Singapore Company Registration for Foreign Individuals and Foreign Companies

The following supporting documents will be required from you when incorporating your company. Note that all documents must be in English or translated into English.

For each Director, Shareholder and Ultimate Beneficial Owner (UBO) of the proposed company, the following documents will be required.

1. Passport copy
2. NRIC copy for Singapore citizens and PRs (or FIN card for Singapore work pass holders)
3. Residential address proof (for example, a driver’s license, a recent utility bill, rental agreement, etc.)
4. Brief professional background. This can be in the form of a curriculum vitae (CV), resume or link to the person’s LinkedIn profile.

For each Director, Shareholder and Ultimate Beneficial Owner (UBO) of the proposed company, the following documents will be required.

1. Certificate of Registration issued by the Registrar of the jurisdiction where the company is registered
2. Company Extract that contains the following information:
   • Company’s name, registration number, registered address and primary business activities
   • Paid-up Capital of the company
   • Particulars of Shareholders and Directors
3. Authorised Person Resolution passed by the director(s) of the shareholding company that includes the following:
   • Decision of the shareholding company to hold shares in the proposed Singapore Company
   • Appointment of an Authorised Person to sign the Singapore Company formation documents on behalf of the shareholding company
4. Ownership structure chart or information that identifies the key UBOs of the shareholding company. For each key UBO, we will need the documents as listed under For Individuals above.

• The end-to-end company incorporation process can take anywhere from one to a few days. It will primarily depend on how fast you can complete your tasks (providing the supporting documents, signing the incorporation documents, etc). You are not required to visit Singapore to incorporate your company.
• For foreign-owned Singapore companies, the bank account opening can take about 2-4 weeks for the reasons explained here. Given our close partnership with various banks, in most cases, a Singapore visit is not required to open a bank account.
• If you are also applying for an Employment Pass (EP), the processing time for EP application is about 3-4 weeks.

No. Our Nominee Local Director does not play any role in operating the company but is appointed simply to satisfy Singapore's regulatory requirements.

You will be required to appoint your own executive director(s) (who do not have to be residents of Singapore and can reside overseas) and they will be fully responsible for operating the company.

Singapore's Companies Act and its common law impose the same obligations and responsibilities on a Nominee Director as those imposed on a regular director. Directors are responsible for ensuring that the statutory books of the company are maintained correctly, its regulatory filings are done in a timely manner, accurate accounting records and annual accounts are maintained, shareholders and directors meetings are conducted as per the law, and their fiduciary duty towards the company is honored at all times in all their official actions. Therefore, as a director of the company, he or she has to act as a fiduciary of the company must ensure that the company always acts in compliance with the law.

No. You do not need to pay any salary to our Nominee Director. You only pay our annual Nominee Director service fee.

If you are listed as a shareholder of the Singapore company, your relocation visa options are:

1. Entrepreneur Pass - if you wish to apply within first 6 months of company incorporation. Refer to qualification criteria for Entrepreneur Pass.
2. Employment Pass - if you wish to apply after 6 months of company incorporation. Refer to qualification criteria for Employment Pass.

If you need to apply for Employment Pass as part of setting up your Singapore company, contact us for further advise.

Chances of EP approval depend primarily on the following factors:

If your Employment Pass is rejected, we will analyze the reasons and file an appeal accordingly. If in the unlikely scenario that your EP is still rejected after the appeal, you have the following options:

1. Extend our Nominee Local Director service and continue to operate your Singapore company from overseas. You can travel to Singapore on a visitor or business visa to conduct any business in Singapore as required. If you decide, you can reapply for Employment Pass after certain period showcasing your success and your need to relocate to Singapore .
2. You can decide to close your Singapore company if your plans have changed and you no longer need to keep your Singapore company.