Referral Authorities Table

Referral Authority

When referral is required

Subject to the provisions of the Architects Act, no person shall use verbally or otherwise the word "architect" or any of its derivatives in connection with his business designation, or any other words, name or designation that will lead to the belief that the person is an architect unless the person is a registered architect.

SSIC Code:
71111 (Architectural services)

Proposed activities involving “Real Estate Agent” or "Real Estate Agency", and applications for change of name by entities already carrying on real estate agency activities.

SSIC Codes:
68201 (Real estate agencies and valuation services)
68209 (Real estate activities on a fee or contract basis nec.)

Names and activities involving  “Physical Rubber”, “Rubber futures”, ”Commodity futures” e.g. "Rubber trading", "Rubber futures", "Commodity brokers", "Commodity Futures Exchange", "Commodity / Commodities Exchange", "Futures brokers", "Futures Exchange", "Commodity Futures", "Clearing Exchange/House/House Exchange".

SSIC Codes: 
22111 (Processing rubber, including processing of rubber latex)
22112 (Grading and packing of rubber)
46221 (Wholesale of rubber, including rubber brokers)
66124 (Commodity and futures brokers and dealers)

Proposed activities involving the following SSIC codes:

87021 (Residential care services for the elderly)
87022 (Residential care services for the children e.g. Children's Homes, Orphanages) 

Non-Residentially Based Social Activities
88913 (Social services for children and youths)
88919 (Social services without accommodation for children, youths and families nec.)
88101 (Social services for the elderly)
88102 (Social services for persons with disabilities)

Establishments functioning as a "school" / "learning centre" / "education centre" / "training centre", excluding those offering instruction of a "non-academic" nature, e.g. beauty care, dressmaking, cooking, sports, games, driving, recreation-related, etc.

Names containing "Academy", "College", "Institute", “Institution", "University"; and "National", "Singapore", will normally be disallowed.

SSIC Codes:
85211 (Secondary schools)
85212 (Junior colleges and centralised pre-university institutes)
85213 (International and foreign system schools - secondary)
85214 (Schools for the handicapped and educationally sub-normal - secondary)
85221 (Technical and vocational education)
85223 (Specialised trade schools)
85301 (Polytechnics)
85302 (Universities) 
85303 (Teachers' training institutes)
85304 (Commercial schools offering higher education programmes)
85494 (Academic tutoring services)

Proposed names containing "Association of Southeast Asian Nations" or "ASEAN".

The conditions governing the use of the name "ASEAN" are available at www.aseansec.org/7095.htm. Please ensure that your application includes information describing how these conditions are satisfied.

Proposed names containing the following words:

A) "Bank" and its derivatives; (Examples of derivatives of word "Bank" would include "banking", "banque", "banco", "Bancaire”, “Banca” and “Banche”)

B) "Finance Company" and "Finance";

C) "Futures Exchange", "Clearing House" and "Securities Exchange" or titles that resemble these titles or give the impression that the applicant is a securities or futures exchange or clearing house; (Examples of titles, which resemble "Futures Exchange", "Clearing House" and "Securities Exchange", would include "stock exchange", and "clearing corporation" and "clearing organisation")

Applications to register entities whose activities come under the Banking Act (Cap 19), the Finance Companies Act (Cap 108), and the Monetary Authority of Singapore Act (Cap 186). This would include entities which conduct banking business, merchant banking, or finance company business, or carry on the business of issuing credit cards or charge cards in Singapore.
SSIC Codes: 6412, 6413, 6414, 6415, 64922, 64992

MAS will consider the applications and will, if necessary, liaise directly with the applicants on any information MAS may need concerning the applicants and their proposed business.

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The following applications need not be referred to MAS. However, if the applicant intends to engage in any activities that require licensing, registration, or approval by MAS, the requisite license, registration or approval shall be obtained from MAS. The approval of the registration of the entity by ACRA shall not be construed as a reflection on the entity’s suitability to be licensed, registered or approval by MAS.

(A) If proposed names contain the words :

"Futures", "Futures Broker", "Futures Trading Adviser", "Futures Pool Operator", "Securities", "Stockbroker", "Fund manager", "Fund management", "Asset management", "Venture management", "Insurance" or names which resemble these titles; "Financial", "Financing", "Financial Adviser", "Insurance Broker", "Reinsurance Broker", "Assurance", "Reinsurance", "Reassurance", "Insure", "Insuring", "Insuritz".

Applications to register entities whose operations come under the Securities and Futures Act (Cap 289) and the Financial Advisers Act (Cap 110).This would include entities, which engage in the trading of securities or futures contracts, fund management activities, or the provision of financial advisory services.

Applications to register entities whose activities include money-changing and remittance businesses. SSIC Codes: 64993, 64994

Applications to register entities whose operations come under the Insurance Act (Chap 142). This would include entities which conduct insurance/reinsurance business; insurance broker (life & general); any insurance related businesses including insurance adjusters and surveyors acting as insurance agents. SSIC Codes: 6511, 6512, 6520, 6530, 6622, 6629 

Proposed names and activities containing or involving "Islam", "Muslim", "Halal" and their derivatives.

Activities relating to arms, explosives, ammunition.

SSIC Codes:
20299 (Manufacture of other chemical products nec.)
25200 (Manufacture and repair of weapons and ammunition, e.g. ordance and accessories)

Names containing "Merlion", "eMerlion" and activities involving "Tourist", "Travel". Entities wishing to carry out tourism related activities could register for their license with the Singapore Travel Exchange via STB website.

SSIC Codes:
50011 (Sightseeing cruise services)
52299 (Other transportation support activities nec) 
79102 (Travel agencies and tour operators - mainly outbound)
79103 (Ticketing agencies - including airline, tour bus and cruise ship)

Names and activities containing or involving “Law”, “Legal” or “Lawyer” will be referred to the Law Society.

Where the activity involves the setting up of a Law Corporation under the Legal Profession Act, the applicant should obtain prior approval from the Law Society. Such company is required to have either the initials "LLC" or the words "Law Corporation" at the end of the applied name, instead of "Pte Ltd".

Where the activity involves the setting up of a Joint Law Venture under the Legal Profession Act, approval from the Attorney-General's Chambers is required.

SSIC Code:
69100 (Legal activities)

Regulatory Authority

When prior approval is required

Ministry of Health (MOH)

The terms "Clinic", "Medical", "Medical Hall", etc and not to be used by Chinese Physicians. But applicants may use "Chinese Medical Hall" or "Traditional Medical Hall".

The name of the entity must be clear to indicate that the applicant is dealing in traditional, not modern medicine.