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.

Step 1 Understand Singapore’s Company Registration Requirements

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

Shareholders
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
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
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
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
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.

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 the guidelines.

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 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.

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.

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:

Subsidiary Company
It is a local limited liability company in Singapore where the parent company holds the shares. It is taxed at the local Singapore corporate tax rates and benefits from local tax exemptions and incentives. Finally, its liabilities do not extend to the parent company.

Branch Office
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.

Representative Office (RO)
A representative office (RO) is only a short-term arrangement with a limited purpose. It has no legal status or tax status. It is designed only for conducting market research or engaging in promotional activities. A representative office cannot engage in business, enter into contracts, move goods, offer services, or open a line of credit.