General information
Definitions of farms, licence conditions and other information
Last updated 9 December 2025
A farm means any land or premises, whether enclosed by fencing or not, used for the keeping, rearing, breeding, or boarding of animals or birds for commercial purposes, or the cultivation of aquatic ornamental plants for commercial production.
You would need to obtain a licence to carry out these activities in your existing leasehold, tenancy land, or other premises.
The Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS), a cluster of National Parks Board has embarked on the pet sector review since August 2019, where the pet breeding and boarding sectors were identified for the first phase of the review, based on preliminary engagement with key stakeholders in the pet sector when concerns about the varying standards of pet breeders and boarders were raised. A public consultation exercise which included a series of Focus Group Discussions and an online survey were conducted. With the consolidation of the public feedback, AVS has since worked with industry stakeholders to comprehensively revise the existing licensing conditions, taking reference from overseas standards such as those in Australia and the United Kingdom, to ensure effective implementation. Pet breeders and boarders would have to abide by the revised set of licensing conditions from 1 April 2022.
Licence conditions
Information on licence conditions for various farm types can be found below.
Food-related Businesses
Under the Wildlife Act, the feeding, killing, keeping, import, export, and sale of wildlife are activities which require the written approval of the Director-General, Wildlife Management (NParks).
Subject to the conditions listed below, the Director-General, Wildlife Management (NParks) gives approval to the following persons to carry out the specified activities in respect of wildlife intended for consumption or primary production of food:
A. Persons who hold food-related licences issued by the Director-General, Food Administration (Singapore Food Agency or “SFA”) are approved to carry out the following activities:
i) Killing, keeping and feeding of fish, frogs, turtles, quails, insects and snails intended for consumption;
ii) Killing of crocodiles intended for consumption;
iii) Import of live fish, turtles, frogs, quails, insects and snails intended for the primary production or food and/or consumption; and
iv) Export, sale and offering for sale of:
a) fish, frogs, turtles, quails, insects and snails intended for consumption, or any part of the said wildlife; and
b) game meat such as crocodile, guinea fowl, pheasant, pigeon, reindeer and kangaroo meat, and venison.
B. Other persons carrying on food-related businesses are approved to sell and offer for sale:
i) Fresh whole (non-live) fish, frogs, quails, turtles, insects and snails intended for consumption, or parts of the said wildlife; and
ii) Game meat such as crocodiles, guinea fowl, pheasant, pigeon, reindeer and kangaroo meat, and venison,
*For the purpose of this approval, ‘fish’ includes Crustacea, Mollusca, Echinodermata and Cnidaria.
This approval is subject to the following conditions:
1. The wildlife, wildlife part or game meat (whichever is applicable) must be:
(a) legally imported, produced or caught (for fish) by a SFA-licensee;
(b) derived from any animal that has been slaughtered in a SFA-licensed facility in Singapore;
(c) processed in a SFA-licensed processing establishment; or
(d) obtained from a SFA-licensed wholesale market.
2. Compliance with any other conditions imposed by the Director-General, Wildlife Management (NParks).
3. All necessary permits/licenses/certificates required under other laws or regulations must be obtained.
Those who do not meet the criteria for general approval may seek the written approval of the Director-General if they wish to carry out the specified activities relating to wildlife. Those who wish to do so can contact NParks.
The approval and conditions are valid as of 9 June 2020.