Every business needs a name to differentiate itself from other businesses.
Choosing a name
Once you have come up with a suitable name for your business, conduct a search on BizFile+ to find out whether the name is available. Avoid selecting names which are:
- identical to an existing business.
- undesirable i.e. names which are vulgar, obscene or offensive.
- prohibited by order of the Minister for Finance.
Note: Please read the ACRA's Policy Statement on the Treatment of Business Names and Name Complaints for more guidelines on the selection of names.
Registering a name
You must first register a business name via BizFile+ before you can register your business entity. The name application costs $15. After the name application has been approved, the name will be reserved for 120 days. If you do not register the business or incorporate the company within this 120 days, the name will no longer be reserved and will be made available to other members of the public.
A name application may be referred to the Referral Authorities for comments (e.g. if your business name has the word “school” in it, it may be referred to the Ministry of Education for review and approval).
Click here to read more on the Referral Authorities.
If you intend to apply for charity status, please visit the Charity Portal for more information on the naming criteria and other guidelines.
Specifying your business activity
During the name application, you must also specify the primary and secondary activities of your business by choosing the most relevant Singapore Standard Industrial Classification (SSIC) code corresponding to your business activity. Click here to search for the relevant SSIC code.