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Advertising Regulations in Singapore (2026): The General Code, and the Stricter Rules for Healthcare

By Gordon Hwa, Founder, Khepri Digital
Updated · First published 19 June 2023 · 11 min read

This article explains what the rules say, with sources. It is not legal advice.

Which advertising rules apply in Singapore?

There is no single advertising law. Most ads follow a self-regulatory code, and specific sectors add binding law on top. For marketers, the five sets that come up most are below; the healthcare rules are the strictest.

Rule set Applies to Legally binding? Who enforces Maximum penalty
Singapore Code of Advertising Practice (SCAP) All advertising in Singapore, any medium No, self-regulatory ASAS Takedown request, media refusal, public naming
Healthcare Services Act 2020 and Advertisement Regulations 2021 Licensed healthcare providers and anyone advertising for them Yes Ministry of Health S$20,000 and/or 12 months, plus S$1,000 a day
Health Products Act, Medicines Act Medicines and health products Yes Health Sciences Authority Set by each Act
SMC Ethical Code and Ethical Guidelines (2016) Registered doctors Professional code Singapore Medical Council Disciplinary action
Personal Data Protection Act 2012, Do Not Call provisions Marketing messages to Singapore phone numbers Yes PDPC Set by the Act

What does the Singapore Code of Advertising Practice require?

The SCAP requires that "all advertisements should be legal, decent, honest, and truthful". It applies to ads "in any form, or any media", including digital, and to any ad appearing in Singapore wherever it was made. The current edition is the 3rd, from February 2008, read together with later ASAS guidelines on investments (2015), social media (2016) and an updated statutes chapter (2019).

Responsibility rests "primarily with the advertiser", but the code also applies to the agency and the media that publish the ad. The clauses marketers meet most often:

  • Proof. Factual claims must be "capable of substantiation", and "advertisers and advertising agencies are required to hold such substantiation ready for immediate production without delay" (Part III, 1.1).
  • Testimonials. They must be genuine, current, and reflect a typical experience, not an exceptional one (Part III, 3.1 to 3.5).
  • Prices. Extra costs must be stated "with no less prominence than the price itself", and "all prices should include GST where it applies" (Part III, 5).
  • "Free" and "discount". Free must not hide costs higher than the product's normal cost. A discounted price "must be lower than its usual price and cannot be offered indefinitely" (Part III, 7 and 8).
  • Comparisons. They must be "clear and fair" and compare like with like (Part III, 9).
  • Disclaimers. They must be legible, no smaller than the smallest font used for claims, and never below 8 point (Part III, 17.1).
  • Advertorials. Paid content must be identifiable as advertising, for example labelled "Advertisement" or "Advertising Feature" (Appendix A).
  • Health claims in general ads. No cure claims, and references to doctors only to those registered in Singapore (Appendix F).

What are the rules for influencer and social media advertising?

ASAS's Guidelines for Interactive Marketing Communication and Social Media, issued on 29 August 2016, say "all marketing communication must be identified as such and distinguished from editorial or personal opinions." Any commercial relationship, free sample or invitation behind a post must be disclosed, clearly, prominently and as early as possible.

  • Disclosures must be readable on every device, in a contrasting colour, and not hidden behind a link.
  • Example tags in the guidance notes are #adv, #sp, #sponsored and #endorsed, or a sentence such as "This post was sponsored by…". "#ad" is not on the list, and ASAS says the examples are guidance, not new rules.
  • Buying likes, fake accounts or view bots to boost engagement is not allowed.
  • No disclosure is needed when a platform labels a boosted post, when a brand posts on its own channel, or when someone re-shares without any incentive.

For healthcare providers these rules are not enough: MOH bans paid reviews of clinics even when the sponsorship is disclosed (see below).

What happens if you breach the code?

Anyone can complain to ASAS through its online form, by email or by post, with a screenshot or link. Consumer complaints are free; a business complaining about a competitor pays S$600 (members of AAMS, AMOS or DMAS) or S$1,200, before GST. ASAS usually decides within one to two months of having all the information.

ASAS has no power to fine. Its sanctions, in rising order: asking the advertiser to amend or remove the ad, asking media owners to refuse space or airtime, publishing the decision with the advertiser's name, and referring the matter to the relevant authorities. ASAS received 379 pieces of advertising feedback in 2025, seven of them about generative AI.

Which rules apply to clinics and other healthcare providers?

Advertising by licensed healthcare providers in Singapore is governed by the Healthcare Services Act 2020 (HCSA) and the Healthcare Services (Advertisement) Regulations 2021. Only a licensee, or someone "acting on the authority of the licensee", may advertise a licensable healthcare service, and both must follow the regulations. A breach can mean a fine of up to S$20,000, up to 12 months in prison, or both, plus S$1,000 a day while it continues (HCSA s 31).

The rules cover 16 licensable services, including outpatient medical and dental clinics, hospitals, ambulatory surgical centres, assisted reproduction, clinical laboratories and nursing homes. They apply to any ad that can be seen from Singapore; MOH says a licensee's website is always covered, "even if these are targeted at foreigners".

What happened to the PHMC rules? HCSA replaced the Private Hospitals and Medical Clinics (PHMC) Act in three phases: 3 January 2022 (including the advertising regulations), 26 June 2023 (clinics and hospitals) and 18 December 2023 (nursing homes and the rest). The PHMC Act stopped applying to clinics and hospitals on 26 June 2023 and was repealed on 18 December 2023. Guides that still cite the PHMC (Advertisement) Regulations are out of date.

What must a healthcare ad not contain?

Regulation 5 sets the content rules. The ad must be "factually accurate and capable of being substantiated", and must not be exaggerated or misleading. MOH's FAQs (updated November 2024) explain how it reads each rule.

  • No superlatives or praise words, even if true. Regulation 5(1)(e) bans any "laudatory statement" or "superlative". MOH's list includes "Best", "Leading", "State-of-the-art", "Cutting-edge", "Gold standard", "Number 1" and "Extensive experience".
  • No before-and-after or after-only images, with or without a disclaimer (5(1)(d)). They may be shown to a patient during a consultation.
  • No comparisons with other providers, even unnamed ones that can be identified from context (5(1)(c)).
  • No promises of results or "unjustified expectation" (5(1)(c)).
  • No soliciting (5(1)(g)). MOH treats "free", "complimentary", "discount", "promotion", "offer", "package", "as low as", time-limited prices, giveaways, lucky draws and points redemption as soliciting.
  • No advertised promotional programmes. Referral rewards and packages may exist, but patients can only be told about them "at the point of payment" (regulation 15).
  • No awards on ads. A licensee may show awards for technical standards only on its premises, website or own social accounts, and an agency must not publish them at all (regulation 13).
  • No misleading MC or speed claims, such as "MC in 1 minute!" or "Teleconsultation completed within 1 minute" (MOH FAQ, November 2024).

Can clinics show patient reviews and testimonials?

Only in one narrow case. Regulation 14 allows a review or testimonial only if a patient, next of kin or carer gave it directly to the clinic, was not paid or rewarded, and it has not been substantively edited. Even then, it can only be shown on the clinic's premises, its own website or its own social media accounts, and never for assisted reproduction services.

Reposting is not allowed, including re-sharing a patient's own Facebook or Instagram post. A "review" includes star and numerical ratings. Reviews that patients leave unprompted on Google or other third-party sites are not the clinic's advertising, so they are fine where they are, but copying them onto the clinic's site is not.

How can clinics show prices?

MOH's guidance is that licensees may list only "the exact and final price" of a service, with no prefix such as "from" or "as low as", and no comparison with an original price. Payment plans may be shown only when payment is being sought.

Where can healthcare ads appear?

Outside the clinic, ads may appear "only in newspapers, directories, medical journals, magazines, brochures, leaflets, flyers, pamphlets or the Internet (including mobile application software)" (regulation 6(1)). Inside the premises, any medium is allowed. Printed brochures and flyers must carry their date of publication.

Messages pushed to individuals, including SMS, WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, and unsolicited flyers in letterboxes need the person's prior written consent (regulation 6(4)). MOH says search engine optimisation is not advertising, but paid search ads are, and must follow the regulations. MOH does not vet individual ads in advance.

What are agencies liable for?

An agency acting for a clinic is an "authorised person" under the regulations. MOH says the authorisation should be documented, for example in the contract, and that "the licensee ultimately is responsible". The agency can be prosecuted directly for breaking the rules on media and push consent, promotional programmes, awards, reviews and hyperlinks (regulation 18), and must take down a non-compliant ad when the clinic tells it to (regulation 17).

Senior care is a regulated category on Google, and nursing homes are licensed under HCSA. For Red Crowns Senior Living, the ads only ran after they were rewritten around Google's health policy and Singapore's healthcare advertising rules. Every ad and page we run for clinics and care providers is checked against these rules before it goes live.

What about medicines and health products?

Products are regulated separately by the Health Sciences Authority, under the Health Products Act and the Medicines Act. Advertising prescription-only medicines to the public is prohibited. Therapeutic product ads don't need prior approval but must not make false or misleading claims, suggest "guaranteed results without side effects", or use endorsements by healthcare professionals or celebrities.

Some medicinal products, such as Chinese proprietary medicines and medicated plasters, need a valid HSA permit before any public advertisement or sales promotion, and the permit number must appear on the material.

What do doctors have to follow?

The Singapore Medical Council's Ethical Code and Ethical Guidelines (2016 edition, in force since 1 January 2017) set twelve standards for doctors' advertising: factual, accurate, verifiable, not misleading, not unduly persuasive, no extravagant claims, not sensational, not enticing, no financial inducements, not laudatory, not comparative and not disparaging (Guideline G2).

Doctors may give "neutrally toned and objective information" about their SMC-registered qualifications, experience, areas of practice and expertise. Testimonials "must not be used in advertising on any media where you have any control over the content", and paid placements must be disclosed at the start of the article or broadcast (G2, G4).

Can you send marketing messages on WhatsApp or SMS?

Under the Personal Data Protection Act, a business must check the Do Not Call registry before sending a marketing message to a Singapore phone number, unless the recipient has given clear and unambiguous consent that is recorded (section 43). Messages must identify the sender and give contact details. For licensed healthcare providers, the HCSA rule is stricter: push messages need the person's prior written consent.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Singapore Code of Advertising Practice legally binding?

No. The SCAP is a self-regulatory code administered by ASAS, which relies on "guidance and voluntary compliance". ASAS cannot fine or prosecute; it can ask for an ad to be changed or removed, ask media owners to refuse it, and publish its decision. Sector laws such as the Healthcare Services Act are binding.

Which hashtag should influencers use for sponsored posts in Singapore?

ASAS's guidance gives #adv, #sp, #sponsored and #endorsed as examples, or a plain sentence such as "This post was sponsored by…". What matters is that the disclosure is clear, prominent and early. Paid reviews of licensed clinics are not allowed even with a disclosure.

Can a clinic in Singapore offer a free consultation?

It can't advertise one. MOH treats "free", "complimentary", "discount", "promotion" and "package" in healthcare ads as soliciting under regulation 5(1)(g) of the Healthcare Services (Advertisement) Regulations 2021. Clinics may list the exact, final price of a service.

Are before-and-after photos allowed for clinics in Singapore?

No. Regulation 5(1)(d) bans before-and-after and after-only images in healthcare advertisements, and MOH says the ban applies even with a disclaimer. They may be shown to a patient during a consultation.

Do the PHMC advertising guidelines still apply?

No. The Private Hospitals and Medical Clinics Act stopped applying to clinics and hospitals on 26 June 2023 and was repealed on 18 December 2023. Healthcare advertising is now governed by the Healthcare Services Act 2020 and the Healthcare Services (Advertisement) Regulations 2021.

What is the penalty for breaking the healthcare advertising rules?

Up to S$20,000, up to 12 months in prison, or both, plus up to S$1,000 a day for a continuing offence, under section 31 of the Healthcare Services Act and regulation 18 of the Advertisement Regulations.

Sources

All accessed 20 October 2026.

Rewritten in October 2026 to reflect the Healthcare Services Act. The first version of this article, published in June 2023, described the PHMC rules that it replaced.

This guide supports our healthcare marketing service.

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