Clear Cut: The Real Cost of Company Incorporation in Singapore (2026 Guide)
- Roger Pay
- 1 hour ago
- 4 min read
Singapore Company Incorporation Pricing Guide
Clear Cut: The Real Cost of Company Incorporation in Singapore (2026 Guide)
When you look into company incorporation in Singapore, you usually see a lot of vague promises. Many corporate service providers lure you in with "free incorporation" headlines, only to sneak extra fees onto your invoice later for mandatory documents, bank account handling, or surprise filing charges.
At Bestar Singapore, we believe that trust starts with transparency. Setting up a business should not feel like navigating a legal minefield. Whether you are a local founder launching your first startup or an international enterprise expanding into Southeast Asia, we outline every cost upfront.
This guide breaks down exactly what you will pay to register a Private Limited (Pte. Ltd.) company through the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA), differentiating between local and foreign setups, and detailing where every dollar goes.
The Base Baseline: Official ACRA Government Fees
No matter which corporate service provider you choose, or even if you attempt a pure do-it-yourself (DIY) filing, ACRA mandates a fixed statutory government fee for all standard company registrations.
Every firm must pay a total of S$315 directly to the government. We break this down completely on your invoice:
ACRA Company Name Application: S$15 (Reserves your approved name for up to 120 days)
ACRA Company Registration Fee: S$300 (Covers the official processing and issuance of your Unique Entity Number)
Total Mandatory Government Fee: S$315
Note on SSIC Codes: Effective May 2026, ACRA has fully transitioned all entity classifications from the old SSIC 2020 framework to the updated SSIC 2025 standards. When we process your application, our team ensures your business activities are mapped correctly under the latest regulatory codes to prevent any administrative delays.
Strict, Transparent Pricing Tables
Your all-in cost for the first year depends entirely on whether you already have a local resident director or require corporate secretarial and compliance hosting. To maximize clarity, Bestar outlines our exact pricing structures below. The price you see is the price you pay.
1. Pricing Structure for Local Founders
For Singapore Citizens, Permanent Residents (PR), or EntrePass/Employment Pass holders who will act as the resident director.
Service Item | Cost (SGD) | Frequency | Description |
ACRA Government Fees | S$315 | One-time | S$15 Name Reservation + S$300 Registration. Included transparently. |
Professional Incorporation Fee | S$335 | One-time | Handling document drafting, BizFile+ lodgment, and constitution setup. |
Corporate Secretary Service | S$360 | Annual | Mandatory requirement under the Companies Act within 6 months of setup. Included. |
Registered Office Address | S$180 | Annual | Commercial physical address in Singapore to receive official correspondence. |
Total Year 1 Onboarding Cost | S$830 | All-Inclusive | Everything needed to legally launch and maintain local compliance. |
2. Pricing Structure for Foreign Founders
For international business owners who require a local structural framework to meet Singapore’s statutory laws.
By law, a foreign entrepreneur cannot self-register a company directly through ACRA without a corporate filing agent. Furthermore, Singapore requires at least one locally resident director. If you do not have a local business partner, Bestar provides an authorized Nominee Director service with security deposits and no exit hurdles.
Service Item | Cost (SGD) | Frequency | Description |
ACRA Government Fees | S$315 | One-time | Paid directly to ACRA for entity creation. |
Foreign Incorporation Support | S$335 | One-time | Cross-border identity verification (KYC/AML) and international document processing. |
Corporate Secretary Service | S$360 | Annual | Professional tracking of your statutory registers and annual compliance. Included. |
Registered Office Address | S$180 | Annual | Official local commercial address with mail scanning and forwarding. |
Authorized Nominee Director | S$2,500 | Annual | Fully qualified resident representative to fulfill mandatory legal requirements. |
Total Year 1 Onboarding Cost | S$3,330 with S$2,500 security deposits | All-Inclusive | A complete, legally compliant gateway for 100% foreign-owned firms. |
Essential Structural Requirements for Registration
Before submitting your application via ACRA's BizFile portal, verify that your entity meets the baseline structural requirements enforced in 2026:
Paid-Up Capital: A minimum of S$1. This can be denominated in SGD or any major foreign currency and can be scaled upward at any point post-incorporation.
Shareholders: Minimum of 1 and maximum of 50 for a Private Limited structure. Shareholders can be individuals or corporate entities, allowing for 100% foreign or domestic ownership.
Company Secretary: Must appoint a qualified, locally resident corporate secretary within six months of your incorporation date.
Registered Office Address: A physical, local address accessible during normal business hours. Post Office (P.O.) boxes are explicitly rejected by ACRA.
Looking Ahead: Year 2 and Beyond
The true cost of running a business isn't just the day you incorporate—it is the long-term upkeep. Many founders get caught off guard by compounding compliance fees in Year 2. To help you plan your real operational budget, here is what recurring annual upkeep looks like with Bestar:
ACRA Annual Return Filing Fee: S$60 (Statutory government charge paid during your annual declaration).
Annual Secretarial & Address Maintenance: S$540/year (Renewing your mandatory legal secretary and address infrastructure).
Tax & Bookkeeping (IRAS Compliance): Varies based on transaction volume, but early-stage startups generally qualify for the "Form C-S" simplified filing process, keeping accounting overhead low. New companies can also access tax exemptions on their first S$100,000 of taxable income, lowering the effective corporate tax rate significantly.
By keeping our fees upfront and splitting out government costs line-by-line, Bestar eliminates the friction from your incorporation process. We handle the paperwork, navigate the regulatory frameworks, and secure your structural compliance, leaving you free to focus entirely on building your enterprise.
Clear Cut: The Real Cost of Company Incorporation in Singapore (2026 Guide)
Ready to establish your company? Let us guide you through the next steps:
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