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AsiaNeeds someone on the ground Verified · 31 Jul 2026

How to found a company in Singapore

You’d incorporate a Private limited company (Pte Ltd).

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The numbers

Government filing fee
SGD 315ACRA: S$15 name application plus S$300 incorporation.
Typical turnaround
1 day
Corporation tax
17%17% headline. Partial tax exemption gives 75% relief on the first S$10,000 and 50% on the next S$190,000 of chargeable income. A 40% CIT rebate applies for YA 2026.
GST threshold
SGD 1,000,000Compulsory GST registration above S$1 million of taxable turnover. The GST rate is 9%.
Minimum directors
1At least one director ordinarily resident in Singapore — a citizen, permanent resident, or holder of an EntrePass or Employment Pass.
Minimum shareholders
1

What you’ll need

  • At least one ordinarily-resident director
  • A company secretary appointed within six months of incorporation
  • A local registered office address that is not a PO box
  • Registration through ACRA's BizFile portal

Watch out

  • ⚠️The resident-director requirement is the binding constraint for foreign founders. Nominee director services are the usual answer and are a recurring cost.
  • ⚠️Annual returns and an annual general meeting are required even where the company is dormant.
  • ⚠️Corporate bank account opening generally requires at least one director to attend in person.

The steps

  1. 1

    Reserve the company name with ACRA

    You1 day

    Usually approved same-day unless the name requires referral to another authority.

  2. 2

    Secure a resident director

    You~1 week

    Either a founder who qualifies, or an engaged nominee director service.

  3. 3

    Incorporate through BizFile

    Founding1 day

    Constitution, share allocation and officer appointments are filed together.

  4. 4

    Appoint a company secretary

    You~4 weeks

    Statutory requirement, within six months of incorporation.

  5. 5

    Open a corporate bank account

    You~2 weeks

    Most Singapore banks require a director to attend in person.

What you’ll need around it

All products
💸

Business banking

Wise Business

🌐

Business banking

Airwallex

📊

Accounting

Xero

🤝

Accounting

Osome

Checked 31 Jul 2026 against an official source. Rules and fees change — confirm anything you are about to act on. Founding is not a law firm and this is not legal or tax advice.