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Company formation services take you from an idea to a registered Singapore company with a UEN. The only fixed part is ACRA's S$315, made up of S$15 for the name and S$300 for the registration. The rest depends on what the provider puts in the package. Checked .
What can a formation package cover?
Think of two layers. The first is the filing. The second is the support the company needs to stay compliant in its first year.
| Layer | Typical items | Required by law? |
|---|---|---|
| Filing | Name check, constitution, Bizfile application, ACRA fees | Yes |
| Officers | Resident director, company secretary | Yes, by the rule that applies to the company |
| Address | Registered office | Yes |
| Upkeep | Accounting, tax return, annual return | Yes, as each falls due |
| Extras | Bank account help, trade mark, payroll | No |
The law behind the first four rows is set by ACRA and IRAS. A provider can bundle them, but it cannot waive them. If a package leaves one out, you must buy it elsewhere.
What does the ACRA filing need from you?
ACRA's Bizfile guide asks for the same core information, whoever files. You give the approved name, the financial year end, company email, a Singapore registered office, each person's identity number or FIN, name, date of birth and addresses, the share details and the constitution. The full list is in documents to register a company.
Which rules shape the package?
- At least one director must meet local residency rules. See resident director.
- The registered office must be a Singapore address, open to the public for at least three hours each business day. See registered address.
- A company secretary is appointed within six months of registration.
- A foreign founder must file through a corporate service provider.
How should you compare packages?
Use one list for every offer. Write down the price for each line, then the price for year two. Many offers are written for the first twelve months only, so the second year is where the totals differ. Also ask what happens if ACRA refuses the name, because the S$15 is not refunded.
Watch for deposits. Some nominee director services ask for one, and it is not a fee. Ask whether it is returned and when.
Rankings of providers elsewhere on the web usually put the author's own brand first. Our provider pages state facts from public pricing pages instead. See best incorporation services for startups for how we compare and corporate service provider for how to check a firm is registered with ACRA.
What should you ask before you sign?
- Is the provider registered with ACRA as a corporate service provider, and can you see it in ACRA's records?
- Which lines are included in the price, and which are billed separately?
- What is the price in year two for the address, secretary and accounting?
- Who files in the company's name, and do you receive the login details and the constitution?
- What happens if you leave? Ask how the company records, the registered address and the secretary move to a new provider, and what the exit costs.
- Where do the identity documents you send go, and how long are they kept?
A clear answer in writing on each point tells you more than the headline price. If a provider will not give one, treat that as an answer.
How long does formation take?
ACRA says most registrations are approved soon after payment, and complex ones take up to 15 working days. A case that needs a referral authority takes 14 to 60 days. Allow time before that for collecting identity and address details from every person, which is where most formation work waits.
Independent guide
SingaporeCompanySetupGuide.com is an independent guide, not ACRA and not a provider. When you send the form on this page, we pass the request to suitable providers. A provider may pay us for that introduction, and it does not change what ACRA charges.
Sources
- Service and transaction fees for companies from ACRA, used for S$15, S$300 and the S$60 annual return.
- Registering a local company via Bizfile from ACRA, used for filing contents, address and officer rules and timing.
- Registering as a foreign company branch from ACRA, used for the provider rule for foreign companies.
- Reserving a business name on Bizfile from ACRA, used for the non-refundable S$15.
