Starting a Business · Singapore
Starting a Business - Singapore
Singapore permits 100% foreign ownership of a locally incorporated private limited company with no minimum capital beyond S$1, and online incorporation via ACRA's Bizfile is typically completed within 15 minutes of fee payment. The main requirement specific to foreigners is appointing at least one locally resident director (or authorised representative); a foreign founder who wants to relocate and run the business must separately obtain a work pass (Employment Pass or EntrePass) from MOM.
Foreigners can register a company and own 100% of its shareholding; there is no general foreign-equity cap for a standard private limited company.
Every company must have at least one locally resident director or authorised representative — a Singapore Citizen, Permanent Resident, or EntrePass/Employment Pass holder. Non-resident founders typically use a nominee resident director.
Every company must have at least one director and one company secretary; the secretary must be appointed within six months of incorporation.
There is no substantive minimum paid-up capital (as low as S$1). Government fees are S$15 for name reservation plus S$300 for company registration via Bizfile.
Reserve the name (register within 120 days), then incorporate via Bizfile. ACRA usually returns an outcome within 15 minutes of payment, though it can take 14 days to 2 months if the application is referred to another authority.
A foreigner who wants to move to Singapore to operate the company needs a work pass — an Employment Pass (assessed under the points-based COMPASS framework since Sept 2023) or an EntrePass for venture-backed/innovative startups.
Machine-assisted translation · verified 5/23/2026 · orientation, not legal advice. English version →