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A company registration service prepares and files your application with ACRA, then hands you the certificate and the UEN. ACRA charges S$15 for the name and S$300 for the registration. The service fee is on top and varies by provider. Checked .
What does the service actually do?
The work follows ACRA's Bizfile steps for a local company.
- Check the name and reserve it. ACRA holds the name for up to 120 days.
- Collect each person's details: identity number or FIN, full name, date of birth, residential and contact address, mobile number and email.
- Set the financial year end, company email and the registered office.
- Record share capital and the shareholders.
- Prepare or select the constitution.
- Declare nominees and registrable controllers where they apply.
- Pay ACRA and file.
The provider files with Corppass. An individual files with Singpass. That is why ACRA says the step where every position holder endorses within 60 days is not needed when a provider files. The detailed steps are on company registration.
Who must use one?
Foreigners must engage a corporate service provider to reserve a name and register a company. A branch of a foreign company must also be filed by a provider. A person with Singapore residency can file alone. Read register a company as a foreigner if that is your case.
What should a quote show line by line?
Ask for a table like the one below. If a provider cannot split it, move on.
| Line | Who sets the price | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Name application | ACRA, S$15 | Is it in the quote or billed on top? |
| Company registration | ACRA, S$300 | Is it in the quote or billed on top? |
| Preparation and filing | Provider | What is the exact scope? |
| Registered office | Provider | Per year or one time? |
| Resident director | Provider | Is a deposit asked? |
| Company secretary | Provider | Is the first year included? |
| Accounting and tax | Provider | Is the first return included? |
This guide does not print provider prices unless the provider publishes them and we read the page. See Osome pricing and Sleek pricing for published plans.
How do you check the provider?
ACRA says a corporate service provider must be registered with it. Ask for the registration details and look the firm up in ACRA's public records. Then read the engagement letter. You, not the provider, answer for what the company files, so keep copies of everything that is submitted in your name.
What about speed?
ACRA says most registrations are approved soon after payment. Complex applications take up to 15 working days. A case that needs a referral authority takes 14 to 60 days. A provider cannot change those periods. It can only cut the time you spend collecting documents, so give it everything on day one. The documents checklist shows what to prepare.
Should you choose a digital or a traditional provider?
A digital provider runs the filing through an online dashboard. A traditional firm usually works by email and calls. Neither is better in itself. Compare the lines above, response times and what happens when ACRA asks a question. The comparison page digital vs traditional provider goes further.
Independent guide
SingaporeCompanySetupGuide.com is an independent guide. It is not ACRA, IRAS or a provider. Requests sent through the form on this page go to suitable providers, and a provider may pay us for that introduction. Use the form on this page to get quotes, or WhatsApp us with your situation.
Sources
- Registering a local company via Bizfile from ACRA, used for the filing steps, fees, timing and the endorsement exception.
- Service and transaction fees for companies from ACRA, used for S$15 and S$300.
- Registering as a foreign company branch from ACRA, used for the provider requirement for branches.
- Requirements for companies from ACRA, used for the eligibility rules.
