Singapore Pte. Ltd. Formation — 1–3 Days, Nominee Director & Corporate Secretary
Incorporate a Singapore Pte. Ltd. in 1–3 business days via ACRA. Nominee director for foreign-only shareholders, mandatory corporate secretary, registered address.
What Company Formation includes in Singapore
What you receive
How it works
Useful materials
Where to register and how we differ
Company Formation in Singapore — frequently asked questions
A Private Limited Company (Pte. Ltd.) is the most common business structure in Singapore. It is a separate legal entity, meaning shareholders are liable only up to the amount of their share capital. A Pte. Ltd. can have 1–50 shareholders, can be 100% foreign-owned, is eligible for startup tax exemptions, and is straightforward to sell or restructure. Incorporation is done through ACRA's BizFile+ portal with a government fee of S$315.
Yes. Singapore permits 100% foreign ownership of a Pte. Ltd. with no restrictions on the nationality or residency of shareholders. There is no minimum local equity requirement. However, at least one director must be ordinarily resident in Singapore — a legal requirement that applies regardless of the ownership structure. This is why foreign founders typically engage a professional nominee director service.
Under the Singapore Companies Act, every Pte. Ltd. must have at least one director who is ordinarily resident in Singapore (citizen, Permanent Resident, or valid Employment Pass/EntrePass holder). This requirement ensures there is a locally accountable individual for regulatory compliance. Foreign founders who do not hold Singapore residency engage a licensed corporate services firm to provide a nominee director, typically for S$1,500–S$3,000 per year.
Standard Pte. Ltd. incorporation via ACRA BizFile+ takes 1–3 business days once the application is submitted online. ACRA may refer applications involving regulated industries (finance, law, education, media) to the relevant authority for additional review, which can extend the timeline to 14–60 days. The government incorporation fee is S$315, which covers name reservation (S$15) and incorporation (S$300).
Annual compliance costs for a Singapore Pte. Ltd. typically include: registered address service (S$200–S$500/year), nominee director (S$1,500–S$3,000/year if required), company secretary — mandatory under Singapore law — (S$500–S$1,500/year), annual audit (exempt for small companies; otherwise S$3,000–S$8,000), and ACRA annual return filing fee (S$60). Total annual compliance overhead is typically S$3,000–S$6,000 for a standard foreign-owned Pte. Ltd.