Every year, more and more individuals and foreign companies are looking to set up or expand their business in Singapore. A hassle-free company incorporation procedure coupled with attractive policies and a conducive business environment have made this lion city a thriving metropolitan. This page will take you through the essentials of incorporating your foreign company in Singapore.
Foreign company registration in Singapore can be either in the form of a subsidiary, branch or representative office.
Subsidiary Company
- 1 Singapore Resident Director
- 1 Company Secretary
- Minimum paid capital of $1 (or its equivalent in any currency)
- A registered office in Singapore
Branch Office
- 1 agent who is an ordinarily resident in Singapore.
- A registered office address in Singapore.
Representative Office
- Appoint a Chief Representative from the main head office to relocate to Singapore
- Have a sales turnover of the foreign entity of more than US$250,000
- Proof that the foreign entity has been established for more than 3 years
- Proposed number of staff for RO should be <5 people.
The following documents are required to register a subsidiary company in Singapore.
- A certificate of incorporation from the parent company.
- Evidence of the holding company’s appointment of a corporate representative to act on its behalf.
- The registered office address of the subsidiary company.
- Written consent of proposed directors to carry out their roles and responsibilities.
- Passport details and residential addresses of directors appointed for the subsidiary company.
Once these documents are ready, the procedure is relatively simple and can be completed in 1-2 days under normal circumstances:
- Name Approval: The subsidiary company office name should be approved by the Singapore Company Registrar before proceeding with registration. If the chosen name does not violate any of the established naming rules, this procedure should take not more than 15 minutes. The parent company is given the liberty to establish a subsidiary office under a name different than its own.
- Company Registration: After finalising the subsidiary company name, the registration of the subsidiary can be completed in 1-2 days after submission of the application with the required documents. The process is electronic and an email notification will be received on successful incorporation. It is not necessary for applicant’s corporate representative to be present in the country at the time of application.
The following documents are required when registering a branch in Singapore.
- Branch Office registration Application form
- Copy of the parent company’s Certificate of Incorporation or Registration Certificat
- Copy of the parent company’s latest annual report and audited accounts
Once these documents are ready, the parent company can complete the following registration
process in 1-2 days. - Name Approval: Unlike a subsidiary office, the name of the Singapore branch office must be
same as that of the parent company. - Branch Registration: Registration of a Singapore Branch can be completed in 1-2 days after
submission of the application form and relevant documents. The process is electronic, and an
email notification will be received on successful registration. It is not necessary for the applicant
to be present in the country at the time of registration.
The following documents are required to register a representative office in Singapore:
- Completed Application Form.
- Foreign entity’s Certificate of Incorporation or Registration Certificate (as applicable).
- Foreign entity’s latest Audited Accounts.
A Representative office must be registered via an approved corporate services firm in Singapore who will complete the following procedures:
- Name Approval: The Representative Office must operate under the same name as the parent company and include the term “Representative Office”.
- Company Registration: Registration of a representative office is done online via the IE Singapore Once successful, a letter of approval will be issued confirming the registration of the representative office.
To learn more click here.
There are multiple options available for foreign companies looking to expand their business or set up their office in Singapore. With an efficient system in place, setting up your company can now be completed in a matter of 2-3 days. This makes Singapore a sought-out destination for companies looking to expand their business presence.
Looking to register your company in Singapore? Whether you are a start-up looking to establish your first office, or a multinational corporation seeking to expand your presence in Singapore or the Asia Pacific region, our team of professional staff will ensure to deliver service excellence that meet your expectations.
All materials have been prepared for general information purposes only. The information presented in this document is not legal advice, is not to be acted on as such, may not be current and is subject to change without notice. Professional advisory should be sought before taking or refraining from any action as a result of the contents of this document.