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Someone living in the Philippines can register a Singapore company and own every share. A corporate service provider (CSP) registered with ACRA must make the filing, and one director has to live in Singapore. ACRA's own fees are S$15 for the name and S$300 for registration. The Philippine case has two clear official facts: the tax treaty row on the IRAS list, and the apostille office and price that HCCH publishes for the Department of Foreign Affairs. Checked . We are an independent guide, not ACRA or a provider, and the form passes your request to providers who may pay us for it.
How do the Philippines and Singapore compare on the main checks?
| Check | Philippines result | Official body |
|---|---|---|
| Tax treaty | DTA in force, no MLI change, no arbitration | IRAS |
| Entry | Not on the visa-required list | ICA |
| Apostille in force | Both countries are parties, dates below | HCCH |
| Apostille office | DFA Authentication Division | HCCH |
| Local requirement | One Singapore-resident director | ACRA |
What does the IRAS list say about the Philippines?
The Philippines row is a DTA, not a limited one, and the in force column says Yes. The other two columns say No: the treaty has not been modified by the Multilateral Instrument, and it has no arbitration provision. So the original treaty wording is what applies.
IRAS does not print tax rates on the list page. Open the treaty PDF linked in the row for the articles on dividends, interest and royalties. We did not read the Philippine tax authority's rules for this page, so a Filipino accountant should confirm how income from a Singapore company is reported at home. The Singapore side is in corporate tax in Singapore.
Do Filipinos need a visa for Singapore?
Not for entry. The ICA list of countries needing a visa has 34 names, and the Philippines is not one of them. ICA still expects an SG Arrival Card within 3 days before you land. Visit status is not work authority, so a founder who will be employed by the company needs a pass. The EntrePass page covers the route for founders.
Where do you get an apostille in the Philippines?
ACRA's foreigner page sets no certification step, so you only need an apostille if a provider or bank asks for certified papers. Then the route is the Authentication Division of the Office of Consular Affairs at the Department of Foreign Affairs. HCCH publishes the price: Php 100 for regular release and Php 200 for expedited release. That figure comes from HCCH, whose page was last updated on , so confirm it with the DFA before you pay.
The convention applies to the Philippines from . The accession was lodged on , and the status table marks it with the objection symbol. We did not read who objected. For documents going to Singapore, which has applied the convention since , ask the provider to confirm acceptance in writing.
Who must live in Singapore?
One director must be ordinarily resident in Singapore. The shareholder can live anywhere. A Filipino owner who stays abroad often uses a nominee or a local partner for that seat, see nominee director in Singapore for the terms. The company also needs a secretary and a Singapore registered office.
What are the steps from the Philippines?
- Request quotes and choose a CSP.
- Hand over the name options and the activity description.
- Send passports and address proof for each officer.
- The name application costs S$15 and the registration S$300, both paid to ACRA.
- You receive a UEN and the certificate. The bank account is next, see business bank account in Singapore.
Per ACRA, most applications are approved soon after payment. Complex ones can take up to 15 working days.
What did we leave out?
Philippine rules on owning or reporting a foreign company are left out because no official English page was available to us. A Philippine lawyer can tell you whether a central bank filing applies to money sent abroad. Bank policy for Filipino owners is not published, so ask each bank what it wants from a non-resident shareholder.
Send the form with the shareholder names and the business activity, and providers can reply with their documents list and fee.
Which questions should you put to a provider?
A short list saves time. Ask who the resident director would be and what that person signs. Ask whether the provider holds the registered office and for how long the quoted price applies. Ask which documents they want certified, and whether they accept an apostille issued by the DFA. Ask what the bank needs from a Filipino shareholder who has never visited Singapore, since a bank may ask for a video call or a visit. We found no official figure on how often that happens, so treat any claim on that point as the provider's own.
Sources
- IRAS: list of DTAs, limited DTAs and EOI arrangements: the Philippines row and its three marks.
- ICA: visa requirements: visa list and arrival card.
- HCCH: Apostille Convention status table: Philippines and Singapore dates.
- HCCH: Philippines competent authority: the DFA authentication office, with its published fees.
- ACRA: foreigners registering a business: CSP and resident director.
- ACRA: service and transaction fees: fees.
