A fast, digital incorporation
Singapore is known for the speed and efficiency of its company formation. The process runs through ACRA, the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority, and its online system, and once the company name is approved and documents are ready, a straightforward company can usually be registered within a day or two. As always, the speed depends on the preparation done beforehand.
What a Singapore company needs in place
Before incorporation, several elements have to be settled.
At least one shareholder. An individual or a company, resident anywhere.
At least one resident director. A director ordinarily resident in Singapore. Where you do not have one, Cosmos arranges a nominee director.
A company secretary. Required, and must be appointed within six months of incorporation. The secretary must be ordinarily resident in Singapore.
A registered office address in Singapore. Which Cosmos can provide.
Paid-up capital. A minimum of one Singapore dollar, though many companies start with more.
A company name. Checked and reserved with ACRA before incorporation.
The steps
Confirm the basics. Cosmos settles the company name, the shareholders and directors, the share structure, and the business activity.
Arrange the local roles. Cosmos confirms a Singapore-resident director, through a nominee where you need one, and a company secretary.
Reserve the name. The company name is submitted to ACRA for approval. Most names are approved quickly, though a name touching a regulated area may be referred for further review.
Know-your-customer checks and signing. Each owner and director completes identity checks, and the incorporation documents are signed.
Register with ACRA. Cosmos files the incorporation, and the company is usually live within a day or two.
What you need to provide
For each owner and director: a passport copy, a proof of address, and the usual identity information, along with a description of the business. Documents we need from you sets out the full list, and Cosmos tells you precisely what is required for your situation.
What you receive
On incorporation the company exists, and you receive its incorporation details and its constitution, the document that governs the company, along with the company's registers. ACRA also maintains the official record of the company.
The register of controllers
From the start, a Singapore company must maintain a register of registrable controllers, a record of the individuals who ultimately own or control it. This is part of Singapore's transparency framework, and Cosmos sets it up and keeps it current as part of administering the company.
How Cosmos handles it
Cosmos manages the whole Singapore formation: confirming the structure, arranging the resident director and company secretary, reserving the name, carrying out the due diligence, and filing with ACRA, then moving on to banking, work passes and tax registration as you need them. Each step is reviewed by the team before submission.