Singapore Company Registration for Foreign Individuals and Foreign Companies

The following supporting documents will be required from you when incorporating your company. Note that all documents must be in English or translated into English.

For each Director, Shareholder and Ultimate Beneficial Owner (UBO) of the proposed company, the following documents will be required.

1. Passport copy
2. NRIC copy for Singapore citizens and PRs (or FIN card for Singapore work pass holders)
3. Residential address proof (for example, a driver’s license, a recent utility bill, rental agreement, etc.)
4. Brief professional background. This can be in the form of a curriculum vitae (CV), resume or link to the person’s LinkedIn profile.

For each Director, Shareholder and Ultimate Beneficial Owner (UBO) of the proposed company, the following documents will be required.

1. Certificate of Registration issued by the Registrar of the jurisdiction where the company is registered
2. Company Extract that contains the following information:
   • Company’s name, registration number, registered address and primary business activities
   • Paid-up Capital of the company
   • Particulars of Shareholders and Directors
3. Authorised Person Resolution passed by the director(s) of the shareholding company that includes the following:
   • Decision of the shareholding company to hold shares in the proposed Singapore Company
   • Appointment of an Authorised Person to sign the Singapore Company formation documents on behalf of the shareholding company
4. Ownership structure chart or information that identifies the key UBOs of the shareholding company. For each key UBO, we will need the documents as listed under For Individuals above.

• The end-to-end company incorporation process can take anywhere from one to a few days. It will primarily depend on how fast you can complete your tasks (providing the supporting documents, signing the incorporation documents, etc). You are not required to visit Singapore to incorporate your company.
• For foreign-owned Singapore companies, the bank account opening can take several weeks for the reasons explained here. Depending on the chosen bank, a Singapore visit may or may not be required to open the bank account.
• If you are also applying for an Employment Pass (EP), the processing time for EP application is about 3-4 weeks.

No. The Nominee Local Director does not participate in the day-to-day operations of the company. Their appointment is solely to fulfill Singapore’s regulatory requirement for at least one locally resident director.

You will appoint your own executive director(s), who may reside overseas and will be fully responsible for managing the company’s operations.

It is important to note that under Singapore’s Companies Act and common law, nominee directors bear the same legal responsibilities and obligations as regular directors. This includes ensuring the proper maintenance of statutory records, timely regulatory filings, accurate accounting and financial reporting, lawful conduct of shareholders’ and directors’ meetings, and upholding fiduciary duties to the company. As such, the nominee director may request information or clarification regarding business activities or financial matters when necessary to meet these obligations.

If you are listed as a shareholder of the Singapore company, your relocation visa options are:

1. Entrepreneur Pass - if you wish to apply within first 6 months of company incorporation. Refer to qualification criteria for Entrepreneur Pass.
2. Employment Pass - if you wish to apply after 6 months of company incorporation. Refer to qualification criteria for Employment Pass.

If you need to apply for Employment Pass as part of setting up your Singapore company, contact us.

Chances of EP approval depend primarily on the following factors:

If your Employment Pass is rejected, your service team will analyze the reasons and file an appeal accordingly. If in the unlikely scenario that your EP is still rejected after the appeal, you have the following options:

1. Extend the Nominee Local Director service and continue to operate your Singapore company from overseas. You can travel to Singapore on a visitor or business visa to conduct any business in Singapore as required. If you decide, you can reapply for Employment Pass after certain period showcasing your success and your need to relocate to Singapore .
2. You can decide to close your Singapore company if your plans have changed and you no longer need to keep your Singapore company.