Fee per model | Valid |
|---|---|---|---|
| ESER (Enhanced Simplified) | Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices, RFID, alarms, remote controls, wireless mics, DECT phones, PMR446 radios under 500 mW | Free | 5 years |
| SER (Simplified) | Mobile phones, broadband modems, IoT user equipment | S$100 (+S$50 family series) | 5 years |
| GER (General) | Walkie-talkies (land mobile radio), repeaters, UWB, devices needing IMDA approval | S$350 or S$500 (+S$50 family series) | 5 years |
| COFC (optional) | Exempted wired single-line equipment such as fax or basic telephones | S$100 or S$350 | Lifetime |
Some equipment cannot be sold at all. IMDA lists scanning receivers, military communication equipment, telephone voice changers and radios on certain cellular bands (other than mobile phones) as prohibited telecommunication equipment.
Which dealer's licence you need
IMDA's Guidelines to Application for Telecommunication Dealer's Licences set out two licences:
Dealer's Class Licence
Most shopsS$50 one-time
- For selling registered equipment or exempted equipment
- Registered against your main business location
- Extra outlets added free
- Valid until cancelled
Best for: Retailers and online stores selling to Singapore customers.
Dealer's Individual Licence
Export tradeS$250 for 5 years
- For non-registered equipment
- May only sell to other Individual Licence holders or for re-export
- Needed per premises
- Not for local retail of unregistered goods
Best for: Traders handling goods not approved for Singapore use.
Both are applied for through GoBusiness Licensing with Corppass. Private individuals selling their own used phone online are deemed licensed and need not register, but that exemption is for people not carrying on a business. Second-hand dealers of telecom equipment also need a Secondhand Dealers licence from the police, the guidelines note.
Do I have to register a model someone else already registered?
Often, yes. IMDA's Q&A on equipment registration answers this directly: every supplier is responsible for the equipment it imports and places on the Singapore market, so it must register equipment under its responsibility even if another supplier registered the same model. The reason given is that products from different sources or factories can differ in performance.
That rule decides your workload:
- You import directly (from a factory, Alibaba, an overseas distributor): you register each model yourself, through GoBusiness, with a Supplier's Declaration of Conformity and test reports.
- You buy from a local distributor who registered the model: ask for the IMDA registration number and confirm the distributor appears as the supplier in IMDA's registered equipment search. Keep that confirmation on file.
- You dropship from overseas sellers: the goods enter Singapore without a registering supplier, which is the riskiest set-up. Get advice before listing radio products this way.
Labels and what to show on product listings
IMDA's Requirements for Telecommunication Equipment Labels and Advertisements require licensees to affix the compliance label on registered equipment, or on its instruction manual or packaging, before it is displayed or offered for sale. The label reads "Complies with IMDA Standards" with the dealer's licence number, at 17 mm by 9 mm. An electronic label on the device's screen or in the softcopy manual is allowed if the packaging explains where to find it.
Residential gateways (home routers) carry an extra requirement: they must meet IMDA's security specification and show the CSA Cybersecurity Label alongside the IMDA label. IMDA published issue 2 of that security specification on 8 June 2026.
Listing check for each radio product
The first two lines are good practice rather than a quoted IMDA rule for online listings, but they let shoppers and marketplaces see the product is approved for Singapore.
Supplier documents to keep
IMDA's Guide for Registration of Telecommunication Equipment (March 2026) says suppliers must make supporting documents available on request and keep them for at least 5 years. Before you buy stock, ask the manufacturer or distributor for:
Description of the equipment
Brand, model and any variants, plus the frequency bands and output power.
Test reports against IMDA standards
From a lab recognised by IMDA, an accredited lab, or the manufacturer, as the framework allows.
Sales brochure with technical data
The spec sheet you would use for the listing.
User guide
Including where the electronic label is shown if you use that method.
Safety and EMC evidence
IMDA expects designs that meet international safety standards (for example IEC 62368-1) and EMC requirements (IEC CISPR 32).
Mains-powered gadgets may also need the Safety Mark from Enterprise Singapore. Our guide on selling electrical products online and the Safety Mark covers that separate scheme.
Do it yourself or get help?
The licence and ESER registrations are online forms you can do yourself through GoBusiness; ESER registration is free. Paid schemes and test reports are where a specialist testing lab or compliance consultant helps, and IMDA's own guide is the reference to follow. If you also ship overseas, our guide to cross-border e-commerce from Singapore covers the other side.
IT Sorted is a Singapore-based team of developers with over 10 years of experience. We do not handle IMDA filings, but our Shopify Store package (S$1,890) builds your store with up to 30 products uploaded from your spreadsheet, so a column for IMDA registration numbers and label photos goes straight onto each product page. It includes PayNow and card payments, shipping zones, policy pages and a walkthrough video.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, if you sell them as a business. Bluetooth devices are telecommunication equipment, so you need a Telecommunication Dealer's Class Licence, which is a S$50 one-time fee. The model must also be registered with IMDA, which for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi devices is done under the free ESER scheme, valid for five years.
Yes, if they are registered with IMDA. IMDA says land mobile radio or walkie-talkies need General Equipment Registration, which costs S$350 or S$500 per model. Low-power PMR446 and MCR446 radios under 500 mW fall under the free ESER scheme. Unregistered radios may only be sold for re-export.
IMDA keeps a list of registered equipment that shows the model and the supplier who registered it. The equipment search is linked from IMDA's registration Q&A at eservice.imda.gov.sg. Because each importer must register its own stock, check that your supplier is the one listed, not just the model.
IMDA specifies a label reading Complies with IMDA Standards followed by the dealer's licence number, sized 17 mm by 9 mm. It goes on the equipment, its manual or its packaging before sale. An electronic label on the device's screen or in the softcopy manual is allowed if the packaging explains how to find it.
IMDA's dealer guidelines say an individual who is not carrying on business as a dealer and sells registered equipment, such as their own used phone, is deemed to hold a Class Licence and does not need to register. That exemption does not cover businesses or people trading regularly.