Passport covers bearing a design with the State Crest of Singapore are no longer available on e-commerce website Taobao, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth said to Mothership in response to our queries.

Such items were available for sale earlier in December, with the covers being sold for about 138 yuan (S$26) in colours such as red, black and purple.

Use of the State Crest is limited to government departments

The MCCY spokesperson added that usage of the State Crest, also known as the National Coat of Arms, is limited to government departments under the National Symbols Regulations 2023.

Selling or offering to sell any material or object on which the State Crest appears, without proper authorisation, is prohibited.

In addition, approval must be sought for any other use of the State Crest except for the purposes of reporting news.

Passport covers of other countries still on sale

Passport covers of other countries still appear to be available for sale on Taobao.

This includes passport covers of countries such as Japan, the U.S., Russia, as well as territories like Hong Kong, among others.

Top screenshots via Taobao