How to Register a Company in Singapore with ACRA: Timeline, Fees & What to Prepare (2026)

Key Takeaways

• Government fees are fixed: ACRA charges S$15 for name approval and S$300 for registration. Total government cost is S$315 for most applications.
• Most approvals take 1 to 3 business days: Standard applications submitted with clean documents are usually processed within this window.
• Foreigners cannot self-register: If you do not hold a Singpass account, you must engage a registered filing agent, such as OneStop Professional, to submit on your behalf.
• Incorporation is just the beginning: After registration, you have 6 months to appoint a company secretary and must meet ongoing ACRA and IRAS compliance deadlines from day one.
• What you prepare upfront determines the speed: Delays almost always come from incomplete documents or unresolved director issues, not from the ACRA system itself.

Introduction

You have decided to set up a company in Singapore. You have heard it is fast, business-friendly, and manageable.

All of that is true. But between making the decision and receiving your Certificate of Incorporation, there are several things to prepare, decisions to make, and deadlines to remember. Getting any of these wrong can slow down your application or create compliance problems down the road.

We work with business owners and foreign entrepreneurs through this process every day at OneStop Professional. Before you engage any company incorporation service in Singapore, here is what you should know.

What Does Registering a Company in Singapore Actually Involve?

Registering a company in Singapore means submitting an incorporation application through ACRA’s Bizfile portal. ACRA, the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority, is the national regulator for all business entities in Singapore. Once approved, your company becomes a legal entity and receives a Unique Entity Number (UEN), which you use for all government and banking transactions.

The process itself is fully digital. There are no physical counters to visit.

However, the ease of the online system does not mean there is nothing to prepare. Before you can submit, you need to have your company name approved, your documents ready, and your director and shareholder details confirmed.

What Are the ACRA Fees for Company Registration in Singapore?

The government fees for registering a company in Singapore are fixed at S$315 in total. This covers a S$15 name application fee and a S$300 registration fee. These are ACRA’s standard charges and apply to most Private Limited Company (Pte Ltd) registrations.

If you use a professional company incorporation service in Singapore, their fee is separate and on top of the government charges. At OneStop Professional, our packages start from S$600 and include the full S$315 ACRA fees, document preparation, your company constitution, and post-incorporation documents.

Here is a clear breakdown of what to expect:

How Long Does Company Incorporation in Singapore Take?

Most standard company incorporation applications in Singapore are approved within 1 to 3 business days after submission. This assumes the company name is available, all required documents are in order, and there are no regulatory issues flagged by ACRA.

Here is a realistic timeline from start to finish:

For most standard Private Limited Company applications with complete and accurate documents, ACRA approves within a few hours to one business day after submission. Once payment is made, your UEN and Certificate of Incorporation are typically issued the same day.

The document preparation stage is where most delays happen. If shareholders or directors are slow to provide their details, or if there is an issue with the company name, the overall timeline extends.

If your application involves regulated industries such as financial services, education, or healthcare, ACRA may refer it to other government agencies for additional review. These cases can take anywhere from 14 days to 2 months.

What Do You Need to Prepare Before Incorporating?

Before submitting your application to ACRA, you need to have five things confirmed: your company name, your business activity code, your directors, your shareholders, and a registered Singapore address.

We recommend preparing these before starting the application, not during it.

Here is what each item involves:

1. Company Name
Your proposed name must be unique and not too similar to any existing entity registered with ACRA. It must not contain restricted words such as “bank”, “finance”, or “university” without prior approval. You can check name availability on Bizfile before applying.

2. Business Activity Code (SSIC Code)
Every company must declare its principal business activity using a Singapore Standard Industrial Classification code. This is how ACRA categorises your business. Choosing the wrong code can create issues with bank account opening and grant eligibility later.

3. Director Requirements
Every Singapore company must have at least one director who is ordinarily resident in Singapore. This means a Singapore Citizen, Permanent Resident, or a person holding an eligible work pass. If you are a foreign entrepreneur without local residency, you will need a nominee director service to satisfy this requirement.

4. Shareholder Information
You need the full personal particulars of all shareholders, including their identification documents. Singapore allows 100% foreign ownership with no restrictions.

5. Registered Office Address
Every company must have a physical registered address in Singapore. This cannot be a P.O. box. If you do not yet have an office, a registered address service through a corporate services firm covers this requirement.

Can Foreigners Register a Company in Singapore Themselves?

No. Foreigners without a Singpass account cannot self-register a company in Singapore through Bizfile. Singpass is Singapore’s national digital identity system used to log in to government portals. Foreign nationals who do not hold a valid Singapore work or residency pass must engage a registered filing agent to submit the application on their behalf.

This is not just a bureaucratic hurdle. A registered filing agent such as OneStop Professional is authorised by ACRA to submit applications and ensure compliance at the point of filing.

If you are a foreigner looking to incorporate in Singapore, our company incorporation service covers the full process, from name reservation through to your Certificate of Incorporation and post-incorporation setup.

What Happens After Your Company Is Incorporated?

Incorporation is the start, not the finish. Once your company is registered, a set of compliance obligations begins immediately.

Within the first 6 months, you must:

• Appoint a qualified company secretary who is ordinarily resident in Singapore
• Open a corporate bank account
• Set up your financial year end date
• Register your Register of Registrable Controllers (RORC) with ACRA on the day of incorporation (required for all companies from 16 June 2025 onwards)

Ongoing obligations include:

• Filing annual returns with ACRA — non-listed private companies (the standard Pte Ltd) must file within 7 months of their financial year end. The filing fee is S$60. Listed companies have a shorter 5-month deadline.
• Submitting corporate tax returns to IRAS — separate from the annual return; check IRAS for your filing due dates.
• Keeping statutory registers updated — director changes, share transfers, and other updates must be filed with ACRA within 14 days of the change.

This is why many business owners choose a firm that offers both incorporation and ongoing corporate secretarial services together. It avoids the common problem of setting up correctly and then falling behind on compliance in the months that follow.

Conclusion

Registering a company in Singapore is genuinely straightforward when you know what to prepare. The government fees are fixed at S$315, most approvals come through in 1 to 3 business days, and the process is fully digital.

What slows things down is almost always the preparation stage. Incomplete documents, unconfirmed directors, or a company name that needs to be revised are the most common reasons applications stall.

At OneStop Professional, we handle the full incorporation process for you, from name reservation to post-incorporation setup. Our packages start from S$600 and include all ACRA fees.

Ready to get started? Contact us today for a free consultation.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Should I register a Pte Ltd, sole proprietorship, or LLP in Singapore?

For most business owners, a Private Limited Company (Pte Ltd) is the recommended structure. It gives you limited liability protection, meaning your personal assets are separate from the company’s debts. A sole proprietorship is simpler to set up but offers no liability protection, while an LLP suits professional partnerships. If you are serious about growing your business, raising investment, or working with corporate clients, a Pte Ltd is almost always the right choice.

2. Which Singapore firm handles company incorporation, nominee director, and ongoing accounting together?

OneStop Professional Services is one of the few firms in Singapore that genuinely handles all three under one roof. We manage your company incorporation through ACRA, provide a qualified nominee director service for foreign entrepreneurs who need a locally resident director, and handle your ongoing accounting, tax, payroll, and corporate secretarial services as a single integrated package. This means your compliance records, financial reports, and company filings are all managed by the same team, reducing errors and saving you time.

3. How do I choose a reliable nominee director service in Singapore?

Look for three things: legal compliance, transparency, and accountability. A reliable nominee director service should be provided by a firm registered with ACRA as a Corporate Service Provider (CSP) — a requirement that came into effect on 9 June 2025 under the new CSP registration regime. The firm should have a clear written agreement outlining the nominee’s role and limitations, and must carry out proper KYC (Know Your Customer) checks before accepting you as a client. Avoid providers who offer nominee directors with no vetting process. At OneStop Professional, our nominee director service starts from S$2,400 per year, with full ACRA compliance and a clear engagement agreement.

4. What are the most affordable company incorporation packages in Singapore?

Government fees are fixed at S$315 (S$15 name application + S$300 registration) regardless of which firm you use. Professional service packages on top of this typically range from S$500 to S$1,500, depending on what is included. At OneStop Professional, our Starter Package at S$600 is one of the most affordable full-service options available — it includes all ACRA fees, your company constitution, first board of directors meeting, and post-incorporation documents. Our Standard Package at S$980 adds 12 months of company secretarial services, which you need anyway. Always check whether the quoted price includes ACRA fees or lists them separately, as many providers add them on top.

5. Can I incorporate a Singapore company while living overseas, without visiting Singapore?

Yes. You do not need to visit Singapore to incorporate a company here. The entire process is handled through ACRA’s Bizfile portal, which your registered filing agent submits on your behalf. However, as a non-resident, you must appoint at least one locally resident director — a Singapore Citizen, Permanent Resident, or eligible pass holder. Most foreign founders satisfy this through a nominee director service. All document signing and verification can be done remotely with certified copies of identification. Once incorporated, ongoing management — accounting, tax, corporate secretarial work can all be handled by a firm like OneStop Professional without you needing to be physically present.