How to Buy Gold in Singapore: Bars, Coins, Dealers & Costs
You can buy physical gold in Singapore through specialist bullion dealers, banks that offer physical gold, and selected precious-metal or jewellery retailers. This page is physical-gold purchasing first. For account-based or financial exposure without physical metal, see how to trade gold in Singapore.
What kind of gold are you trying to buy?
Compare the product, not just the seller
1. Decide what you want to own
Physical gold comes in different forms. The most common for investment are gold bars and gold coins. Bars are typically available in weights from 1g to 1kg; coins carry a premium over the equivalent bar weight because of minting, recognition and liquidity. Decide the form and weight that fits how you intend to hold and eventually sell the gold.
2. Compare exact products
Use the Product Comparator to compare products side by side:
Customer price is the dealer’s standard public single-unit price where one exists. Premium and spread require a verified product identity, current reference data and a comparable sell observation; otherwise they show “—”. Partial or incomparable observations can never win a “lowest” sort. How we compare.
For every product you are considering, check:
- Form (bar, coin)
- Weight
- Fineness (e.g. 999.9, 999, 916)
- Refiner or mint
- IPM status (GST eligibility) where applicable
- Selling price
- Underlying gold value
- Premium over reference
- Buy-back price
- Availability
3. Understand price
The price you pay for a physical gold product is not the raw gold reference value. It is:
underlying reference value + physical-product premium = retail bullion priceThe premium reflects minting, packaging, dealer margin, product recognition and liquidity. The same weight of gold can carry a different premium depending on the product. See how gold pricing works in Singapore.
4. Check GST / IPM status
Only qualifying Investment Precious Metals are GST-exempt. IRAS currently requires qualifying gold bars, ingots and wafers to meet all applicable IPM criteria, including at least 99.5% purity. Jewellery and other non-qualifying products remain taxable. High purity alone does not make every gold product GST-free. See Is Gold GST-Free in Singapore?
5. Examine current exit economics
Before buying, ask:
- Does this exact product have a published buy-back price?
- What conditions apply to sell-back?
- What is the current same-time spread between the selling price and the buy-back price?
- Is another dealer likely to accept this product if I sell elsewhere later?
Do not predict future resale value. Exit economics reflect current dealer terms, which can change. See Gold Buy-Back Price mechanics.
6. Storage / possession
Decide how you will store the gold. Options include home storage, safe-deposit boxes and specialist vaults. Storage cost, insurance, accessibility and GST-free-zone status can all matter. See gold storage options in Singapore and the storage cost calculator.
Can I buy gold bars from a bank in Singapore?
Yes. UOB currently offers physical gold to eligible existing UOB Singapore customers. Buyers must currently be at least 18 and hold a UOB Singapore account. Eligible customers can purchase through UOB Personal Internet Banking and arrange appointment-based collection. Full guide: UOB Gold Singapore. Purchase process: How to Buy a Gold Bar from UOB.
Checked: 4 September 2026. UOB operating details (eligibility, collection window, stock) are current-content claims and can change, verify with UOB before transacting.
How can I tell whether a gold bar is genuine?
Use several checks together rather than trusting a single feature:
- stated weight
- stated fineness
- recognised refiner or mint
- product dimensions where published
- assay packaging where supplied
- serial number where applicable
- invoice and seller provenance
- professional testing if authenticity remains uncertain
Packaging, branding or a serial number alone does not prove that a gold product is genuine. Check the product’s weight, fineness, manufacturer and provenance together, and use professional testing when stronger verification is needed.
What does a hallmark tell me?
For jewellery, purity marks and jeweller identification are useful evidence of what the seller represents the item to be. But a stamp should not be treated as an infallible authenticity test. Where a transaction is material and authenticity is uncertain, independent assay/testing is stronger evidence.
