Opening Q1 2027 Plan my Singapore setup
Opening Q1 2027 Singapore · Company formation Updated 31 October 2026

Singapore company formation when no founder lives in Singapore

To register a Singapore private limited company from abroad, you need a director ordinarily resident in Singapore, a Singapore registered office, at least one shareholder, S$1 of share capital and a company secretary within six months, filed through a registered corporate service provider. Once identity checks and documents are complete, incorporation usually takes 1 to 3 business days.

The resident director is where most foreign founders get stuck, and the bank account is usually the slowest step. We plan both with you before anything is filed. Our incorporation service opens in Q1 2027. Until then we offer structuring consultations and early access.

Plan my Singapore setup See the requirements

Before we open

Incorporation opens in Q1 2027. Until then you can plan the company with us and reserve a founding-client place. Nothing is filed and nothing is charged before launch.

Available today

What Innaltis can do today

  • A structuring consultation with our founders, held remotely, with a written summary.
  • Guidance on choosing between Singapore and Hong Kong, and on what each company costs to set up and run.
  • Early access to our incorporation and compliance services before they open, with no payment and no commitment.
Planned service

Planned for Q1 2027

  • Company incorporation in Singapore and Hong Kong, with company secretary and registered address.
  • Yearly compliance packages: bookkeeping, accounts, tax filings, annual return and meetings.
  • Atlas, the client platform: group view, cap table, deadlines and documents.

What you can book now

Introductory call Today

Free · 30 minutes

A 30-minute call to understand your owners, activity and timeline, and to tell you whether a structuring consultation is worth your time. No commitment.

Structuring consultation Today

S$880, fixed · 2 hours with our founders, remote

We agree the agenda with you beforehand. Within three business days you receive a written summary: the recommended structure, the alternatives we considered, what it takes to run, what it costs, and the questions to put to a tax or legal adviser.

Estimate

Your checklist and cost for the first two years

Answer five questions. Nothing leaves your browser until you send the form.

The same information is in the requirements list and the price tables. Requirements · Prices

01 Does a director live in Singapore?

Ordinarily resident: a Singapore citizen, a permanent resident or an Employment Pass holder living in Singapore.

02 Who keeps the books and prepares the accounts and tax return?
03 How many transactions a year do you expect?

Sales invoices, supplier bills and bank lines together.

04 Will the company register for GST?

Compulsory above S$1 million of taxable turnover; voluntary below it.

05 Which bank account do you want help with?

Your Singapore setup

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Requirements

  • A director ordinarily resident in Singapore Depends on your first answer
  • Company secretary within six months Included in every package
  • Registered office address Included in every package, with mail scanning
  • Constitution, registers and RORC Included in the incorporation fee
  • Shareholders and share capital from S$1 You decide who holds the shares You provide
  • Company name and SSIC activity code You choose; we file the name application You provide
  • Passport and proof of address for each director and shareholder You provide; verified remotely You provide
  • Bookkeeping, accounts and tax return Depends on who keeps the books
  • Bank account Depends on the bank you want

Cost

Cost, in Singapore dollars
ItemYear oneYear two
Total - -

Answer all five to see the total.

Not included: Xero, an audit if your company is not exempt, IRAS taxes, MOM pass fees, and XBRL filing where required (S$450 on Spark and Ascent, included on Zenith).

Singapore company incorporation requirements

What do you need to register a company in Singapore as a foreigner?

ACRA, the Singapore registrar, sets the rules for a private limited company. Foreign founders must register through a corporate service provider, which makes the filing. You bring the people, the decisions and the documents.

  1. A director ordinarily resident in Singapore

    At least one director must be ordinarily resident: a Singapore citizen, a permanent resident, or an Employment Pass, Personalised Employment Pass or ONE Pass holder living in Singapore. Directors must be 18 or older. Your other directors can live anywhere.

    With Innaltis: Your own, a nominee, or a founder who relocates

  2. A company secretary within six months

    The secretary must be a person, not a company, must meet the residency rules and cannot be your sole director. The post cannot stay empty for more than six months.

    With Innaltis: Included in every package

  3. A registered office address in Singapore

    A local address open to the public for at least three hours on each business day. It does not have to be where you work.

    With Innaltis: Included in every package

  4. At least one shareholder

    Shares can be held by individuals or by companies. The residency rule applies to directors, not shareholders, so the company can be wholly owned from abroad.

    With Innaltis: You decide

  5. Share capital from S$1

    The minimum is S$1 and you can increase it at any time. Paid-up capital is what shareholders pay for their shares. If the company will sponsor an Employment Pass, around S$65,000 of paid-up capital is the usual benchmark.

    With Innaltis: You decide

  6. An approved company name

    The name application costs S$15 and holds the name for 120 days. Some names are referred to another agency, which can take up to 15 working days.

    With Innaltis: You choose, we file

  7. An SSIC activity code

    You pick the code that describes your main activity during the name application. Some activities, such as banking or architecture, need approval from another agency first.

    With Innaltis: You choose, we check

  8. A constitution

    ACRA’s model constitution or your own. Every subscriber signs it at incorporation and a copy is kept at the registered office.

    With Innaltis: Included in the incorporation fee

  9. Identity documents for every director and shareholder

    A passport and a recent proof of residential address for each person; for a company shareholder, its registration documents and the people who control it. The provider must verify identities before it files. It can do this remotely, so you do not need to travel to Singapore.

    With Innaltis: You provide

  10. A register of registrable controllers

    Companies incorporated since 16 June 2025 must set up the register on the day they incorporate, and keep it filed with ACRA’s central register.

    With Innaltis: Included in the incorporation fee

The resident director

What if no founder lives in Singapore?

At least one director must be ordinarily resident in Singapore. There are three ways to meet the rule, and each fits a different situation.

Most common

A nominee director

S$2,000 a year

A Singapore-resident professional sits on your board to meet the residency rule. We arrange one through a licensed firm we appoint and supervise, named in your engagement letter.

Since 9 June 2025, anyone acting as a nominee director by way of business must be arranged by a corporate service provider registered with ACRA, which must first check that the person is fit and proper.

The nominee is a director in law. Expect them to ask for the company’s records and to decline to sign what they cannot verify. You keep control through the shareholders.

If a founder moves

A founder relocates on an Employment Pass

Application S$1,400, MOM fees excluded

The company applies for the pass as the employer, so it has to exist first, usually with a nominee director in the meantime. Once the founder holds the pass and lives in Singapore, they can take over and the nominee arrangement can end.

MOM sets a minimum qualifying salary of S$5,600 a month outside financial services, rising with age, then scores the application under COMPASS. For new applications from 1 January 2027 the minimum becomes S$6,000.

Paid-up capital of around S$65,000 is the usual benchmark for a company sponsoring an Employment Pass. It is a benchmark, not a legal minimum.

Funded or innovative startups

EntrePass

We check eligibility first

EntrePass is for founders who hold at least 30% of a Singapore private limited company that is venture-backed or owns innovative technology, for example a single funding round of at least S$100,000 from investors, a recognised incubator or registered intellectual property.

ACRA’s list of passes that count as local residents does not include EntrePass, so we check your case before you rely on it to meet the director rule.

Order of the paperwork

How long does it take to register a company in Singapore?

Incorporation itself usually takes 1 to 3 business days. Most of the time goes into the identity checks before it and the bank account after it.

How it will work once we open in Q1 2027.

The Marina Bay waterfront in Singapore on a calm early morning

  1. Days, depending on you

    Identity checks and documents

    The provider verifies every director, shareholder and controller before it files. Clear passport copies and a recent proof of address keep this step short.

  2. Usually the same day

    Name application

    ACRA fee S$15, at cost. The name is held for 120 days. A name or activity referred to another agency can take up to 15 working days.

  3. 1 to 3 business days

    Incorporation

    Filed on Bizfile with the constitution, officers, shareholders and financial year end. ACRA fee S$300, at cost.

  4. Day one, within six months at the latest

    Company secretary and registers

    First board resolutions, share certificates, statutory registers and the register of controllers. We appoint the secretary at incorporation rather than waiting for the six-month limit.

  5. Often the longest step

    Bank account

    Banks run their own checks on the company and the people behind it, after incorporation. We prepare the application and introduce you to banks and business-account providers. The final decision is always the bank’s.

  6. After incorporation

    Corppass

    Corppass is the company’s login for government services such as IRAS and MOM. We can register it for you for S$150.

  7. When turnover or a decision requires it

    GST registration, only if needed

    Compulsory once taxable turnover passes S$1 million; voluntary below that. Registration is S$500 per application on Zenith.

Annual obligations

What the company files each year

Most deadlines count from the financial year end you choose at incorporation. For a dated calendar across all your entities, use the corporate compliance planner.

What the company files each year
ObligationWhenWhat it involvesIn our packages
Financial year end Chosen at incorporation Any date you like. Aligning it with a parent company’s year end keeps group reporting simple. Advice included
Auditor, unless exempt Within 3 months of incorporation A private company is exempt as a small company if it meets 2 of 3 tests: revenue of S$10 million or less, total assets of S$10 million or less, 50 or fewer full-time employees. A new company is tested on its current year; a group subsidiary on the group’s figures. Audit billed by an external auditor
Estimated chargeable income (ECI) Within 3 months after the year end An estimate of taxable profit. Not needed when revenue is S$5 million or less and the ECI is nil. Ascent, Zenith (Spark: add-on)
Annual general meeting Within 6 months after the year end Accounts laid before shareholders, or resolutions in lieu where the company can dispense with the meeting. All packages
Annual return Within 7 months after the year end Filed with ACRA, fee S$60 at cost. Financial statements go with it in XBRL, unless the company is a solvent exempt private company (fewer than 20 members and no corporate shareholder). All packages (XBRL included on Zenith)
Corporate tax return (Form C‑S or C) By 30 November each year Form C-S if revenue is S$5 million or less, Form C-S (Lite) at S$200,000 or less, Form C above that. Ascent, Zenith (Spark: S$700 add-on)
GST registration When taxable turnover passes S$1 million Compulsory at the end of a calendar year above S$1 million, or within 30 days of expecting more than S$1 million in the next 12 months. GST is 9%. Returns are due one month after each quarter. Zenith add-on
Employee income (IR8A) By 1 March each year Employment income for each employee for the previous calendar year. Payroll add-on, S$250 per employee a year

Prices

What it costs

Our prices are published, so you can plan your budget before we open.

Planned service · Opening Q1 2027

Singapore company incorporation

Name application and incorporation filing with ACRA on Bizfile, constitution, share certificates, first board resolutions, statutory registers and the register of controllers, and help opening a digital business bank account. Regulated work is executed by licensed firms we appoint and supervise.

One-off, at incorporation

One-off, at incorporation
Incorporation fee (Innaltis) · Fixed S$500
ACRA name application · At cost S$15
ACRA registration · At cost S$300
Total one-off S$815

Yearly packages

You keep your own books → Spark · we keep them → Ascent · more than 120 transactions a year, or GST → Zenith.

Spark

Planned service

S$990 a year

Secretarial compliance only. You keep your own books.

  • Company secretary for 12 months
  • Registered office address with mail scanning
  • AGM or resolutions in lieu
  • Annual return filed with ACRA
  • Statutory registers and RORC kept up to date
  • Unaudited financial statements: from S$800
  • Corporate tax filing: S$700
  • XBRL filing: S$450
  • GST: upgrade to Zenith

Ascent

Planned service

S$1,990 a year

Compliance plus accounting and tax for a small activity.

  • Everything in Spark
  • Bookkeeping up to 60 transactions a year
  • Unaudited financial statements
  • Corporate tax computation and filing (ECI and Form C‑S or C)
  • 61 to 120 transactions: +S$450
  • XBRL filing: S$450
  • More than 120 transactions or GST: upgrade to Zenith

Zenith

Planned service

S$2,990 a year

For a growing company: more transactions, XBRL filing, GST as an add-on.

  • Everything in Ascent
  • Bookkeeping up to 200 transactions a year
  • XBRL filing with ACRA
  • GST registration: S$500 per application
  • GST quarterly return: S$330 a quarter
  • 201 to 350 transactions: +S$850
  • 351 to 500: +S$1,600 · 501 to 750: +S$2,750 · above: on quote

Add-ons

Add-ons
Add-onPriceBilledApplies to
Nominee director (Singapore resident) S$2,000 Per year Only if no director lives in Singapore
Unaudited financial statements From S$800 Per year Spark (included in Ascent and Zenith)
Corporate tax computation and filing S$700 Per year Spark (included in Ascent and Zenith)
XBRL filing with ACRA S$450 Per year Spark and Ascent (included in Zenith)
GST registration S$500 Per application Zenith
GST quarterly return (F5) S$330 Per quarter Zenith
Employment Pass application S$1,400 One-off, MOM fees excluded Any package
Traditional bank account assistance S$900 One-off Any package (digital account help is included)

Costs paid to others

  • ACRA fees, billed at cost: S$15 name application, S$300 registration, S$60 annual return, and fees for other filings.
  • Your own Xero subscription, paid directly to Xero.
  • A statutory audit, only if your company is not exempt, quoted and billed by an external auditor.
  • IRAS taxes and any penalties: corporate tax, GST and stamp duty.
  • MOM application and pass fees.

Planned launch prices, confirmed in writing before you commit. ACRA fees are billed at cost. A new company pays a one-off incorporation fee. Most small companies are exempt from audit.

Our team

Who you will work with

Innaltis is run by its founders, who come from corporate consulting and business law. You deal with them directly, from the first call to the written summary. Structuring questions are part of the job, never a surprise invoice. Regulated filings are executed by licensed firms we appoint and supervise, each named in your engagement letter. We introduce the team by name at launch.

How we work

  1. Scope

    A 30-minute call on your owners, activity, target market and timeline. We then agree the agenda and the price in writing.

  2. Structure

    We write up the structure: entities, ownership, directors, substance and the questions that need a specialist tax or legal opinion.

  3. Set up

    Once we open: incorporation, company secretary, registered address and resident director where required, executed by licensed firms we appoint and supervise.

  4. Run

    Bookkeeping, accounts, tax, annual return and meetings tracked in Atlas and reviewed by people, with a reminder before every deadline.

Early access

Reserve your founding-client place

Tell us where you are and when you want the company. We reply within one business day and, before the launch in Q1 2027, send you a written plan for your Singapore setup.

Founding-client terms

  • One of our first 20 founding clients
  • Your price locked for 24 months
  • A free structuring session with our founders
  • No payment and no commitment
When do you want the company incorporated?
Does a director live in Singapore?
Who will own the shares?

We reply within one business day. No payment and no commitment: this request only starts a conversation. We never share your data, and you can ask us to delete it at any time.

Incorporation and ongoing compliance open in Q1 2027. Registering now reserves your founding-client terms. Nothing is filed and nothing is charged before then.

Questions

Questions from foreign founders

Can a foreigner own 100% of a Singapore company?

Yes. ACRA’s residency rule applies to directors, not to shareholders, and shares can be held by individuals or companies. A foreign owner still needs a resident director. If a company holds your shares, the Singapore company is not an exempt private company, so it files its financial statements with ACRA in XBRL every year.

Do I need to visit Singapore to register the company?

No. Foreigners register through a corporate service provider, which verifies your identity and documents remotely and files on your behalf. Once we open, the whole incorporation runs remotely, KYC included. A traditional bank may set its own requirements; the final decision is always the bank’s.

What does a nominee director do, and what are the risks?

A nominee director meets the requirement for a director ordinarily resident in Singapore. They sign as a director and, like any director, share responsibility for the company meeting its filings. They do not run your business. We arrange one through a licensed firm we appoint and supervise, for S$2,000 a year.

The risk runs both ways. The nominee carries a director’s legal duties, so they will ask for records and may refuse to sign what they cannot verify; a company that cannot show its books will struggle to keep one. Since 9 June 2025, only a corporate service provider registered with ACRA may arrange a nominee director by way of business, after checking the person is fit and proper.

How much capital do I need to start a Singapore company?

S$1 is the legal minimum, and you can increase it at any time. Paid-up capital is what shareholders pay for their shares. If the company will sponsor an Employment Pass for a founder, around S$65,000 of paid-up capital is the usual benchmark. MOM’s criteria set a minimum salary and say nothing about capital, so the figure is market practice.

When is GST registration mandatory in Singapore?

When taxable turnover is more than S$1 million at the end of a calendar year, or when you can reasonably expect more than S$1 million in the next 12 months, for example from signed contracts. Below the threshold, registration is voluntary, and IRAS asks you to weigh the costs and benefits over two years first. GST is 9%. GST filing is part of our Zenith package.

Can I incorporate with Innaltis now?

No. Incorporation is a planned service opening in Q1 2027. Today you can register for early access and book a structuring consultation. If you need a company before we open, the same requirements and order of steps apply with any registered corporate service provider.

What does early access mean?

You join the founding-client list. Founding clients get their price locked for 24 months and a free structuring session with our founders. There is no payment and no commitment: we contact you before launch with a written plan and your price, and nothing is filed or charged until you decide.

Is Singapore or Hong Kong better for my company?

It depends on where your customers and investors are. Singapore is often chosen for a regional holding, Southeast Asia and fundraising, and requires a resident director. Hong Kong is often chosen for trade with China and sourcing, needs no resident director but requires an audit every year. Read the Hong Kong vs Singapore comparison or the Hong Kong company formation guide.

References
  1. ACRA, Appointing company directors and other key officers
  2. ACRA, Requirements and eligibility
  3. ACRA, Deciding on share capital and share types
  4. ACRA, Reserving a business name on Bizfile
  5. ACRA, Registering a local company on Bizfile
  6. ACRA, Company constitution
  7. ACRA, Register of registrable controllers
  8. ACRA, Corporate Service Providers Act 2024
  9. ACRA, Choosing a company’s financial year end
  10. ACRA, Annual returns: deadline and requirements
  11. ACRA, Audit exemptions
  12. ACRA, Filing financial statements in XBRL
  13. IRAS, Estimated chargeable income (ECI) filing
  14. IRAS, Form C-S, Form C-S (Lite) and Form C
  15. IRAS, Due dates
  16. IRAS, Do I need to register for GST
  17. IRAS, Registering voluntarily for GST
  18. IRAS, Current GST rates
  19. IRAS, GST filing due dates
  20. IRAS, Reporting employee earnings (IR8A)
  21. MOM, Employment Pass eligibility
  22. MOM, Apply for an Employment Pass
  23. MOM, EntrePass eligibility
  24. Corppass, Corppass

Information current as of 31 October 2026. It is general and not tax or legal advice.

Opening Q1 2027

Plan your Singapore company with us

Tell us about your case. We send you the checklist, the cost and the order of the paperwork, and keep a founding-client place for you.

Plan my Singapore setup Book a structuring consultation before the launch

We reply within one business day. No payment and no commitment: this request only starts a conversation. We never share your data, and you can ask us to delete it at any time.

Incorporation and ongoing compliance open in Q1 2027. Registering now reserves your founding-client terms. Nothing is filed and nothing is charged before then.

Opening Q1 2027 Plan my Singapore setup