Review the business and required roles
Send the activity, ownership, intended directors and regional connections. Identify which local roles you already have and which arrangements need to be discussed.
Company formation in Singapore
Plan directors, company secretary, registered office and ongoing administration alongside your incorporation.
Discuss my Singapore setup
We can discuss the local roles already available and those you need to arrange, alongside the company’s business purpose and banking needs.
Overseas founders need local company officers
A Singapore company is available on request: we confirm the partner, procedure and price before quoting. The headline corporate tax rate is 17%. At least one director must be ordinarily resident in Singapore, a company secretary must be appointed within six months of registration, and an auditor within three months unless the company is exempt.
Available on request. Before quoting, we confirm the partner, procedure and price for this jurisdiction.
We coordinate Singapore company formation and the required local company roles. The director, secretary and registered-office arrangements should be agreed alongside the company’s customers, suppliers and activity.
Last checked: 6 November 2026, Aleksandar
Fit, documents and risks
Who it suits
- Businesses with a clear commercial reason to establish a Singapore entity.
- Overseas owners who can arrange the required local corporate roles.
- Founders prepared to support accounting and banking with records of real business activity.
Documents to prepare
- Passport and proof of address for each director and shareholder.
- Consent to act from each director, including the resident director.
- The constitution and the registered office arrangement.
- A description of customers, suppliers and expected payments for the bank.
Common misconceptions
- Every director must live in Singapore. At least one director must be ordinarily resident; others can live abroad.
- The sole director can be the secretary. ACRA states that the secretary cannot be the same person as the sole director.
Risks to plan for
- Missing the six-month secretary deadline, which can expose the director to a penalty.
- Local director service terms that do not match the duties of the role.
- A bank that does not accept the owners or the activity.
Preparing incorporation and local support
Budget for the required company roles
Request the first-year and renewal costs on the same basis. Separate registration from local director arrangements, secretary, office and accounting. Any audit, tax-preparation or banking-application support should have a defined scope. The needs of an overseas founder can differ substantially from those of a resident-owned business.
Discuss my Singapore setupOff-Shore.net, a service of Euro Commerce LLC, coordinates company formation, banking preparation and annual administration from contact offices in the United States and Serbia.Meet the people coordinating your case
Arrange the director and company secretary
The local director, company secretary and office arrangements affect how the business is maintained, not just how it is registered. If these are unresolved, the advertised filing price is an incomplete comparison. Discussing the annual work and the authority of each person early helps you understand the commitment before you form the company.
Resolve the resident-director requirement
ACRA requires at least one director meeting local residency rules. Agree how that role will be fulfilled and what responsibilities and service terms apply. A director is a company officer with duties. The arrangement should be understood by everyone involved before it is included in the formation file.
Include the secretary and official address
A company secretary must be appointed within the prescribed period after incorporation. The role supports company records and corporate administration. Confirm the registered office, official correspondence and filing responsibilities in the proposal, including how changes will be communicated to the provider.
Support the commercial explanation
Describe the goods or services, customer and supplier countries, management location and anticipated payments. A bank may want contracts, a website or other evidence matching that description. Local incorporation does not guarantee acceptance by a bank or determine the tax position where an overseas owner works.
A resident director does not run the company for you
If you live outside Singapore, a resident-director arrangement does not transfer every responsibility for management or establish economic substance. Decide who does the work and makes decisions, and explain the customer and supplier flows before applying for banking.
The business behind the account
Your company- Owners
- Residence and who makes decisions
- Customers
- Where payments come from
- Suppliers
- Where the company sends money
- Activity
- What customers actually buy
Together, these facts explain why the company needs this account.
Questions from overseas founders
What does a Singapore company cost with you?
A Singapore company is available on request. Before we quote, we confirm the local partner, the procedure and the price for your case, and the written offer lists what is included and what is charged separately. If the choice needs analysis first, a 60-minute consultation costs EUR 100 and is credited to our formation fee if you order the formation within 60 days.
What corporate tax does the company pay?
The headline rate is 17%. Start-up and partial exemptions can reduce the effective rate for eligible companies, so the result is checked against your income.
Must all directors live in Singapore?
ACRA requires at least one director who meets the applicable local residency rules. The rest of the proposed board and any overseas owners must still satisfy the relevant eligibility and filing requirements.
Can the sole director also be the company secretary?
ACRA states that the secretary cannot be the same person as the sole director. A secretary must be appointed within six months of registration, and an auditor within three months unless the company is exempt.
Will company registration allow me to work in Singapore?
Company formation and permission to live or work in Singapore are separate. If relocation is part of your plan, raise it before incorporation so the relevant immigration route can be assessed.
What does the bank assess?
The institution reviews the owners, activity, source of funds, business connections and anticipated transactions. Supporting company records help, but acceptance and any attendance requirements must be confirmed with the provider. Banking support is a separate service priced from EUR 300 to EUR 3,000, excluding bank deposits and the institution’s own fees. The bank decides on the account; our fee covers the agreed work.
How is the company taxed in my home country?
It depends on your tax residence, where you and any staff do the work, and the rules of your country, including any rules on foreign companies. Where the board meets and takes decisions also matters. Ask a tax adviser in your country of residence before the company starts invoicing.
Compare your next options.
United Arab Emirates
Start by separating international holding and business-company needs from local operating licences, premises and residency plans.
Hong Kong
Coordinate incorporation with the transaction evidence, local company administration and accounting your business needs.
Banking preparation
Review the activity, ownership and payment flows an institution will need to understand.
Sources and further reading
Check the original requirements for your case. Rules, fees and provider policies can change.
Discuss your Singapore company
Singapore incorporation needs a plan for the people and services that keep the company functioning. Describe the business and any local directors or support already in place. We can then discuss the formation and annual responsibilities with those arrangements in view.
Discuss my Singapore setup