Singapore Corporate Service Providers

Foreign investors typically choose one of the following structures:

• Private Limited Company (Pte Ltd): This is the most common and flexible option. It’s a separate legal entity that limits your personal liability, can be 100% foreign-owned, and is highly scalable.
• Representative Office: This is a temporary setup for market research and promotional activities only. It cannot generate revenue or sign contracts.
• Sole Proprietorship: This is the simplest structure but offers no liability protection, meaning your personal assets are at risk. It’s less common for serious commercial ventures.
• Limited Liability Partnership (LLP): This structure is a hybrid, offering the flexibility of a partnership with the limited liability protection of a company. It’s often used by professional services firms like lawyers or accountants.

Emerhub offers a full range of services to incorporate your business in Singapore and secures necessary licenses and permits after incorporation.

Singapore allows for 100% foreign ownership of a Private Limited Company in almost all sectors. You do not need a local partner or shareholder.

The minimum paid-up capital requirement is only S$1. However, some regulated industries, like financial services or travel agencies, have higher specific capital requirements. It’s also important to have a credible capital amount to support visa applications for foreign staff.

The process is straightforward and typically involves these key stages:

• Choose a business structure (usually a Private Limited Company).
• Reserve your company name with the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA).
• Prepare the required documents, including director and shareholder details, and a registered office address.
• Appoint a resident director and a qualified company secretary.
• Register the company with ACRA through the BizFile+ portal. Foreigners must use a registered filing agent such as Emerhub to do this.
• Open a corporate bank account after the company is incorporated.

Singapore is very open, but a few specific sectors have restrictions on foreign ownership. These primarily include:

• Regulated Financial Services: While ownership is not always capped, acquiring significant control of banks or other financial institutions requires approval from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS).
• Broadcasting and Domestic News Media: Foreign ownership is typically capped at 49%.
• Real Estate: Foreigners cannot own landed residential property (like houses) without special approval, though they can own condominium units.

The main business taxes are:

1. Corporate Income Tax: A flat rate of 17% on chargeable income. Singapore has a single-tier tax system, so dividends paid to shareholders are not taxed further.
2. Goods and Services Tax (GST): Currently at 9%. GST registration is mandatory only if your company’s annual taxable turnover exceeds S$1 million.

In addition to company incorporation, Emerhub’s experts offer tax and compliance services to ensure your business can operate smoothly.