Singapore business incorporation runs through the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) on its BizFile portal. Government fees total S$315: a S$15 name application plus a S$300 registration fee, per ACRA. A Private Limited Company (Pte Ltd) is the default structure for almost every serious business and every foreign founder.
This guide is for local and foreign founders who want to register a company in Singapore. It covers the entity choice, minimum requirements, documents, cost, tax exemptions, and the step-by-step filing process.
Why Should You Incorporate in Singapore?
Singapore pairs a low, flat tax with full foreign ownership. The corporate tax rate is 17%, there is no capital gains tax, and dividends carry no withholding tax under the one-tier system, per IRAS. Foreigners can own 100% of a Singapore company, and the minimum paid-up capital is S$1, per ACRA.
Two more benefits matter to founders. Qualifying new companies pay far below 17% for their first three years under the Start-Up Tax Exemption (SUTE) scheme, detailed below. Singapore also offers tariff-friendly market access through more than 25 free trade agreements (FTAs), per Enterprise Singapore.
What Are the Types of Business Entities in Singapore?
Singapore has five practical business structures: Sole Proprietorship, Partnership, Limited Liability Partnership (LLP), Limited Partnership (LP), and Private Limited Company (Pte Ltd). The Pte Ltd is the right choice for almost every growth business because it is a separate legal entity with limited liability and access to corporate tax exemptions.
| Entity | Separate legal entity | Liability | Owners | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sole Proprietorship | No | Unlimited, personal | 1 owner | Solo local operators |
| Partnership | No | Unlimited, personal | 2–20 partners | Small local partnerships |
| Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) | Yes | Limited to each partner’s contribution | 2+ partners | Professional firms |
| Limited Partnership (LP) | No | General partner unlimited; limited partner limited | 1+ general, 1+ limited | Investment structures |
| Private Limited Company (Pte Ltd) | Yes | Limited to share capital | 1–50 shareholders | Scaling businesses and foreign founders |
Source: ACRA. The rest of this guide focuses on the Pte Ltd path.
What Are the Minimum Requirements to Register a Singapore Pte Ltd?
A Singapore Pte Ltd needs one shareholder, one resident director, a company secretary within 6 months, S$1 paid-up capital, a local registered office, and a constitution. It must also appoint an auditor within 3 months unless it qualifies for small-company audit exemption. All figures below are per ACRA.
| Requirement | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Shareholders | 1 to 50; individuals or corporate entities; 100% foreign ownership allowed | ACRA |
| Resident director | At least 1 director ordinarily resident in Singapore (citizen, PR, or eligible pass holder); 18+, not bankrupt, no disqualifying convictions | ACRA |
| Company secretary | Natural person resident in Singapore, appointed within 6 months; a sole director cannot also be the secretary | ACRA |
| Paid-up capital | Minimum S$1 | ACRA |
| Registered office | Local Singapore address, not a P.O. box, accessible to the public during business hours | ACRA |
| Constitution | Required governing document | ACRA |
| Auditor | Appoint within 3 months unless exempt as a small company | ACRA |
The constitution must set out four things: the company name and registered office, the liabilities of members, the share capital and issued shares, and the rules of business conduct.
How Does Company Name Reservation Work in Singapore?
File the name application on BizFile for S$15, per ACRA. Approval is usually near-instant after payment, though ACRA’s own review can take up to 3 working days. An approved name is reserved for 120 days, and you must complete incorporation within that window or the name is released.
Names containing regulated words are referred to another government authority before ACRA can approve them, per ACRA. Those referrals add time.
| Fact | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Name application fee | S$15 (non-refundable) | ACRA |
| Standard ACRA review | Up to 3 working days | ACRA |
| Referral to another authority | Up to 15 working days for the name; 14 to 60 days for a referred registration | ACRA |
| Reservation validity | 120 days, no extension | ACRA |
Regulated words trigger referral: “bank” and “finance” go to the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS); “academy,” “college,” and “university” go to the Ministry of Education (MOE), per ACRA. Your application also needs a primary (and optional secondary) business activity under a Singapore Standard Industrial Classification (SSIC) code, which ACRA uses to classify what your company does. You can screen a shortlist first with Commenda’s company name checker.
This corrects a common myth: standard name approval is near-instant, not “8 to 20 days.” The 14-to-60-day range applies only to referred applications.
How Do You Incorporate in Singapore Step by Step?
Incorporation takes five steps: choose your structure, reserve your name with SSIC codes, prepare your documents and constitution, file on BizFile and pay S$300, then obtain any sector licences. For a Pte Ltd with documents in hand, the filing step itself is fast; the end-to-end process still includes name approval, KYC, and secretary appointment.
- Choose your structure. Default to a Pte Ltd. Weigh liability, capital, and control.
- Reserve your name. File on BizFile with your SSIC business activity codes.
- Prepare documents and officers. Draft the constitution, appoint your director and secretary, and set your financial year end (12 months or 52 weeks), which fixes your annual return and AGM deadlines.
- File incorporation on BizFile. Pay the S$300 ACRA fee. All appointed officers must endorse the application within 60 days.
- Check licences. Confirm sector requirements on the GoBusiness licence portal before you trade.
Note the platform change: ACRA launched its new Bizfile portal on 9 December 2024, per ACRA, so use bizfile.gov.sg and confirm current screens before filing.
What Documents Do You Need to Incorporate in Singapore?
You need the approved company name, SSIC codes, the company constitution, the particulars and ID of every director, shareholder, and secretary, the registered office address, and the share capital details. Foreign officers submit passport copies and proof of address, and the filing agent runs Know Your Customer (KYC) checks.
- Approved company name and SSIC code(s)
- Company constitution (name and registered office, member liabilities, share capital and issued shares, rules of conduct)
- Director particulars: NRIC or passport, nationality, contact details, residential address
- Shareholder particulars and shareholding structure
- Company secretary particulars
- Registered office address
- Share capital details
The National Registration Identity Card (NRIC) applies to residents; foreigners provide passport details instead.
How Much Does It Cost to Incorporate in Singapore?
Government fees total S$315: a S$15 name application plus a S$300 registration fee, per ACRA. Foreigners must also budget for a registered filing agent, and typically a nominee director and a registered address service. The real first-year cost is the government fee plus these recurring services.
| Line item | Fee | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Name application | S$15 | ACRA |
| Company registration | S$300 | ACRA |
| Government total | S$315 | ACRA |
| Registered filing agent / corporate service provider | Provider-set | Provider |
| Company secretary | Provider-set annual fee | Provider |
| Registered office address | Provider-set annual fee | Provider |
| Nominee director (foreigners) | Provider-set annual fee | Provider |
For a full breakdown with market ranges, see Commenda’s cost of incorporating in Singapore guide.
Can Foreigners Incorporate in Singapore?
Yes. Singapore allows 100% foreign ownership, and you do not need to relocate, per ACRA. But foreigners cannot self-file on BizFile. You must engage a registered filing agent (a corporate service provider, law firm, or accounting firm) and satisfy the resident-director rule through a nominee director or an eligible pass.
If you want to relocate and run the company yourself, you apply for an Employment Pass (as an employee of the company) or an EntrePass (for eligible entrepreneurs). Singapore residents can self-file directly. See Commenda’s guides to starting a business in Singapore as a foreigner and nominee directors in Singapore.
What Is the Corporate Tax Rate for New Companies in Singapore?
The headline rate is 17%, but qualifying new companies pay far less for their first three years under the Start-Up Tax Exemption (SUTE) scheme. SUTE exempts 75% of the first S$100,000 of chargeable income and 50% of the next S$100,000, per IRAS. Companies past that window use the Partial Tax Exemption (PTE) scheme.
| Scheme | Band | Exemption | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| SUTE (first 3 YAs) | First S$100,000 | 75% exempt | IRAS |
| SUTE (first 3 YAs) | Next S$100,000 | 50% exempt | IRAS |
| PTE | First S$10,000 | 75% exempt | IRAS |
| PTE | Next S$190,000 | 50% exempt | IRAS |
SUTE conditions, per IRAS: the company is incorporated in Singapore, is a Singapore tax resident, and has no more than 20 shareholders (all individuals, or at least one individual holding 10% or more). Property and investment holding companies are excluded.
Worked example: on S$200,000 of chargeable income under SUTE, the first S$100,000 is 75% exempt (S$25,000 taxable) and the next S$100,000 is 50% exempt (S$50,000 taxable). You are taxed on S$75,000 at 17%, or S$12,750. That is an effective rate of about 6.375%. See Commenda’s Singapore corporate tax guide for the full mechanics.
What Compliance Is Required After Incorporation?
Appoint a company secretary within 6 months, appoint an auditor within 3 months unless exempt, hold your first AGM, file annual returns based on your financial year end, maintain a registered office, and obtain sector licences before trading. Missed filings draw ACRA penalties, so the obligations continue long after registration.
A private company is exempt from audit if it meets at least 2 of these 3 criteria over the last two consecutive financial years, per ACRA:
| Criterion | Threshold | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Annual revenue | ≤ S$10 million | ACRA |
| Total assets | ≤ S$10 million | ACRA |
| Employees | ≤ 50 | ACRA |
Track every deadline with Commenda’s compliance calendar, and see the full duty list in Commenda’s statutory compliance in Singapore guide.
How Commenda Helps You Incorporate in Singapore
Commenda handles Singapore incorporation end to end through its incorporation platform, from name reservation and BizFile filing to resident director, registered address, and ongoing ACRA and IRAS compliance. As a registered filing agent, Commenda runs KYC and keeps your post-incorporation calendar on track, so country 12 behaves like country 1.
Explore the related guides before you file: the ACRA and BizFile Singapore walkthrough, the statutory compliance in Singapore guide, and the Singapore vs. Hong Kong comparison if you are still choosing a jurisdiction.
Book a demo to get a clear timeline and a fixed cost for your Singapore incorporation.
