A stable, treaty-rich jurisdiction for regional holding and trading entities — with a resident-director requirement that has to be planned for.
Singapore suits groups that want a second Asian entity: a holding company for South-East Asian subsidiaries, a trading company facing Indonesia, Vietnam or India, or a treasury centre alongside a Hong Kong operating company.
The trade-off is substance. Every Singapore company needs at least one director ordinarily resident in Singapore, a local company secretary and a registered address — we arrange all three.
A city-state of under 750 square kilometres at the heart of South-East Asia, Singapore has an economic weight out of all proportion to its size. With no natural resources and a small domestic market, it has built itself into one of the world’s leading trading nations and is consistently ranked among the best places anywhere to base a business. Its location, political stability and rule of law make it the natural regional headquarters for companies expanding into South-East Asian markets.
The environment is built for international business. Corporate tax is among the lowest in the developed world, supported by targeted incentive schemes and an extensive network of double tax agreements. The courts are recognised as among the most efficient in Asia, anti-corruption enforcement is strict, and company formation is fast and largely paperless.
Any individual or foreign corporation can incorporate under the Companies Act 1967. For general commercial purposes the standard vehicle is a private company limited by shares — its name ends in “Pte. Ltd.” and it may have up to 50 shareholders.
Singapore company law follows the English common-law framework. The company is a separate legal person: it owns its assets, carries its own liabilities, enters contracts and can sue and be sued in its own name, with the shareholders’ liability limited to their shares.
At least one director ordinarily resident in Singapore, a local company secretary appointed within six months, a registered address, and at least S$1 of paid-up capital. Foreign ownership can be 100%. We arrange the resident director and secretary where you have none.
Many of our clients run a Hong Kong company and a Singapore company side by side. We keep both compliant.
ACRA registration, constitution and your company kit.
A nominee resident-director arrangement where you have no local director of your own.
The mandatory secretary role and a registered address in Singapore.
Bookkeeping, financial statements, corporate tax and GST filings.
Singapore bank and multi-currency accounts.
South-East Asia trading, regional holdings, groups pairing a Singapore entity with a Hong Kong one.
A short call to recommend the structure, jurisdiction and bank for your case — fees quoted per case.
