Before you can start a business in Singapore
-
You must be at least 18 years of age (with effect from 1 March 2009).
-
You must not be an undischarged bankrupt or else you must obtain the permission from High Court or Official Assignee if you are planning to incorporate a company in Singapore.
-
You must not be disqualified under Sections 149, 149A or 154 of the Companies Act.
-
You will need to apply for an EntrePass from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) if you are going to be actively involved in managing the company's operations.
EntrePass
A foreigner, who would like to set up his own company and to be in Singapore to actively manage its operations, should apply for an EntrePass from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM).
If the foreigner wishes to incorporate the company with no intention to stay on in Singapore to manage its operations, then he can do so without having to apply for an EntrePass. However he will need to have at least 1 locally resident director at the point of incorporation. "Locally resident" refers to a person who is a Singapore Citizen or Singapore Permanent Resident (PR) and resides in Singapore.
The EntrePass is only meant for foreigner who wishes to register a company and not for other type of entities.
Any foreigner who wishes to work in Singapore as an employee would have to apply for an appropriate work pass eg. an Employment Pass from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM). Foreigner who wishes to set up and run a business is strongly advised to seek approval from MOM before registration. Even if you have successfully registered a business with ACRA, MOM may still refuse your application for a pass subsequently.
MOM will not issue an EntrePass to a foreigner who wishes to register and run a sole-proprietorship or partnership.
Please refer to the MOM website for more information.
SingPass
An Entrepass holder can apply for a SingPass, a common password that allows the user to transact with different Government agencies online. Please visit the SingPass website for more information on application of SingPass and the services available.
BizFile
All applications to ACRA must be submitted via our online filing and information retrieval system, BizFile. EntrePass holders are required to login to BizFile using their identification number (FIN No.) and SingPass to submit any online transactions.