Updated 13.08.2026
Company registration · Singapore
Company registration in Singapore reputation,Asian banks and a 17% rate
One of the strongest business jurisdictions in Asia: a transparent registry, working banks and a start-up exemption that lowers the effective rate in the first years.
Launch package
What the base package covers
- 01Name approval and preparation of the constitution
- 02Incorporation with the registry
- 03Company secretary and registered address for the first year
- 04Full set of corporate documents
- 05Nominee resident director for the first year
- 06A calendar of obligations for the year ahead
and 3 more documents
The actual timing, cost and tax treatment depend on the corporate form, the activity and the structure of the company. Government fees are paid separately at the official tariffs.
Quick selection
Find the right structure
Where will the clients be?
What will the company do?
What do you need?
How many owners?
Reply within one business day
Fit
Who Singapore suits
- Trade with Asian markets and regional distribution
- IT and SaaS companies with clients across Asia
- Regional headquarters of an international group
- Holdings owning Asian subsidiaries
- Businesses that need a strong reputation with banks
- Minimum budget: upkeep here is not cheap
- No resident director and no willingness to appoint one
- You are counting on anonymity: the registry is public
- The business has no connection to Asia at all
Company types
What company you can open in Singapore
The private limited company covers almost every scenario for foreign founders.
A company with limited liability and up to fifty shareholders.
- For whom
- Trading, IT, services, holdings.
- Advantage
- Strong reputation, access to banks and tax reliefs.
- Limit
- At least one resident director and a company secretary are required.
Registration of a foreign company presence.
- For whom
- An existing group entering the Asian market.
- Advantage
- No new legal entity is required.
- Limit
- The parent company carries the liability and files its accounts.
A non-trading presence for market research.
- For whom
- Companies studying the region before entering it.
- Advantage
- Simple to set up and maintain.
- Limit
- Commercial activity is not permitted; limited in duration.
Every company needs a resident director, a company secretary and a registered address in Singapore.
Comparison
Singapore or Hong Kong
The two main business hubs in Asia, with different tax logic.
| Singapore | Hong Kong | |
|---|---|---|
| Corporate tax | 17% with reliefs | 8.25% and 16.5% on a two-tier basis |
| Taxation principle | income received in Singapore | territorial |
| Resident director | required | not required |
| Banking | strong, with detailed checks | strong, with detailed checks |
| Reputation | very high | high |
| Upkeep cost | higher | lower |
| Who it suits better | regional headquarters and funds | trade with China and Asia |
Hong Kong is cheaper and simpler for trade; Singapore is stronger for headquarters, funds and long-term reputation.
Where to register
What shapes the structure in Singapore
The decisions below determine the cost of upkeep and the tax result.
What we check
- Where the income arises and where it is received
- Who will act as resident director
- Whether the founder plans to relocate and obtain a pass
- Whether goods will pass through the country
- Whether registration for goods and services tax is needed
- Which bank is prepared to work with the profile
- Whether staff will be hired locally
- Whether the start-up relief applies
- How the source of capital is evidenced
- The upkeep budget for the next three years
The resident director is a legal requirement, not a formality. It can be met by a relocating founder or by a nominee director from a licensed provider.
Licensing
Activities and licences
Most business needs no licence; finance and regulated trades do.
No licence required in most cases.
Licensed by the monetary authority.
Licensed under the payment services framework.
Requires authorisation and qualified personnel.
Requires sector permits from the relevant agencies.
Requires customs registration and permits for specific goods.
What sets the licence
- Whether a licence is required
- Whether registration for goods and services tax is needed
- Whether goods cross the border
- Whether staff will be hired
- Planned turnover
- Which bank will serve the company
Prices
Three ways to launch
The scope is built from real scenarios. The amount depends on the director arrangement and the level of support.
from $3 400
A structure for contracts and ownership
1-2 weeks
Included
- Name approval and preparation of the constitution
- Incorporation with the registry
- Company secretary and registered address for the first year
- Full set of corporate documents
- Nominee resident director for the first year
- A calendar of obligations for the year ahead
Government fees, paid separately
- Registry fees
Not included
- Registration for goods and services tax
- The bank account — handled as a separate stage
from $6 200
An operating business with real settlements
4-10 weeks
Included
- Everything in the Company package
- Bank file and submission to suitable banks
- Support at the bank interview
- Accounting set-up and a reporting schedule
- Assessment of the tax position and available reliefs
Government fees, paid separately
- Bank tariffs
Not included
- A guarantee that the account opens — the bank decides
by project
A founder moving to Singapore
from 8 weeks
Included
- Everything in the Company and account package
- Employment pass application for the founder
- Office and hiring support
- Payroll and contributions administration
- Bookkeeping, reporting and the annual filing
- Annual support of the structure
Government fees, paid separately
- Pass application fees
- Office rent
Registry fees, the nominee director service and pass fees appear as separate lines in the quote.
Estimate
Preliminary quote
Seven questions about the activity, the director, relocation and banking. A preliminary budget in return.
The range is indicative: relocation projects are priced individually.
Add-ons
Add-ons for any package
Switched on as the task requires.
A nominee director from a licensed provider.
Application for the founder or key employees.
Registration and periodic returns.
Accounting, annual filing and the tax return.
Employer registration and monthly administration.
Selection of a bank or a payment institution.
Director, shareholder and capital changes.
Proper closure of the company.
Banking
The bank account after incorporation
Singapore banks are strong and thorough: the interview is a real stage of the project.
The activity, the counterparties, expected turnover, the connection to Asia and the source of funds.
The corporate set, beneficiary profiles, contracts and evidence of the source of funds.
With local banks, and with payment institutions where speed matters more than status.
We prepare the file, arrange the interview and run the submission through to the result.
A company with no real connection to the region will be questioned. Where that is the case we say so before incorporation and suggest alternatives.
Tax
Taxes in Singapore
A flat rate with reliefs that materially lower the burden for new companies.
A flat rate of 17% on chargeable income.
A qualifying new company receives a partial exemption on its first tranches of income for the first three years.
A general partial exemption applies to established companies as well.
Dividends paid by a Singapore company are not subject to withholding tax.
Registration becomes compulsory once the turnover threshold is exceeded.
Owning a foreign company creates obligations in the beneficiary country of residence.
Verified on 13 August 2026. This is not tax advice: eligibility for the reliefs is assessed case by case.
Documents
What we need from you
The set is collected remotely; documents are in English.
- 01Passport with a certified copy
- 02Proof of residential address
- 03Curriculum vitae and description of the business
- 04Bank or professional reference
- 05Evidence of the source of funds
The corporate service provider runs its own compliance; for the employment pass the authority reviews the business plan on the merits.
Annual administration
What we handle every year
Upkeep is higher than in the offshore world — that is the price of the reputation.
A mandatory appointment, renewed annually.
Where a nominee is used, the service is paid for annually.
Held and filed within the statutory deadlines.
Prepared under the applicable standards.
Filed after the end of the financial year.
Filed regularly where the company is registered.
Required once the company exceeds the small company thresholds.
Periodic requests from the bank.
Cost of ownership
The cost of the company over three years
A company is not a one-off payment for incorporation: the annual items below repeat every year. We count ownership, not entry.
- Registration and corporate documents
- Company secretary
- Resident director
- Annual general meeting and filing
- Financial statements
- Tax return
- Goods and services tax returns
- Audit
- Bank compliance
- Company secretary
- Resident director
- Annual general meeting and filing
- Financial statements
- Tax return
- Goods and services tax returns
- Audit
- Bank compliance
- Company secretary
- Resident director
- Annual general meeting and filing
- Financial statements
- Tax return
- Goods and services tax returns
- Audit
- Bank compliance
What falls into each year depends on the corporate form, the activity and the requirements of the bank and the regulator. The three-year calculation comes together with the incorporation quote — before the engagement.
Process
How the work runs
Timelines are split by who is responsible.
Activity, director, taxes, banking, relocation.
One meetingWe fix the scope of work and the amount.
1-2 daysProvider verification and collection of the set.
3-7 daysFiling with the registry and issue of the documents.
3-7 daysBank file, the meeting and account opening.
The bank sets the timingEmployment pass application for the founder.
3-8 weeksThe outcome is a Singapore company with a resident director, a bank account, accounting in place and, where needed, a pass for the founder.
Scenarios
A company for a specific task
The structure follows the client task and the banking model, not the name of the jurisdiction.
BusinessClients and customers outside the country of registration, payment under contracts.
DirectionAn operating company with real management and reporting.
BankingThe bank looks at contracts, clients and turnover.
BusinessDevelopment, subscriptions and software licensing.
DirectionAn operating company that owns the product with a clear revenue chain.
BankingPayment providers and platform agreements are required.
BusinessSupplies between countries, settlements in several currencies.
DirectionA trading company with working banking infrastructure.
BankingCounterparties, routes and the origin of funds are checked.
BusinessHolding shares in subsidiaries and distributing profit.
DirectionA holding company set up with double tax treaties in mind.
BankingAn account for dividends and intra-group settlements.
A scenario does not assign a corporate form automatically: the actual form, licence and bank are checked against the current requirements for your activity.
Why BRIDGES
Who runs the incorporation and what we answer for
The difference shows in how the work is run, not in the promises.
A resident director is mandatory. We arrange it through licensed providers, with clear terms.
The bank meeting decides the project. We rehearse the answers in advance.
The start-up exemption is not automatic; we confirm eligibility before promising savings.
Secretary, director, accounting and filings — three years ahead.
Reporting, the annual filing and changes stay with us.
The registry is public and the bank knows the beneficial owner.
FAQ
Questions and answers
17% on chargeable income, with partial exemptions that lower the effective rate, especially in the first three years.
Yes, at least one director must be ordinarily resident in Singapore. A nominee director from a licensed provider satisfies this.
3-7 days with the registry once compliance is complete.
Yes, there are no restrictions on foreign shareholding.
Realistic with a clear business and a regional story; the bank interview is a genuine stage.
Only once the company exceeds the small company thresholds.
Once the annual turnover threshold is exceeded; voluntary registration is possible earlier.
Yes, through an employment pass. The authority assesses the business plan and the founder’s profile.
Calculation
Get the structure and a full quote before incorporation
Tell us what the company will do in Asia and whether you plan to relocate. We will arrange the resident director, assess the banking odds and prepare the launch and upkeep budget.
The structure, budget and scope are fixed after the business and the owners are reviewed. Account opening and registration decisions are taken by banks and state authorities.