Short answer: A Singapore company must have a registered office in Singapore to which all communications and notices can be addressed. Since 20 October 2026 there are no minimum opening hours, but records must be produced for inspection on reasonable notice. At Raffles Corporate Services the address costs S$200 a year, taken with our S$600 corporate secretarial package.
The virtual office Singapore cost you see quoted is rarely like for like. One price covers an address and nothing else; another includes mail scanning, a named company secretary and someone who will produce your registers when a shareholder asks. This guide separates what the Companies Act 1967 requires from what is optional, explains what drives the price, and shows what our published fee buys.
Key facts at a glance
- Every company must, from the date of incorporation, have a registered office within Singapore to which all communications and notices may be addressed (Companies Act 1967, section 142(1)).
- Since 20 October 2026 there is no minimum number of opening hours for the registered office; the 3-hour daily rule was removed by the Corporate and Accounting Laws (Amendment) Act 2025.
- A person who wants to inspect company records must give reasonable notice; the company must then make the records available for at least 2 hours on each relevant business day.
- A change of registered office address must be lodged with ACRA within 14 days after the change (section 143(1)).
- Default under section 142 or 143 is an offence: a fine of up to S$5,000 and a default penalty for the company and every officer in default.
- Raffles Corporate Services publishes its Registered Office Package at S$200 a year; it is not sold as a standalone service.
Raffles Corporate Services works with a panel of experienced Singapore law firms who offer cost-effective and efficient legal service and advice. This article is general information only and is not legal advice.
What does the law require of a registered office today?
The company needs a Singapore address where communications and notices to it can be sent, and it must be able to produce its records for inspection when someone entitled gives reasonable notice. There is no longer a fixed number of hours the office must be open each day.
Section 142(1) of the Companies Act 1967, in the version in force since 20 October 2026, now reads as a single requirement: a registered office within Singapore to which all communications and notices may be addressed. Section 143 is headed “Change of situation of registered office” and requires notice of any change, including a change of address, to be lodged with the Registrar within 14 days after the change.
ACRA (the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority) describes the registered office as the official address where it and others send communications to the company and where the company keeps its records and registers. ACRA also states that the registered office does not have to be the place where the business operates. That is the legal basis on which a registered address service, often marketed as a virtual office, works.
The statutory detail is covered in our guide to registered office requirements under sections 142 and 143, so this article stays with the service and the cost.
What changed for registered offices on 20 October 2026?
The minimum opening-hours rule was removed, and inspection of records now works on reasonable notice. The 14-day deadline for notifying a change of address did not change.
The second phase of the Corporate and Accounting Laws (Amendment) Act 2025 commenced on 20 October 2026, as ACRA announced. For registered offices it means:
- the old rule that the office be open and accessible to the public for at least 3 hours during ordinary business hours on each business day no longer applies, and companies decide their own opening hours;
- a person who wishes to inspect company records must give the company reasonable notice, after which the records must be available for at least 2 hours during each of the relevant business days;
- any change in registered office address must still be filed within 14 days after the change;
- annual return filers must now confirm that the particulars ACRA holds, including the registered office address, are accurate.
If you come across older guidance that still mentions a 3-hour rule, it predates the change. For a practical walk-through of what to adjust, see our registered office transition checklist for 20 October 2026.
For pricing, the point is simple: nobody needs to staff a reception for set hours, but someone still has to receive statutory letters, act on them and produce the registers on notice. That work is what you pay for.
Is a registered address the same as a virtual office?
No. A registered address is a legal requirement. A virtual office is a commercial bundle that may include a registered address plus extras such as a phone line or meeting-room access.
Split any quote into its parts before you compare prices:
| Element | Required by law? | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Registered office address | Yes (section 142) | The Singapore address on ACRA’s register where communications and notices are sent |
| Mail receipt and notification | Not as such, but the address is useless without it | Logs and scans letters from ACRA, IRAS, banks and counterparties |
| Records available for inspection | Yes, on reasonable notice | Produces the registers for at least 2 hours on each relevant business day when an entitled person asks |
| Mail forwarding | No | Posts physical mail to you, often charged on top |
| Phone number and call answering | No | A local number answered in the company’s name |
| Meeting rooms or desks | No | Physical space by the hour or day |
If you only need to comply and receive mail, the last three rows are optional spending.
What is the virtual office Singapore cost at Raffles Corporate Services?
Our Registered Office Package is S$200 a year. It is not offered on its own, so it is taken with the Annual Corporate Package at S$600 a year for a private company, which brings the published total to S$800 a year.
Both figures are on our packages page. Here is what each covers:
| Package | Published fee | What is included |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Office Package | S$200 a year | Registered office at our Chinatown office; digital mailbox in Raffles Vault where all mail is made available; physical mail collection at our office, 10 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays; online company document storage in Raffles Vault |
| Annual Corporate Package (private company) | S$600 a year | Named company secretary; company register and minute books; non-public register of registrable controllers; AGM notice and resolutions; annual return filing, including the S$60 payable to ACRA; due-date reminders; corporate secretarial compliance advisory |
| Compliance check, where required | S$80 / S$250 / S$400 | Work pass holders / non-resident entities / non-resident individuals |
Bundling the address with the secretary is deliberate. The person who receives a letter from ACRA or IRAS is the person responsible for acting on it, and the registers a member asks to inspect are kept by the same team. We do not quote other providers’ prices; for how a fair secretarial package is put together, see our guide on what a company secretary costs in Singapore.
What drives the price of a registered address service?
The headline price depends mainly on whether the address is bundled with secretarial work, how much mail handling is included, and what extras and contract terms come with it. A cheap address with paid add-ons can cost more over a year than a bundled one.
| Cost driver | Why it changes the price | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Bundled or standalone | A standalone address carries its own overheads; a bundled one shares them with secretarial work | Who acts on statutory letters once they arrive? |
| Mail scanning and volume | Opening and scanning each letter takes staff time | Is every letter scanned, and is there a monthly cap? |
| Forwarding | Postage and handling are often billed separately | Is forwarding charged at cost, per item or by weight? |
| Inspection of records | Someone must produce the registers within the notice window | Are the registers kept at the address, and is there a fee when a member asks to inspect? |
| Customer due diligence | Providers must check who they are acting for; foreign owners and remote onboarding need more work | Are compliance check fees separate? |
| Extras and terms | Phone answering, meeting rooms, lock-in periods and exit fees all add cost | Which extras are optional, and what does it cost to leave? |
To see how the address fits into the wider running costs of a company, our free tools can help with planning.
What can a virtual address not do for your company?
A registered address satisfies section 142. It does not prove you have operating premises, and it will not meet every bank, licensing or customer-facing requirement.
- Bank account opening. Banks run their own know-your-customer (KYC) checks and may ask where the business actually operates. Our guide to opening a corporate bank account in Singapore explains why applications stall.
- Licences tied to premises. Activities licensed by reference to a place, such as serving walk-in customers, preparing food or storing goods, need the actual premises. A registered address cannot be that place.
- Staff and visitors. If clients visit, goods are stored or staff work on site, you need real premises in addition to, or instead of, a CSP address.
- Public record. The registered office address appears on the company’s public record, so choose one you are content to have associated with the business.
Can a founder use a home address instead of paying for one?
Often, yes, but it suits fewer businesses. The Home Office Scheme lets owners, tenants or authorised occupants of HDB flats and private homes run the administrative functions of a business from home, subject to conditions.
According to the URA guidelines on the Home Office Scheme, private homes register with URA and HDB flats register with HDB. The activities must be administrative in nature, up to two non-residents (including employees, partners and directors) may work in the business at the unit, clients and customers may not visit, and no signage may be displayed. Retail, clinics and food catering are among the excluded businesses. The one-time permit lasts for the duration of the home office business but can be revoked if conditions are breached.
The trade-off is privacy and flexibility: your home address goes on the company’s public record, and the business has to stay within the scheme’s limits. We compare the two options in our guide on using a home address as your registered office.
How do you switch to a CSP registered address?
Appoint the provider, complete its due diligence, and lodge the change with ACRA within 14 days after the change. Your company secretary normally prepares the filing.
- Confirm exactly what the service includes: mail handling, scanning, collection, and where the registers will be kept for inspection.
- Complete the provider’s customer due diligence, including identity documents for directors, shareholders and controllers.
- Pass a directors’ resolution approving the new registered office address.
- Lodge the change of registered office address through Bizfile within 14 days after the change.
- Update letterheads, invoices, your website, banks and other counterparties with the new address.
- Collect outstanding mail and move company records from the old address.
The filing and record-keeping steps are set out in full in our guide to moving your registered office in Singapore. Our sister site Singapore Secretary Services also covers routine company secretarial filings.
Frequently asked questions
Is a virtual office legal in Singapore?
Yes, as long as the address is in Singapore, all communications and notices can be sent to it, and company records can be produced for inspection on reasonable notice. ACRA states that the registered office need not be where the business operates.
Does my registered office still need to be open 3 hours a day?
No. That rule was removed on 20 October 2026. Instead, when an entitled person gives reasonable notice, the company must make its records available for at least 2 hours on each relevant business day.
Can I buy only the registered address from Raffles Corporate Services?
No. The Registered Office Package (S$200 a year) is not offered as a standalone service. It is taken with the Annual Corporate Package (S$600 a year for a private company), so letters sent to the address are acted on by your named secretary.
What happens if I change address and forget to tell ACRA?
Failing to lodge the change within 14 days is an offence under section 143. The company and every officer in default can be fined up to S$5,000 and also face a default penalty.
Need help with this?
Raffles Corporate Services can handle the ACRA filings, compliance documentation and records for you, and where court proceedings or legal advice are needed, we work with a panel of experienced Singapore law firms who offer cost-effective and efficient legal service and advice.
Email: [email protected]
Call, SMS or WhatsApp: +65 8501 7133
Last reviewed: 26 October 2026. The Editorial Team, Raffles Corporate Services.