Singapore Company Incorporation Costs: A First-Year Fee Breakdown for Founders

Founders often assume the cost to set up a company in Singapore runs into thousands of dollars; in fact, ACRA charges a flat S$300 to register a local company. The real question is everything wrapped around that fee — professional support, a company secretary, a registered address and your first round of statutory filings.

Those surrounding items are what turn a S$315 official bill into a realistic first-year budget. The Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) keeps its fees deliberately low. However, the Companies Act requires a private company to maintain a local registered office from incorporation and appoint a secretary within six months. Its annual-return obligation arises after its financial year end.

For founders, the practical challenge is knowing which costs are fixed by the government, which are market-priced and which are simply optional. Underestimating them is one of the most common reasons new companies fall behind on compliance during their first year.

In this blog, we discuss the official 2026 ACRA fees and what professional incorporation services typically charge. We also cover the documents you need to register a business. We end with a realistic first-year fee breakdown for founders in Singapore.

What Are the Official Fees to Set Up a Company in Singapore?

You pay two compulsory fees to ACRA: S$15 to reserve your company name and S$300 to register the company itself. Each position holder must provide a contact address at registration, but there is no fee and it may be the same as the residential address.

ACRA's published fee schedule for companies lists key Bizfile fees, and the figures in this guide reflect its 2026 update. Most registrations are approved within about 15 minutes of payment on the Bizfile portal. Complex applications can take up to 15 working days, and cases referred to another authority take 14 to 60 days.

For comparison, a sole proprietorship costs S$100 for one year or S$160 for three years. A private limited company costs more to register, but it gives shareholders limited liability, which is why most founders accept the higher fee.

What Do Professional Incorporation Services Charge in Singapore?

Professional fees vary by provider, but most quotes range from S$500 to S$1,500, excluding ACRA fees unless the quote states otherwise, to prepare your documents and file the registration. These quoted provider fees may or may not include GST, disbursements and any nominee-director deposit. So always ask for an itemised quote that states all three clearly before committing. For a no-obligation comparison, contact us before you commit. The cost of setting up a company in Singapore with a professional incorporation service therefore varies by provider and package. Market rates change, so treat these as indicative ranges and always ask for an itemised quote before committing.

In practice, we find founders choose one of three levels of service, and the right one depends on how much of the compliance work you want to keep in-house.

1. Basic incorporation-only service

An incorporation-only service covers the name application, preparation of the constitution, director consents and the Bizfile filing. It suits founders who plan to arrange their own company secretary and registered address. Expect the lower end of the fee range.

2. One-stop incorporation and compliance package

A one-stop package bundles the registration with your first year of statutory support: corporate secretarial services, a registered office address, annual filing reminders and sometimes basic bookkeeping. Foreign founders often prefer this because one team stays accountable for every deadline. Check the quote carefully: if it includes the secretary or address, do not add that same cost again.

3. Optional add-ons

If you have no locally resident director, you will need a local nominee director, which corporate services providers including ours can supply for an additional annual fee. Bookkeeping, Goods and Services Tax (GST) registration and tax filing are also common add-ons priced separately.

What Documents Do You Need to Register a Business in Singapore?

You need a proposed company name, a constitution, particulars of your directors and shareholders, share capital details and a registered office address. A professional service provider can prepare and file all of it for you. That is the short answer. The details determine whether your filing clears on the first attempt.

The Companies Act 1967 requires the applicant to submit the proposed company's constitution. The applicant must also state the last day of its first financial year and pay the prescribed fee. There are structural rules to satisfy at the same time.

The company needs at least one director and one shareholder. All directors must be at least 18 years old; the Companies Act does not impose that general minimum-age requirement on shareholders or company secretaries. It also needs one locally resident director. That director must be ordinarily resident in Singapore. Employment Pass holders must obtain a Letter of Consent from the Ministry of Manpower before taking a directorship, while eligible entrepreneurs may apply for an EntrePass before incorporation or within six months of setting up. Foreigners must engage a Corporate Service Provider (CSP) to reserve a name and register a business structure.

Once approved, ACRA issues a notice of incorporation and a Unique Entity Number (UEN). The UEN identifies your company in dealings with government agencies.

The core items you and your provider prepare include:

• Proposed company name, checked for availability before anything else
• A constitution, or ACRA's Model Constitution if you do not wish to draft your own
• Particulars of each director and shareholder
• Written consent to act as director, using ACRA's Form 45, from every appointed director
• Share capital details and each shareholder's allocation
• A registered office address in Singapore
• The last day of your first financial year

What Are the First-Year Running Costs After Incorporation?

The cost of setting up a company in Singapore with a professional incorporation service also includes continuing duties. You must maintain a registered office and plan for a company secretary and annual return. You must appoint the secretary within six months of registration. A non-listed company generally files its annual return within seven months after its financial year end. Budget for these continuing duties from the outset. Not every fee is payable immediately.

1. Corporate secretarial services

The Companies Act requires every company to appoint a secretary, who cannot be the company's sole director. Outsourced corporate secretarial support typically costs S$300 to S$800 for the first year.

2. Registered office address

Your registered office must be a physical address in Singapore, not a post office box. If you have not leased your own premises, providers offer registered address services, typically S$300 to S$600 a year.

3. Bookkeeping, accounting and tax filing

Every company must keep proper accounts and meet its IRAS filing obligations; a dormant company with an approved IRAS waiver need not file a corporate income tax return. Small companies commonly pay S$600 to S$2,400 a year for bookkeeping and annual accounts, depending on transaction volume. If your turnover reaches the compulsory GST registration threshold, quarterly GST filings add further work.

4. Annual filing with ACRA

Filing annual returns through Bizfile costs S$60. Whether that S$60 falls in your first year depends on your financial year end. So the total below excludes it unless the annual return is due within your first year. If you need more time to file your accounts or hold your annual general meeting, an extension of time application costs S$200.

How Can Founders Keep First-Year Costs Down?

There are three practical ways founders keep their first year affordable without cutting compliance corners. Each one saves either money or the cost of fixing avoidable mistakes.

Many first-year budget surprises are avoidable, and the statutory fees are the same no matter your industry. The sections below cover common challenges in company incorporation and how to overcome them, and show why the same basics apply whether you are starting a hair salon business in Singapore, starting a courier business in Singapore, or starting a hawker stall business in Singapore.

1. Bundle registration with year-one compliance

A one-stop package avoids paying separately for the filing, secretary services and registered address. Bundles are usually cheaper than buying each item individually, and one team tracks every statutory deadline for you.

2. Get the documents right the first time

Rejected name applications and incomplete filings waste both money and time. Many common challenges in company incorporation stem from avoidable mistakes, so review your name choice and document set carefully before filing.

3. Match your budget to your business model

Statutory fees are identical whether you are starting a hair salon business in Singapore or starting a courier business in Singapore. What changes by industry is licensing — for example, starting a hawker stall business in Singapore adds food licence fees — so plan for the permits your specific activity needs.

Conclusion

Your true first-year bill has three layers:

• ACRA's fixed fees of S$315
• A professional service fee
• Ongoing costs for a secretary, registered address, accounting and annual filing

If each service is purchased separately, a realistic first-year budget sits between roughly S$2,000 and S$5,600. This excludes any nominee director or licence costs. A one-stop package can reduce this by bundling the secretary and registered address.

We help local entrepreneurs and foreign investors register companies in Singapore every day. We prepare the documents and file with ACRA. Afterwards, we support you with corporate secretarial services, local nominee directors, tax filing and compliance management. This lets you focus on running the business.

If you would like a clear, itemised view of the cost to set up a company in Singapore for your specific situation, contact our team at Goldhill Plaza. We will walk you through it before you commit to anything.

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