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Holding every share of a Singapore company is open to Indonesian citizens. Filing is the sticking point: ACRA will not take a foreigner's own submission, so a registered corporate service provider (CSP) does it, and the board must include a Singapore-resident director. Government fees come to S$15 for the name and S$300 for registration. Jakarta and Singapore also sit on the IRAS treaty list, and Indonesian residents have a reporting duty at home. Checked . We are an independent guide. We are not ACRA, IRAS, the Indonesian tax office or a provider, and the form below hands your request to providers that fit.
What is specific to an Indonesian founder?
| Area | Indonesian position | Official body |
|---|---|---|
| Entry | Absent from the visa-required list | ICA |
| Treaty | Full DTA in force, MLI-modified | IRAS |
| Home reporting | Worldwide income in the annual return | DGT Indonesia |
| Documents | Apostille applies to both countries | HCCH |
| Filing | CSP plus a resident director | ACRA |
Is there a tax treaty between Indonesia and Singapore?
There is. IRAS's list carries a full DTA with Indonesia, in force and amended through the Multilateral Instrument, without an arbitration clause. IRAS gives no rates on that page, so none appear here. Open the PDF it links, and hand it to an Indonesian tax adviser if you expect to bring profits home as dividends. Singapore's side of the arithmetic is in corporate tax in Singapore.
What does the Indonesian tax office expect?
The Directorate General of Taxes explains that a resident taxpayer reports income earned in Indonesia and abroad, a result of the worldwide income system in the Income Tax Law. It describes Form 1770S as the annual return for individuals whose income comes from business or independent work, from one or more employers, or from other domestic or foreign sources. How the profit of a foreign company reaches an individual shareholder is a separate matter. We found no readable official page on it, so that question goes to a local adviser.
Do Indonesians need a visa for Singapore?
No visa is listed for Indonesia. ICA's page of countries whose passport holders must obtain a visa leaves Indonesia off. Entry is never automatic, and each traveller files an SG Arrival Card in the 3 days before landing. A trip is also not a job. A founder who wants a salary from the company needs a pass, and Employment Pass lists a floor of S$5,600 a month at the youngest age band for new applications now, going to S$6,000 from 1 January. MOM's application fee is S$105 and the issuance fee S$225.
Do Indonesian documents need an apostille?
Indonesia joined the Apostille Convention on , and Singapore did on . For public documents moving between the two, one apostille stamp replaces the older legalisation chain. ACRA does not demand it for incorporation. Whether you need one depends on what your provider or bank will accept, so ask first and save a notary visit.
How do you fill the resident director seat from Indonesia?
ACRA wants one director, aged 18 or older, who is ordinarily resident in Singapore. Citizens, permanent residents and some pass holders count. Indonesian owners commonly name a Singapore-based partner, or buy a nominee director service. Nominee director in Singapore covers what the nominee must declare. Two more things are on the list: a company secretary within six months, and a registered office that is open to the public at least 3 hours a day, which registered address in Singapore explains.
What is the order of work?
- Shortlist providers and send each the name options, the planned business and the shareholders.
- The one you pick books the name on Bizfile for S$15 and pays S$300 on filing.
- Scan passports and recent address proof for everyone who will be an officer or shareholder.
- ACRA's reply usually follows payment closely, and a complex filing can take up to 15 working days.
- With the UEN in hand, approach the bank. Rules for Indonesian nationals are not published on any official page we found, so each bank gets the question directly.
Corporate service provider in Singapore explains what a provider does and why ACRA insists on one.
If you would like quotes, fill in the form and say that you apply from Indonesia.
Sources
- IRAS: list of DTAs, limited DTAs and EOI arrangements: the Indonesia row.
- DGT Indonesia: annual income tax return: Form 1770S wording.
- ICA: visa guidelines: the visa list and the arrival card.
- HCCH: Apostille status table: the Indonesia date.
- MinLaw: Apostille Convention in force for Singapore: the Singapore date.
- ACRA: foreigners registering a business: provider and residency rules.
- ACRA: service and transaction fees: the two fees.
- MOM: Employment Pass eligibility: salary floor and pass fees.
