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Checking a Singapore company takes about two minutes. Search the name or UEN in ACRA's Bizfile entity search, confirm that the status is live and that the registered address matches the paperwork you were given. Pay S$5.50 only if you also need the officers and owners.
Checked against ACRA's Bizfile guides and information product pages.
How do you check if a company is registered in Singapore?
ACRA, the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority, keeps the company register. Bizfile is its public portal. The steps:
- Go to bizfile.gov.sg and open the entity search.
- Type the company name or the UEN. Use the filters "name starting with", "name containing" or "name exact match" if the first try finds nothing.
- Open the matching result and read the entity profile.
- Compare three details with what the company told you: the full legal name, the status and the registered address.
If the entity is a corporate service provider, ACRA shows its CSP details at the bottom of the profile. Open "More information" on the result to see them. That matters when a firm offers to hold your documents or act as your company secretary.
Our UEN search guide covers the number format and the previous-UEN filter in detail, so we do not repeat it here.
What do the free Bizfile searches cover?
ACRA lists four free searches in its Bizfile guide.
| Search | What it answers |
|---|---|
| Entity search | Is the entity registered, is it live, what is its registered address |
| Industry search | Which live businesses carry a given SSIC activity code |
| People search | Which entities a named person is or was involved in |
| Reserved name search | Whether a name is already taken |
Two points on these. The entity search also finds non-ACRA entities such as societies and charities. The people search allows approximate name matching, and for public accountants it shows registration status. For a company name you want to use yourself, see our guide to company name availability.
What does ACRA charge for more detail?
The free view stops at status and address. For anything more, ACRA sells information products.
| Product | What you get | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Business Profile | UEN, name, registration date, position holders and owners | S$5.50 |
| People Profile | An individual's involvement across businesses | S$33 |
| Corporate Compliance and Financial Profile | Profile plus compliance and financial information | S$50 |
| Certificates, extracts and registers | Certified status, past filings, official lists of key people | from S$11 each |
Before paying, read our business profile guide. It explains what the S$5.50 document contains and when you can get a copy free.
How do you verify a certificate or profile someone sends you?
A PDF is easy to fake. ACRA launched trustBar in for exactly this. Go to acratrustbar.gov.sg/verify, enter the details from the document, and the service confirms whether it is genuine and shows a preview. It covers two products: the Business Profile and the Certificate Confirming Registration or Incorporation of Entity. The service is free. ACRA's page does not say how long a document stays verifiable, so do the check soon after you receive it.
Our guide on the registration certificate explains that document.
What should you look for before you sign or pay?
Run a short checklist. This is our own due-diligence advice, not an ACRA procedure.
- The name on the contract, invoice and bank details is the exact name on Bizfile.
- The UEN on their paperwork matches the one in the search.
- The status is live.
- The registered address is a real Singapore address and agrees with the invoice.
- For large payments, buy the Business Profile and check that the person signing is a listed director.
If any item fails, ask for an explanation in writing and do not pay until you get one. A live listing proves registration. It does not prove the company is solvent, honest or good at its job.
Which results should worry you?
A name that returns nothing may be spelled differently, may be a trade name of a registered business, or may not be registered at all. A struck-off or ceased entity cannot normally trade as a company, so find out why it appears that way. Two different entities with near-identical names are common, so always cross-check the UEN rather than the name.
Who needs this check most?
Three groups use it again and again: buyers about to pay a new supplier, landlords and lenders assessing a tenant or borrower, and founders who want to confirm their own company has been set up as expected after an agent finished the work. If you hired a provider, the register of directors and the shareholder register should match what you asked for.
Want a provider to register the company for you?
If you are checking because you plan to set up your own company, we can pass your request to suitable Singapore providers. We are an independent guide, not ACRA, and may earn a referral fee from a provider. Use the quote form on this page and a provider will reply with fees and timing.
Sources
- ACRA, using Bizfile's search functions: https://www.acra.gov.sg/resources/guides-forms/using-bizfiles-search-functions/ (the four free searches, filters, CSP details).
- ACRA, types of ACRA information products: https://www.acra.gov.sg/resources/buying-business-information/types-of-acra-information-products/ (fees for each product).
- ACRA, verifying and certifying information products: https://www.acra.gov.sg/resources/buying-business-information/verifying-certifying/ (trustBar, launch month, what it verifies).
