Motion Picture Rating System - Singapore

Singapore

See also: Censorship in Singapore and Cinema of Singapore

Introduced in July 1991. Movies in Singapore are rated by Media Development Authority. The categories are:

• G: General – Suitable for all ages. This category is rarely used except for films targeted to children and family audiences.
• PG: Parental Guidance – Suitable for most ages, but parents should provide guidance to their young. This has been the most common rating for movies and video releases in Singapore for years.
• PG13: Parental Guidance 13 – Introduced since 15 July 2011, this is an advisory rating that falls between PG and NC16. The rating will also be extended to free-to-air television for broadcasting from 10pm onwards and Subscription television including Video-on-Demand (VOD) services.
• NC16: No Children Under 16 – For persons 16 years and above. It was introduced in 1993. (Note: The first film to be rated NC16 was Saving Private Ryan, which could not be passed as a PG film due to the violence present in the film, but lacked an adult theme to be rated under the now defunct R(A) rating.) However, the film has been re-classified with an M18 rating under the current rating system.
• M18: Mature 18 – For persons 18 years and above. It was introduced in 2004.
• R21: Restricted 21 – For persons 21 years and above. It was introduced in 2004. Films under this category are currently excluded from screening in residential areas, television advertisements and video releases but is available on Video-on-Demand (VOD) services and downtown cinemas.

Orange rectangles are age-restricted ratings whereas green circles are age-advisory ratings. The rating PG13 is a new rating.

G has no restriction on age and all audiences are allowed admission. The same applies to PG and PG13 rated shows but parental guidance is advised for children, especially in the case of PG13 rated shows. NC16, M18 and R21 groups are legally restricted to persons of the specified age or above of the particular group. Cinemas are legally obligated to check the identity document of every patron attending a film with a restricted rating.