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Singapore does not hand you a framed certificate when your company is registered. ACRA confirms the registration electronically and keeps the record. When someone wants a formal document, you buy the Certificate Confirming Registration or Incorporation of Entity on Bizfile, and the other side can verify it free on trustBar.
Checked against ACRA's information product and verification pages.
Does a Singapore company get a registration certificate?
What you get first is a notice. When ACRA approves the registration, the applicant receives confirmation that includes the UEN. That is your first proof, and the company exists from that point.
The formal certificate is a separate, paid ACRA product. ACRA describes its certificates as showing certified business information and the status of an entity. The one most people want is titled Certificate Confirming Registration or Incorporation of Entity. The wording changes with the entity type: a company's reads as confirming incorporation, a business's as confirming registration.
Our incorporation guide shows what happens before that notice arrives.
How do you get a copy?
Buy it on Bizfile. ACRA groups paid products into profiles, extracts, certificates and registers.
- Log in to Bizfile.
- Open the information products and choose certificates.
- Select the Certificate Confirming Registration or Incorporation of Entity and the entity.
- Pay and download the electronic copy.
ACRA's product table lists certificates "from S$11", with extracts and registers at the same starting price. That page does not break out the fee for this certificate. Look at the Bizfile certificates page for the current figure, and do not rely on a number quoted by a third-party blog.
Access to an entity's account runs through Corppass, covered in our Corppass guide.
What is the difference between the certificate and other ACRA documents?
| Document | What it shows | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Free entity search | Live status and registered address | Free |
| Business Profile | UEN, name, registration date, officers and owners | S$5.50 |
| Certificate Confirming Registration or Incorporation | Formal confirmation of the entity's registration | from S$11 |
| Extract | Copies of past filings, such as annual returns | from S$11 |
| Register | Official lists of key people | from S$11 |
For a bank or a landlord, the Business Profile is often what is actually asked for. See the business profile guide before you buy both.
How do you verify a certificate someone gives you?
ACRA's trustBar is a free verification service launched in . At acratrustbar.gov.sg/verify you can confirm that a Certificate Confirming Registration or Incorporation of Entity is genuine and preview the document. It also covers the Business Profile. ACRA's page does not state how long a verification stays available, so check a document close to the time you receive it.
This is the quick defence against a forged PDF. For the wider checklist, see how to check a company's registration.
Why would anyone ask for it?
Typical requests come from three places.
- A bank during account opening, see our business bank account guide.
- A foreign authority or embassy that wants proof the entity exists, often for a cross-border contract or visa.
- A customer or tender panel that screens suppliers.
Each one has its own document list. Ask what they accept before you pay for extras. Many parties can read the Bizfile entity record themselves.
What does the certificate not tell you?
It proves registration. It does not show who the directors are today, whether accounts are filed, or whether the company is in good standing. For current officers, buy the profile. For the shareholder list, see the register of members guide.
What if you lose the original notice?
Nothing is lost. The registration sits on ACRA's record. Search the name on Bizfile to read the UEN, and buy a Business Profile or the certificate if a third party needs a document. Our registration number guide shows where the number appears.
Want help with the paperwork?
If you are planning a new company and would rather not handle ACRA's portal yourself, use the quote form on this page. We are an independent guide, not ACRA, and we pass requests to suitable providers who may pay us a referral fee.
Sources
- ACRA, types of ACRA information products: https://www.acra.gov.sg/resources/buying-business-information/types-of-acra-information-products/ (certificates from S$11, Business Profile fee).
- ACRA, verifying and certifying ACRA information products: https://www.acra.gov.sg/resources/buying-business-information/verifying-certifying/ (trustBar, products it verifies).
- Bizfile, certificates: https://www.bizfile.gov.sg/buy-info/info-products/certificates (where certificates are bought; fee detail is on this page).
