Incorporating a Singapore Company

Incorporating a Private Limited Company in Singapore

This guide provides an overview of the process for incorporating a private limited company in Singapore.

Online Incorporation via Bizfile

Incorporation in Singapore is done online through the Bizfile system, an online portal managed by the Accounting & Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA), the government body responsible for business registration.  

Who Can Apply?

To log in to Bizfile and initiate the incorporation process, you will need a SingPass, a password for accessing Singapore government websites. SingPass is available to Singapore citizens, permanent residents, employment pass holders, and S-pass holders.  

To incorporate your company, you will need to provide the following information:

1. Business Activity: Determine the Singapore Standard Industrial Classification (SSIC) code that best represents your business activity. You can search for SSIC codes on the ACRA website.

2. Proposed Company Name: Choose a company name that ends with “Pte. Ltd.” and check its availability through ACRA’s online search directory.

3. Directors: Your company must have at least one director who is ordinarily resident in Singapore. This means they must be a Singapore Citizen, Permanent Resident, or hold an Entrepreneur Pass or Employment Pass. Directors must be at least 18 years old, mentally sound, and not an undischarged bankrupt or disqualified under the Companies Act.

4. Shareholders: Your company must have at least one shareholder, who can be an individual or a corporate body. Shareholders do not need to be Singapore residents.

5. Capital Structure: The minimum issued and paid-up capital for a Singapore private limited company is S$1.00.  

6. Company Secretary: A company secretary must be appointed within six months of incorporation. The secretary can be a director but not the sole director. They must be a natural person residing in Singapore with the knowledge and capacity to perform the secretary’s duties.  

Timeline and Costs

The incorporation process typically takes 3-5 working days. Here’s a breakdown of the timeline:

• Name approval: 1 day (unless requiring referral to another authority, which may take up to 14 days).

• Signing of incorporation documents: 1 day (after name approval).

• Online incorporation: 1 day.

The estimated costs involved in incorporating a company include:

• Government fee: S$300 (flat fee)  

• Name reservation fee: S$15

• Professional fees: S$600-S$1200

• Company kit (registers, minute book, common seal, etc.): S$300

• Other disbursements

Additional Support

For assistance with incorporating your company in Singapore, you can contact us, a professional service provider.