How to Register a Company in Singapore 2026 — Step-by-Step Guide

Why Singapore for Company Registration

When I registered my first company in Singapore, I had no idea what I was getting into. I thought it was just filling out a form and paying a fee. Turns out, it's actually pretty close to that — Singapore genuinely makes it easy. But there are enough gotchas in the process that first-time founders trip over the same things again and again.

Singapore consistently ranks as one of the easiest places in the world to do business. The legal framework is clear, corporate tax sits at 17% (with effective rates as low as 4.25% for your first S$100,000 of profit), IP protection is strong, and you're sitting at the crossroads of Southeast Asian markets.

TL;DR: Registering a Pte Ltd company in Singapore costs $315 (ACRA fee) and takes 1-3 days. You need at least 1 shareholder, 1 local director, 1 company secretary, and a local registered address. Do it yourself through BizFile+ or use a corporate secretary firm ($300-$800). Most first-time founders should use a firm — the annual compliance requirements (AGM, annual returns, tax filing) require a corporate secretary anyway, so you might as well start the relationship at incorporation.

This guide walks through every step with current 2026 requirements, real costs, and the practical advice I wish someone had given me.

Step 1: Choose Your Business Structure

Before you register anything, get this decision right. It's harder to change later than you'd think.

Sole Proprietorship

• ACRA fee: $100
• Setup time: Same day
• Annual compliance: Minimal (annual renewal $30)
• Liability: Unlimited personal liability — your personal assets are on the line
• Tax: Personal income tax rates (0-22%)
• Best for: Freelancers, solo consultants, testing the waters before committing

Partnership / LLP

• ACRA fee: $100-$165
• Setup time: Same day to 1 week
• Annual compliance: Low to moderate
• Liability: Unlimited (partnership) or limited (LLP)
• Tax: Personal income tax rates for partners
• Best for: Professional firms (lawyers, accountants), small partnerships

Private Limited Company (Pte Ltd)

• ACRA fee: $315
• Setup time: 1-3 days
• Annual compliance: Moderate (AGM, annual return, tax filing, audit for some)
• Liability: Limited to share capital — your personal savings stay protected
• Tax: Corporate tax at 17% (effective 4.25-8.5% on first $200K)
• Best for: Most businesses — startups, SMEs, anyone seeking investment or government grants

For the vast majority of businesses, a Pte Ltd is the right call. The rest of this guide focuses on Pte Ltd registration.

Step 2: Reserve Your Company Name

Requirements

• Must be unique (not identical or too similar to existing registered names)
• Cannot contain obscene or offensive words
• Cannot imply government affiliation without approval
• Certain words require special approval: "bank," "finance," "insurance," "law," "medical," "school," "university"

How to Reserve

1. Go to BizFile+ (bizfile.gov.sg) — ACRA's online portal
2. Log in with SingPass (required — no way around this)
3. Navigate to "Reserve a Name"
4. Enter your desired company name
5. Pay the $15 reservation fee
6. Name is reserved for 120 days

Tips I Learned the Hard Way

• Check availability first using ACRA's free name search before paying the $15
• Don't pick names too similar to established companies — ACRA will reject them, and you've wasted a fee
• Think about your domain name at this stage — check if the .com and .sg are available
• Keep it professional and easy to spell over the phone
• Avoid names that box you in — "ABC Cake Shop Pte Ltd" makes it awkward when you pivot to catering

Step 3: Prepare Required Information

Directors

• Minimum 1 local director (Singapore citizen, PR, or EntrePass/EP holder)
• Directors must be at least 18 and not disqualified or bankrupt
• A sole shareholder can also be the sole director

If you're a foreigner without a local director: Engage a nominee director service ($2,000-$5,000/year). The nominee acts as a local director on paper but doesn't manage the business. You maintain control through shareholder agreements. Pick your nominee carefully — this is a legal role, not a formality.

Shareholders

• Minimum 1 shareholder (individual or corporate)
• Maximum 50 for a Pte Ltd
• 100% foreign ownership is perfectly fine
• Shareholders can be the same person as directors
• Paid-up capital: Minimum $1 (most start with $1-$10,000 — I'll explain why below)

Company Secretary

• Must appoint within 6 months of incorporation
• Must be a natural person (not a company) residing in Singapore
• Cannot be the sole director if you only have one director
• Responsible for ensuring compliance with the Companies Act
• Typical cost: $300-$1,200/year for a professional corporate secretary

This is one of those requirements that surprises first-time founders. You need a company secretary by law. Just budget for it from the start.

Registered Address

• Must be a physical address in Singapore (not a P.O. box)
• Can be a residential address (if your home-based business is approved by HDB/URA)
• Virtual office addresses are accepted by ACRA
• Typical cost for virtual office: $200-$600/year

Constitution

• Defines the company's internal rules
• You can adopt ACRA's model constitution (simplest option — fine for most single-founder companies)
• Custom constitutions are worth the investment if you have multiple shareholders or complex structures ($500-$2,000 in legal fees)

Step 4: Incorporate Through BizFile+

The DIY Route

1. Log in to BizFile+ with SingPass
2. Select "Register a New Business Entity" then "Local Company"
3. Enter the reserved company name
4. Fill in company details: principal activities (SSIC codes), registered address, share capital, director/shareholder info, secretary (can be appointed later), constitution
5. Review and confirm
6. Pay $300 incorporation fee
7. Get your Certificate of Incorporation (usually within hours)

Using a Corporate Secretary Firm (What I Recommend for First-Timers)

Most firms handle everything:

1. You provide personal details, desired company name, and business description
2. They reserve the name, prepare documents, file with ACRA
3. You receive the Certificate of Incorporation and all paperwork
4. Total cost: $600-$1,500 (including ACRA fees and first-year secretarial services)

This is the route I recommend if you haven't incorporated before. The process is simple enough to DIY, but the compliance requirements that follow (AGM, annual returns, tax filing) require a corporate secretary anyway. Starting the relationship at incorporation means someone is keeping an eye on your compliance from day one.

Some Firms to Consider

• Sleek: From $599/year (incorporation + secretary). Strong online platform.
• Osome: From $700/year. Good for tech startups.
• BoardRoom: From $1,200/year. Established, suitable for larger SMEs.
• Healy Consultants: From $2,000. Specialises in foreign-owned companies.
• Rikvin: From $800/year. Long-established, comprehensive services.

Step 5: Post-Incorporation Setup

After you get your Certificate of Incorporation, the real work starts.

Immediate (Within 1 Week)

1. Open a corporate bank account

   • Major banks: DBS, OCBC, UOB (local) or HSBC, Standard Chartered (international)
   • Typical time: 1-3 weeks (schedule the appointment early — this is often the bottleneck)
   • Documents needed: Certificate of Incorporation, board resolution, director/shareholder IDs, business plan
   • Faster alternatives: Aspire and ANEXT offer online account opening

2. Register for GST (if applicable)

   • Mandatory if annual taxable turnover exceeds $1 million
   • Voluntary registration possible (beneficial if you supply to GST-registered businesses)
   • Register through myTax Portal (IRAS)

3. Set up accounting

   • Xero, QuickBooks, or Wave for bookkeeping
   • Engage a bookkeeper or accountant ($100-$500/month for a typical SME)
   • Do this from the start. Playing catch-up with accounting at year-end is painful and expensive.

Within 6 Months

1. Appoint a company secretary (if not done at incorporation)
2. Apply for necessary licences and permits (industry-specific)
3. Register for CPF as an employer (if hiring employees)
4. Purchase mandatory insurance (WIC, foreign worker medical) — see our Business Insurance Guide

Annual Compliance Calendar

Every Singapore Pte Ltd must handle these annually:

• Annual General Meeting (AGM): Within 6 months of financial year-end (first AGM within 18 months of incorporation)
• Annual Return (AR): File with ACRA within 30 days of AGM ($60 filing fee)
• Corporate Tax Filing: File Form C-S or Form C with IRAS by November 30
• Estimated Chargeable Income (ECI): File within 3 months of financial year-end
• GST Returns: Quarterly (if GST-registered)

Read our Singapore Compliance Calendar 2026 for all deadlines.

Costs Summary: First Year

Here's a realistic first-year breakdown:

Mandatory costs:

• ACRA name reservation: $15
• ACRA incorporation fee: $300
• Annual Return filing: $60
• Subtotal: $375

Practically essential:

• Corporate secretary: $300-$1,200
• Registered address (if no office): $200-$600
• Accounting/bookkeeping: $1,200-$6,000
• Tax filing: $300-$800
• Subtotal: $2,000-$8,600

Optional but recommended:

• Business insurance: $500-$2,000
• Legal review of shareholder agreement: $500-$2,000
• Corporate bank account fees: $0-$500
• Subtotal: $1,000-$4,500

Total first-year range: $3,375-$13,475

For a lean setup: about $3,000-$4,000. For a comprehensive setup with insurance and legal: $8,000-$13,000.

Tax Benefits Worth Knowing About

Start-Up Tax Exemption (SUTE)

For the first 3 years of assessment:

• 75% exemption on first $100,000 of chargeable income
• 50% exemption on next $100,000

A company earning $200,000 profit in its first three years pays about $12,750 in tax instead of $34,000. That's an effective rate of roughly 6.4%.

After Year 3 (Partial Tax Exemption)

• 75% exemption on first $10,000
• 50% exemption on next $190,000

Still significantly better than personal income tax rates.

Government Grants for New SMEs

• Enterprise Development Grant (EDG): Up to 50% funding for business growth projects
• Productivity Solutions Grant (PSG): Up to 50% for adopting IT solutions
• Market Readiness Assistance (MRA): Up to 50% for overseas expansion
• Start-up SG Founder: Up to $50,000 start-up capital grant

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Forgetting the company secretary. Failure to appoint within 6 months is a compliance breach. ACRA can impose penalties. Budget for this from day one.

2. Using a residential address without approval. HDB flats need Home Office Scheme approval. Private properties must follow URA home business guidelines. Don't assume you can just use your home address.

3. Mixing personal and business finances. Open a corporate bank account immediately and use it for everything business-related. Mixing accounts complicates accounting and weakens your limited liability protection — the whole point of incorporating a Pte Ltd.

4. Ignoring filing deadlines. Late annual returns incur a $300 penalty, and persistent failure can lead to ACRA striking off your company. Set calendar reminders or let your corporate secretary handle this.

5. Not keeping proper records. The Companies Act requires accounting records for at least 5 years. Poor records make tax filing a nightmare and attract IRAS attention.

6. Choosing the wrong SSIC code. Your Singapore Standard Industrial Classification code determines which licences you need and which grants you qualify for. Research this before you file.

7. Over-capitalising at incorporation. Starting with $1 paid-up capital is fine for most businesses. You can increase it later. High initial capital is only necessary if required by industry regulations or to demonstrate financial strength to specific clients.

Sources

• ACRA — Register a Company
• ACRA BizFile+ — Business Registration Portal
• IRAS — Corporate Income Tax Rate, Rebates and Tax Exemption Schemes
• IRAS — Do I Need to Register for GST?
• Enterprise Singapore — Grants and Financial Assistance
• Ministry of Manpower — Work Passes and Permits
• Companies Act (Cap. 50) — Legal requirements for Singapore companies

Stay compliant after registration: Singapore SME Compliance Requirements | PDPA Compliance Checklist | GST Registration Guide

Need help with data protection compliance? ComplyHQ helps Singapore SMEs achieve PDPA compliance with AI-powered guidance.