To set up a Singapore private limited company, you first reserve the company name and then register the company through ACRA's Bizfile. Before filing, decide the company's financial year end, registered office, directors and shareholders, share capital, controllers and constitution.
ACRA charges S$15 for the name application and S$300 for company registration. Every company must have at least one director who meets Singapore's local-residency requirements. A company secretary must be appointed within six months after registration.
If you have not decided whether a company is the right structure, start with our comparison of Singapore business structures. This guide assumes you have already chosen a private limited company and are ready to incorporate it.
What do you need before incorporating?
A private limited company is a separate legal entity from its shareholders. For most small businesses, the main preparation is not complicated, but several decisions need to be made before the Bizfile application can be completed.
| What to prepare | What you need to decide |
|---|---|
| Company name | An approved name reserved through Bizfile. ACRA's name application fee is S$15. |
| Company type | For a normal Pte. Ltd., this will usually be an exempt private company or private company limited by shares. See our Singapore company-types guide if you need to compare them. |
| Financial year end (FYE) | The date on which the company's accounting period ends. Your FYE affects later AGM, Annual Return and tax deadlines. |
| Registered office | A Singapore address where official notices can be sent and company records kept. The office must meet ACRA's accessibility requirements. |
| Director(s) | At least one director who meets the local-residency rules. Directors must also meet ACRA's eligibility requirements. |
| Shareholder(s) | At least one shareholder, together with the shares to be allotted. The shareholder and director can be the same person. |
| Share capital | The number, class, currency, issued amount and paid-up amount of the shares being issued. |
| Controllers and nominee arrangements | Registrable-controller information and, where relevant, nominee director/shareholder and nominator information. |
| Company constitution | Either ACRA's model constitution or a customised constitution suitable for the company. |
Your FYE is worth choosing deliberately rather than treating it as a formality. ACRA allows companies to choose their FYE, and it determines later corporate filing deadlines. Our FYE guide explains the decision in more detail; for current filing rules, refer to ACRA's FYE guidance.
How to incorporate the company through Bizfile
Reserve the company name
Apply for the proposed name through Bizfile. The application includes the entity/company type and the main SSIC business activity. Once approved, use the name to register the company within 120 days.
Most straightforward name applications are approved quickly. Names requiring ACRA review or referral to another authority can take longer.
Enter the company details
Start the local-company registration in Bizfile using the approved name transaction. Enter the FYE, company email, registered office address and office hours.
Add directors and shareholders
Add the company's position holders and their particulars. At least one director must satisfy Singapore's local-residency requirement. Shareholders can be individuals or corporate entities subject to the rules for the chosen company type.
Provide controller and nominee information
For companies incorporated from 16 June 2025, registrable-controller information is part of the incorporation workflow. Unless exempt, the company must also set up its private Register of Registrable Controllers on incorporation. If nominee directors or nominee shareholders are involved, the relevant nominee and nominator information must also be dealt with.
Set the share capital and allot the shares
Enter the share class, number of shares, issued and paid-up capital, then allot the shares to the shareholders. ACRA's current Bizfile workflow requires at least one issued share.
Submit the constitution
You can adopt ACRA's model constitution or upload a customised constitution. Keep a signed copy of the constitution at the company's registered office.
Complete endorsements and pay the registration fee
Review the application carefully and submit it. Where endorsements are required, the relevant position holders complete them through Bizfile. The company-registration fee is S$300, making the standard ACRA setup fees S$315 including the name application.
What happens when the company is incorporated?
After approval, Bizfile issues the notice of successful incorporation and the company's Unique Entity Number (UEN). The filer can also download a free Business Profile from the Bizfile inbox. ACRA currently makes that free Business Profile available for 60 days after registration.
The company can then use its registration details for practical setup such as opening a corporate bank account, entering contracts and applying for licences where its activity requires them.
What must be done after incorporation?
Incorporation is the start of the company's compliance timeline, not the end of it. A company secretary must be appointed within six months. An auditor must be appointed within three months unless the company is exempt from audit requirements. The company must also maintain its required registers and accounting records and later deal with its AGM, Annual Return and corporate tax obligations.
Those deadlines deserve their own treatment, so we do not duplicate them here. Use our post-incorporation compliance timeline for the chronological checklist, and our company secretary guide for the secretary requirement.
Can a foreigner set up a Singapore company?
Yes. Foreign ownership is allowed, but ACRA requires foreigners to engage a registered Corporate Service Provider (CSP) to reserve the name and register the business. The company must still satisfy the local-residency requirement for its director. If you intend to move to Singapore to run the business, your right to work in Singapore is a separate immigration and employment-pass question.
Need help incorporating the company?
If you already know that a private limited company is the right structure, we can handle the incorporation filing and help organise the initial company setup. Our Singapore company incorporation service includes the ACRA registration fees and 12 months of company secretary service.
If you are unsure about the director arrangement, shareholders, FYE, registered office or what information to prepare, contact us. We will be happy to work through the setup with you before the application is filed.
