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A Russian citizen can own 100% of a Singapore private company, but two sets of rules apply at once. In Singapore, ACRA requires a registered corporate service provider (CSP) to file for you and one director must live in Singapore. In Russia, the tax service expects a resident to report a stake above 10% in a foreign company. ACRA's fees are S$15 for the name and S$300 to register, S$315 in total. Checked . This is SingaporeCompanySetupGuide.com. It is a guide, not an agency and not a service firm, and requests from its form go to providers that fit.
What do Russian founders need to check?
Start with the Russian reporting duty, because it comes before the Singapore filing in practice. The general Singapore route is in register a company as a foreigner.
| Topic | Position for Russia | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Filing | A CSP submits; one director resident in Singapore | ACRA |
| Entry visa | Required for Russian passports | ICA |
| Tax treaty | Full DTA in force, modified by the MLI | IRAS |
| Apostille | Russian Federation listed, with a declaration and a note | HCCH |
| Notice of foreign stake | Above 10%, within three months | Federal Tax Service |
What must a Russian tax resident tell the Federal Tax Service?
The Federal Tax Service (FTS) says Russian tax residents, individuals and organisations, notify it when they take part in a foreign organisation with a share above 10%. The notice is due no later than three months after the event, and a change in the share can trigger a new one. A separate regime covers controlled foreign companies (CFCs). A controlling person holds, directly or indirectly, more than 25%, or more than 10% where Russian residents together hold over 50%.
For a CFC, the FTS page gives annual deadlines: 20 March for organisations and 30 April for individuals, in the year after the tax period. It states a fine of 500,000 rubles per CFC for a missing or false notice. These figures are as the FTS pages describe them, and rules change, so your Russian adviser should confirm what applies to your holding. We do not give tax advice.
Do Russian passport holders need a Singapore visa?
Yes. ICA's Russia page says you need a visa if you hold a Russian travel document, with diplomatic and service passports exempt. You submit Form 14A, a photo and a passport page valid for at least six months from entry, plus supporting documents such as the Form V39A letter of introduction. Apply within 30 days before arrival through a local contact, an authorised visa agent or a Singapore overseas mission. The fee is S$30, non-refundable. Processing takes three working days, and ICA says some applications take longer. A visa is no promise of entry, and the SG Arrival Card must go in during the 3 days before you arrive. A visit does not let you work: for a pass, see Employment Pass.
What does the Russia and Singapore treaty provide?
The Russian Federation appears on the IRAS list with a full double tax treaty. It is in force and amended through the Multilateral Instrument, without an arbitration clause. The list gives no withholding rates, so we cite none. Use the IRAS treaty PDF for dividends, interest and royalties. For Singapore's own tax on company profit, see corporate tax in Singapore.
What is the position on the apostille?
HCCH shows the Russian Federation as a party by succession dated , in force from , with a declaration and a note in the entry. We did not read those notes in full, so check them if your provider asks for authenticated papers. Singapore's date is . ACRA's foreigner pages do not require an apostille.
How do you fill the resident director seat?
One board member has to be resident in Singapore. Russian founders who do not know anyone there often use a nominee, and nominee director in Singapore describes what that arrangement involves. Add a registered address and a company secretary to the checklist.
What is the order of work?
- Take advice from a Russian tax adviser on the notice to the FTS.
- Choose a CSP and give it the name, activity and each shareholder's details.
- The CSP files the name application for S$15.
- Send scanned passports and address proof for every officer.
- The CSP files the registration and pays S$300. After the UEN arrives, ask banks about an account. ACRA does not publish bank rules for Russian nationals. See business bank account in Singapore.
If you want a provider to take it from here, use the form on this page and say you are a Russian resident.
Sources
- Federal Tax Service: foreign organisations and controlled foreign companies: controlling person test, deadlines, fine.
- Federal Tax Service: participation in foreign organisations: 10% threshold and three months.
- IRAS: Russian Federation in the treaty list: Russia treaty row.
- ICA: visa requirements, Russia: forms, fee, timing.
- ICA: visa guidance: arrival card.
- HCCH: status table for the Apostille Convention: Russian Federation dates.
- MinLaw: Apostille in force for Singapore: Singapore entry into force.
- ACRA: a foreigner's registration: what a foreigner must arrange.
- ACRA: transaction fees: the fees quoted above.
