STARTING April 1, 2026, foreign-registered commercial diesel vehicles with smoke emissions of 50 Hartridge Smoke Units (HSU) or more will be turned back at land checkpoints and denied entry into Singapore. The National Environment Agency (NEA) announced that this new threshold aligns with the emissions standards under the ASEAN Framework Agreement on the Facilitation of Goods in Transit.
In preparation for this change, from October 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026, the NEA will issue advisories to foreign commercial diesel vehicles entering Singapore, reminding them of the new emission threshold and implementation date.
Currently, if the smoke emissions of a local or foreign commercial diesel vehicle exceed 40 HSU, the motorist is issued a compound fine. Foreign commercial diesel vehicles emitting 60 HSU or more are already turned back at land checkpoints. The new regulation lowers the turnback threshold to 50 HSU, aiming to reduce air pollution from high-emission vehicles.
Additionally, foreign-registered motorcycles that were registered in their home country before July 1, 2003, will be banned from Singapore’s roads starting July 1, 2028. This regulation extends a 2018 policy targeting local motorcycles, which mandates that older motorcycles, generally more polluting than newer models, meet the Euro emissions standards.
Motorists found in violation of these regulations face a fine of up to S$2,000 (RM6,960) under the Environmental Protection and Management (Vehicular Emissions) Regulations on first conviction. The NEA emphasised its commitment to enforcing these standards to safeguard Singapore’s air quality.
For more details on the new emissions standards and upcoming regulations, visit the NEA’s official website or contact their customer service hotline.
