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A logistics company in Singapore is registered like any other company, and then it deals with Singapore Customs. A forwarder needs a UEN, a Customs Account and, to file for clients, a Declaring Agent registration with a TradeNet user ID. The pages read give no fee for these. Checked .
SingaporeCompanySetupGuide.com is an independent guide. It is not ACRA or Singapore Customs, and providers may pay us for referrals from our forms. We do not file Customs registrations for you.
What does Customs say a forwarder must register?
Singapore Customs names the declaring entities that register: importers, exporters, shipping agents, air cargo agents, freight forwarders, common carriers and individuals trading under their own name. They register if they import or export, or if they appoint a Declaring Agent.
What are the steps, in order?
- Form the company at ACRA and receive the UEN. See company registration.
- Open the Customs Account.
- Apply to be a Declaring Agent, which brings the TradeNet user ID.
- Hold an inter-bank GIRO for what you owe Customs.
- Put up a security if Customs asks.
- Start filing client permits.
A forwarder files permits for clients every day, so the Declaring Agent route is the normal choice. Customs checks that the entity and all its key personnel are fit and proper before registering one.
What do Customs pages say about money?
Nothing in numbers. The registration overview lists the GIRO and the security lodgement but gives no fee or amount. This guide therefore quotes no Customs fee. Ask Singapore Customs, or read the E-Guide for newly registered traders on its website.
How does TradeNet work?
TradeNet is the national single window for import, export and transhipment permits. For imports, a Customs Import Permit is submitted through it with approved software or the Government Front-End Application. Your software choice affects day-to-day cost, so price it before you commit.
What about controlled and strategic goods?
Arms, military items and dual-use goods fall under the Strategic Goods (Control) Act, which has applied since . Moving them out, through or across Singapore needs a permit, and brokering needs registration. Customs also treats any cargo likely to feed weapons of mass destruction as controlled. Add a screening check at booking, before you accept the cargo.
Other controlled goods sit with other agencies. This page has not verified those lists, so check the agency that regulates the goods you move.
Does a forwarder need other licences?
We found no further licence named on the Customs pages for freight forwarding. Trucks, warehouses, ports and dangerous goods can fall under other agencies. We did not verify those, so we list none. GoBusiness has a licence directory by agency, and its e-Adviser lets you describe your activity.
Which structure and tax setup fits?
A private limited company is the usual choice, because a forwarder carries other people's cargo and contract risk. If your sales pass S$1 million, GST registration becomes compulsory. See GST registration. Freight businesses with trading arms may also want trading company.
Can foreigners own a logistics company?
Yes. A corporate service provider registers the company and a locally resident director is appointed. Customs looks at the people behind the entity. The steps for overseas owners are on register a company as a foreigner.
Which SSIC code fits?
Bizfile asks for a primary code. No Customs or ACRA page we read names one for forwarding, so we give none. The SSIC code page explains the finder.
What costs does this guide leave out?
Warehouse rent, vehicles, insurance, filing software, staff pay and carrier rates are yours to price. The ACRA side is S$15 for the name plus S$300 to register.
Where does a provider help?
A provider can form the company, give it an address and prepare the bank file with the GIRO in mind. Your key personnel handle the Customs registrations. The quote form sends your request on to providers that act for logistics firms.
Sources
- Singapore Customs, registration overview: https://www.customs.gov.sg/doing-business/getting-started/customs-registration-overview/ (who registers, steps, GIRO, security)
- Singapore Customs, import permits: https://www.customs.gov.sg/doing-business/import-operations/import-procedures/obtain-a-customs-import-permit/ (TradeNet permit route)
- Singapore Customs, strategic goods control: https://www.customs.gov.sg/permits-and-licences/trade-controls-and-prohibitions/strategic-goods-control/strategic-goods-control-overview/ (permits and registration)
- IRAS, GST registration: https://www.iras.gov.sg/taxes/goods-services-tax-(gst)/gst-registration-deregistration/do-i-need-to-register-for-gst (S$1 million threshold)
