Singapore Company Registration in 5 Easy Steps

Registering a company in Singapore can seem daunting. In this guide, we demystify the process and walk you through the steps to register a new Singapore company. If you are ready to incorporate now, click the Get Started button.

Get Started

Read Guide

singapore company registration in 5 steps

The steps to register a company in Singapore are:

Step 1: Review and understand Singapore's company registration requirements
Step 2: Determine corporate structure and collect supporting documents
Step 3: Confirm availability of desired company name
Step 4: Sign incorporation documents
Step 5: Incorporate company and open its bank account

We have helped thousands register companies in Singapore

87 Google reviews

5.0

Talk to an Expert

Frequently Asked Questions

company constitution singapore company registration

How long does it take to open a company in Singapore?

What are the types of companies in Singapore?

Will it be easy to open a bank account in Singapore?

More FAQs

Step 1

Understand Singapore's Company Registration Requirements

The requirements for registering a company in Singapore are simple and straightforward. They are:

Shareholders

At least 1 shareholder

You must have at least one shareholder to register a Singapore company. The shareholder can be an individual or another company. Of course, you can have more than one such shareholder as well. The maximum number of shareholders for a Singapore private limited company is 50. Note that 100% foreign shareholding is allowed i.e. all shareholders can be foreigners.

Capital

Capital of at least SGD 1

You can set up your Singapore company with a capital of just 1 Singapore dollar. Later, if required, you can increase the capital by injecting additional funds and notifying the company registrar.

Directors

At least one director who resides in Singapore

Singapore-resident and foreign-resident persons can be directors of a Singapore company as long as there is at least one Singapore-resident director. Corporate directors are not permitted in other words a company cannot be a director; it must be a person. If you don’t have a Singapore-resident person to act as the director, you can use our nominee director service to satisfy this requirement. To learn more, see local director options for foreign-owned companies.

Company Secretary

Company Secretary who resides in Singapore

A Singapore company must appoint a company secretary who resides in Singapore. A company secretary is responsible for ensuring the company complies with its regulatory obligations and filings. When you incorporate your company through us, we will appoint a company secretary for your company.

Address

A registered address in Singapore

The company must have a registered address in Singapore; all statutory documents of the company must be kept at this address. The address cannot be a PO box. When you incorporate your company through us, we will appoint our address as your company’s registered address.

Step 2

Decide corporate structure and collect supporting documents

The next step to register a company in Singapore is to decide its corporate structure. Here are a few of the main questions you should consider:

Who will be the shareholders of the company and what percentage of shares will each shareholder own? If you are opening a subsidiary company in Singapore, the sole shareholder will be your existing local or foreign company. If you are starting a new venture, you and your other partners — if you have any — will be the shareholders.
Who will be the directors of the company? Who will act as its Singapore-resident director? Will you require our nominee director service?
What will be the initial share capital of the company? As a general rule, most companies are initially incorporated with a small capital, such as SGD 100.

Singapore company registration regulations require that identification and background information about the proposed shareholders and directors of the company must be collected and verified by the firm that is incorporating the company. Below are general guidelines for the types of documents that should be provided to satisfy this requirement.

Certificate of incorporation of the company that will be the shareholder (i.e. the parent company)
Business profile of the parent company containing information about its business activities, share capital, shareholders, and officers
An ownership structure chart that identifies the Ultimate Beneficial Owners (UBO) of the parent company
Board resolution from parent company authorizing the registration of a subsidiary company in Singapore

We make it easy!

We simplify the collection of your supporting documents. After learning about your Singapore company needs, our team will tell you which documents would be required, including those necessary for the KYC due-diligence required by Singapore regulations.

Get Started

upload singapore company registration documents

And no need to notarize and send the physical documents. You can just upload them to our secure portal.

sign singapore business registration documents electronically

All documents are signed electronically! No faxes, scanned documents, courier, or mail necessary.

Step 3

Obtain Approval for your Company's Name

Singapore company law requires that a company must have its name approved separately before it can be incorporated. The name approval is a quick procedure as long as you follow these guidelines:

Unique

The name cannot be identical or substantially similar to the name of an existing business in Singapore.

Unreserved

The name must not have been reserved by another person or entity; a name can only be reserved by one person at a time.

No Trademark Infringement

The name must not infringe on a trademark or copyright of any kind that is not owned by you.

Not obscene

The name cannot be obscene or vulgar and must not contain any obscene or vulgar words.

get help registering company in singapore

Name Search

Curious if your Singapore business name is available?

Check Now!

We make it easy!

As soon as you appoint us to register your Singapore company, we will apply for the approval of your desired company name. In case your first choice name is not available, our team will apply for your other choices.

If a company name follows Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA)’s rules, it is typically approved in less than an hour.
A name may be referred to another government authority for further approval if it contains certain regulated business words such as “finance”, “legal”, “law”, “broker” or “school”. This can delay the name approval process.
Once approved, a name is reserved for you for 120 days. If you do not incorporate a company with that name within that period, the name is released and can be reserved by another person.

Step 4

Sign Incorporation Documents

After the name has been approved, the following documents must be prepared, signed, and filed with ACRA:

Company Constitution. You can adopt the standard Singapore company constitution that is recommended by ACRA.

consent director register company singapore

Consent by each company director to act as a director. We will prepare this document for your company.

Consent by company secretary to act as the company secretary. We will prepare this document for your company.

Declaration of the company's controllers. We will prepare this document based on the information you provide to us.

We make it easy!

As your appointed incorporation agent, we will prepare all necessary documents. All you have to do is review and electronically sign the documents through our online portal.

Step 5

Incorporate company and open bank account

Once the incorporation documents are ready and signed, we will register the company with Singapore’s company registrar, Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA). The Singapore company registration process is conducted online and in most cases it takes less than an hour.

ACRA will issue the following official documents:

e-Certificate of Incorporation. This is an official electronic document confirming the registration of a company in Singapore. The certificate shows (see sample) the name of the company, the date of the incorporation, and the company registration number called Unique Identification Number (UEN). A hard copy of the certificate of incorporation is not issued by ACRA by default; it is not required in Singapore for any purpose; the e-Certificate suffices.
Business Profile. This document shows the corporate structure of the company. The information contained in the document includes the company’s primary business activity, registered address, details of shareholders and directors, and shareholding structure.

Upon registration, all official documents will be immediately available on our online portal. As soon as your Singapore company is registered, you can start conducting business under its name.

We make it easy!

Our team will assist you with selecting a suitable bank for your company’s corporate bank account and make an introduction to the appropriate bank executives.

Next Steps

To see full details of the packages that we offer, select the one that is suitable for your needs. If you are ready to proceed or have more questions, click below to connect with our team.

Get Started

87 Google reviews

5.0

Foreigner Package

New Company Setup

Designed for foreign entrepreneurs and foreign companies, this package covers all services that are necessary to incorporate and start a new Singapore company.

S$3,100

~~S$4,315~~

Singapore Company Registration

Bank Account Opening Assistance

Company Secretary for 1 Year

Registered Address for 1 Year

Nominee Director for 1 Year or EP

Annual Return Filing with ACRA

See Full Details

Local Package

New Company Setup

Designed for Singapore citizens and permanent residents of Singapore who do not need our local director and Employment Pass application filing service.

S$1,115

~~S$2,015~~

Singapore Company Registration

Bank Account Assistance

Company Secretary for 1 Year

Annual Return Filing with ACRA

See Full Details

How Long Will It Take to Incorporate a Company in Singapore?

Singapore company registration consists of a number of steps and the typical timelines for each step is described below. Please keep in mind that some of these timelines are dependent on you, so if you take longer to assemble the necessary information, the corresponding step may take longer.

Providing information about company structure and supporting documents: Anywhere from 1 hour to a few days (depends on the client).
“Know Your Client” (KYC) checks by Corporate Service Provider as required by law: 1-2 days, depends on the complexity of the corporate structure
Reservation of Company Name with ACRA: Less than 1 hour
Preparation of incorporation document set: 1-2 hours
Client Review and Signatures on document set: Anywhere from 1 hour to few days (depends on the client and number of signatories involved)
Incorporation with ACRA: 1-2 hours

Thus, the total time can be anywhere from 1 day to a few days. The duration primarily depends on the speed at which the client can act.

Types of Companies in Singapore

Singapore ranks as one of the best locations for local and foreign businesses to incorporate. However, which structure is suitable for your Singapore company? Below are the most popular business structures that are available in Singapore:

Private Limited Company (Pte. Ltd.)

The private limited company, or Pte. Ltd., is the most common and preferred choice for entrepreneurs in Singapore. It offers limited liability, ensuring shareholders' personal assets are safeguarded from business liabilities. A private limited company can have up to 50 shareholders and must have at least one director who is ordinarily resident in Singapore. This structure provides credibility, flexibility, and the opportunity to raise capital through equity.

Limited Liability Partnership (LLP)

Partnerships are formed by two or more individuals who agree to share profits and losses. A limited liability partnership (LLP) is a partnership and incorporated company hybrid. A partner in an LLP is not personally liable for all of the debts and liabilities of the business, only those arising from his or her own negligence or personal misconduct. As a result, the partner's liability is considered "limited." Nonetheless, an LLP lacks the other advantages that come with incorporating a private limited company. An LLP is typically employed by two or more professionals, such as doctors, accountants, attorneys, or architects, who wish to build a joint practice.

Sole Proprietorship

A sole proprietorship is the simplest but riskiest business entity allowed in Singapore. A sole proprietorship is not considered a separate legal entity and has significant disadvantages for small to medium-sized enterprises. With this structure, the individual owner assumes full responsibility for the company's operations and debts. While it offers simplicity, it does not provide limited liability protection, meaning the owner's personal assets are exposed to business risks. Most tax benefits available to corporations are not available to sole proprietorships. The effective tax rate will also be higher than that for a private limited company.

Options for Foreign Companies to Open Their Office in Singapore

A foreign company that wishes to establish an office in Singapore can incorporate one of the following entities:

A branch office is an extension of the foreign parent company, not a separate legal entity, meaning its liabilities extend to the parent company. A branch office is considered a non-resident entity and thus has none of the tax benefits that apply to a subsidiary company. The parent company is fully responsible for the liabilities of a branch office. Consequently, most foreign companies opt to establish a subsidiary company in Singapore.

You are welcome to read a more comprehensive comparison of the above business structures in our guide.

Will It Be Easy to Open a Bank Account for My Singapore Company?

Given the tightened Anti-Money Laundering (AML) regulations, banks are now taking longer to process the bank account opening applications. Our corporate bank account opening guide is an excellent introduction to this topic. To speed up the access to banking services, many of our clients open a digital bank account first (which can be done quickly) while pursuing a traditional bank account in parallel, which can take a few weeks. After your company is incorporated, our team will recommend banks that will be appropriate for your needs and will make an introduction to the bank executives. Some of the banks allow remote bank account opening i.e. you don’t need to travel to Singapore to open a bank account with them.

Ready to Incorporate

FAQs for Registering a Company in Singapore

You will be incorporating a limited liability company often referred to as a “private limited company”. Some entrepreneurs are confused about the different types of private companies in Singapore, namely a Private Limited Company, Exempt Private Company (EPC), and Subsidiary Company. Our guide different forms of private limited company clarifies what a Private Limited Company is, and how it may acquire the characteristics of an Exempt Private Company or a Subsidiary Company. But one main point is that Exempt Private Company and Subsidiary Company are just types of Private Limited Company.

Our Foreigner Incorporation Package designed for foreign entrepreneurs and foreign companies is the most popular option. The cost of the first-year service bundle is S$3,100, inclusive of official government fees. The package covers all legal requirements to incorporate a new Singapore company for foreigners. You can check the services included on our Foreigner Package service page.

Our Local Package is for Singapore Citizens and Residents who want to set up a company in Singapore. It costs S$1,115. You can check the services included on our Local Package service page.

No. With our online system, we can incorporate your company without being in Singapore. We can perform all necessary tasks remotely. Furthermore, many Singapore banks now allow remote bank account opening. Therefore, a visit to Singapore is not necessary at all, especially given the COVID-19 situation. You are also welcome to read our guide on how to start company from Malaysia or how to incorporate from India.

In order to satisfy the Singapore-resident director requirement, for a fee you can “hire” a person who will be appointed as a local director for your company. Such a director is called a “nominee director”. Our nominee director will not participate in the management or operational activities of your company. The real directors (i.e. your foreign directors) will run the company; the nominee is only there to comply with the legal requirement. To learn more, see our nominee director guide.

We conducted a survey of more than 100 startup founders from five countries. Every participant in the survey was a startup that had received external funding and employed more than ten employees. The participants were asked to rank the factors they considered most important in selecting the country where they would like to build and grow their business. In our survey, we list the top 8 factors identified entrepreneurs and assess how Singapore stacks up on each. You are also welcome to read our comparison guides on key difference of the incorporation process between Singapore and Dubai, Singapore and India, etc..

Get Started

Is Singapore the Right Place to Incorporate?

Numerous international organizations have consistently ranked Singapore very highly for the ease of doing business. Learn about the key benefits of setting up a Singapore company.

Singapore Entry Options for a Foreign Company

A comparative overview of the three types of business structures available to foreign companies that wish to open their office in Singapore.

Filing Requirements for Singapore Companies

An essential guide to the basic annual compliance and filing requirements that Singapore private limited companies must file to relevant government bodies.

Singapore Company Registration in 5 Easy Steps

The steps to register a company in Singapore are:

Frequently Asked Questions

Understand Singapore's Company Registration Requirements

Shareholders

Capital

Directors

Company Secretary

Address

Decide corporate structure and collect supporting documents

Obtain Approval for your Company's Name

Name Search

Sign Incorporation Documents

Incorporate company and open bank account

Next Steps

How Long Will It Take to Incorporate a Company in Singapore?

Types of Companies in Singapore

Private Limited Company (Pte. Ltd.)

Limited Liability Partnership (LLP)

Sole Proprietorship

Options for Foreign Companies to Open Their Office in Singapore

Subsidiary Company

Branch Office

Representative Office (RO)

Will It Be Easy to Open a Bank Account for My Singapore Company?

FAQs for Registering a Company in Singapore

Is Singapore the Right Place to Incorporate?

Singapore Entry Options for a Foreign Company

Filing Requirements for Singapore Companies