Company formation in Singapore

Important: a non-resident's right to own the company does not automatically grant a right to live, work or manage it from that country. Immigration, work permits, substance, effective management and tax residence are assessed separately.

• —SaaS, unregulated fintech, consulting and regional headquarters.
• —International trade and e-commerce with Asian suppliers/customers.
• —Startups with a funding plan and genuine Singapore substance.

• —Private company limited by shares (Pte. Ltd.), the standard separate legal entity, generally with up to 50 shareholders.
• —An exempt private company (EPC), a private company with a restricted shareholder composition meeting ACRA criteria.
• —A public company limited by shares, with no shareholder cap and enhanced prospectus and reporting requirements.
• —A public company limited by guarantee, a no-share-capital form generally used by charities, associations and non-profits.
• —A Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) and Limited Partnership (LP), respectively a separate-entity partnership and a contractual limited-partnership model.
• —A Singapore branch of a foreign company is not a separate legal person; liability remains with the head office.
• —A representative office, a temporary non-revenue vehicle for market research and liaison rather than a full operating company.

• —At least one shareholder and one director ordinarily resident in Singapore; foreigners generally file through a registered Corporate Service Provider.
• —A company secretary must be appointed within six months; the sole director cannot also be the company secretary.
• —The registered office must be a Singapore address accessible to the public for at least three hours on each business day.
• —A constitution, financial year end, issued/paid-up capital and controller/nominee disclosures are required; certain activities are licensed.

• —A passport or other acceptable ID for every founder, director and ultimate beneficial owner (UBO).
• —Proof of residential address, usually issued within the previous three months; the reviewing party sets the exact validity period.
• —A transparent ownership chart through to natural persons and, for a corporate founder, its registry documents and authorised resolutions.
• —A description of the product, markets, counterparties, expected turnover, source of funds and source of wealth, supported by evidence.
• —Approved company name, constitution, registered office, share capital/allotment and FYE.
• —Consents and details of directors, secretary and shareholders; evidence of local-director eligibility.
• —Register of Registrable Controllers and nominee director/shareholder information where applicable.
• —CSP customer due diligence: ownership chart, business plan, source of funds/wealth and sanctions screening.

1. 01Review activity/licensing, ownership, local director, employment and tax residence/substance.
2. 02Appoint a registered CSP, reserve the name and agree the constitution/FYE/capital.
3. 03The CSP completes CDD and files through Bizfile; position holders endorse appointments.
4. 04After UEN issuance, set up Corppass, registers, secretary, tax/accounting, licences and bank onboarding.

• —The headline corporate income tax rate is 17% of chargeable income; startup/partial exemptions and rebates depend on eligibility and year of assessment.
• —GST, withholding, payroll/CPF and tax residence depend on turnover, payments and actual control and management.
• —A local director or address alone does not guarantee Singapore tax residence or treaty benefits; substantive review is required.

General overview, not personal tax or legal advice. Rules are rechecked before filing.

• —The bank reviews the ACRA profile, constitution, directors/UBO/controllers, local nexus, contracts, source of funds and expected flows.
• —ACRA notes that banks often require most directors to be physically present; each bank sets its own remote-onboarding process.

• —Annual general meeting/dispensation rules and the ACRA annual return according to FYE and company type.
• —ECI and corporate tax return to IRAS, plus applicable GST/payroll filings.
• —Maintenance of RORC, ROND/RONS and officer/share registers, with changes generally updated within 14 days.

• —A nominee/local director has genuine statutory duties; the role must not be used to circumvent oversight.
• —Regulated fintech, payments, investment and crypto activities may require a MAS licence before business begins.
• —Insufficient Singapore substance complicates bank onboarding and tax-residence/treaty claims.

• —Pte. Ltd. suitability/licensing review and coordination of a registered CSP/local director/office.
• —Name, constitution, Bizfile incorporation and initial statutory registers.
• —IRAS/accounting/bank hand-off; licence, tax residence and account approval are not guaranteed.

The exact Basic scope and all exclusions are listed in the pricing section above. Non-standard structures and external costs are agreed before payment.

Requirements checked on August 9, 2026. Before filing, we recheck rules, forms, fees and restrictions with the registration authority.