To check a Singapore company before you sign a contract, pay a deposit or extend credit to it, confirm four things from official sources: that the entity exists under the exact name and Unique Entity Number (UEN) it gave you, that it is live, who controls it, and that it holds any GST registration or licence it claims. Start with the free UEN and Bizfile searches, buy the ACRA Business Profile for S$5.50, check GST status on IRAS, and check the relevant licensing register. Then write the exact legal name and UEN into the contract.
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 is a UEN, and why does it matter more than the company name?
The UEN is the standard identification number that Singapore government agencies use for registered entities. Companies, businesses and limited liability partnerships registered with ACRA receive one, and other agencies issue UENs to other types of entity, such as societies and management corporations. A company can change its name; its UEN stays the same. That makes the UEN the most reliable way to identify the party you are dealing with.
For a company incorporated with ACRA, the UEN also tells you something useful. ACRA’s own risk assessment guidance points out that the first four digits of a company’s UEN show its year of incorporation. A supplier claiming “15 years in business” whose UEN starts with this year’s digits deserves a closer question.
You can look up any entity’s UEN on the official UEN website (uen.gov.sg), which shows the registered name, status and issuing agency. For an ACRA entity, the free entity search on Bizfile gives the same core facts. Our guide to using Bizfile’s search functions before you sign anything walks through the free searches screen by screen.
Which official checks should you run, and what does each one tell you?
No single register answers every question. Use the checks together and match the depth to your exposure.
| Check | Where | What it confirms | What it does not tell you |
|---|---|---|---|
| UEN and entity search | uen.gov.sg, Bizfile (free) | The entity exists, its registered name, status and registered address | Who owns it, how it is performing |
| Business Profile | Bizfile (S$5.50) | Incorporation date, officers, shareholders of a private company, issued and paid-up capital, registered address, charges | Whether it can pay its debts today |
| People Profile | Bizfile (S$33) | Other businesses a named person is involved in, current and past appointments | Anything about the company itself |
| Corporate Compliance and Financial Profile | Bizfile (S$50) | Filing compliance, up to three years of filed financial data, the audit opinion where there is one | Current trading position; exempt and small companies may file limited data |
| GST registration | IRAS GST Registered Business Search (free) | Whether the business is GST-registered under that number and the registration dates | Whether it should have registered |
| Corporate insolvency | Insolvency Office e-services (MinLaw) | Whether the company has been wound up by the court | Voluntary liquidations and pending applications, which need other checks |
| Licence registers | CEA, MOM, MAS and others | Whether a regulated activity is licensed | The quality of the service |
The prices above are those ACRA lists for its information products. Confirm the current price on Bizfile when you buy.
What does the ACRA Business Profile show?
The Business Profile is the core document of any company check. For a company, it typically shows:
- Status. “Live” is what you want. Other statuses, such as struck off, in liquidation, or gazetted to be struck off, mean you should stop and investigate before paying anything.
- Incorporation date and any former names. These show how long the entity has existed and whether its history matches what you have been told.
- Officers. Directors, the company secretary and any chief executive, with their appointment dates. Check that the person negotiating with you actually holds the role they claim.
- Shareholders. For a private company, the profile lists the members and their shareholdings.
- Issued and paid-up share capital. Paid-up capital is what shareholders have actually paid in. ACRA suggests asking, where it is very small compared with your exposure, whether the company could meet its debts if it closed.
- Registered address and principal activities. Check that the address is a real, reachable place.
- Charges. Registered security over company assets, usually in favour of a bank. A charge is normal for a borrowing company, but it tells you a lender ranks ahead of unsecured creditors over the charged assets.
Personal addresses are now more limited. Since the ACRA (Registry and Regulatory Enhancements) Act changes, officers and shareholders can give a contact address. ACRA’s data policy states that an individual’s residential address is publicly available only if no contact address is given. Do not assume the address beside a director’s name is where they live, and do not treat its absence as suspicious.
How do you check GST status and licences?
If a supplier’s invoice charges GST, confirm on the IRAS GST Registered Business Search that it was GST-registered on the invoice date. You can search by business name, UEN or GST registration number without logging in. Most businesses use their UEN as their GST number, but IRAS issues separate numbers in some cases, such as GST group members, so try the number printed on the invoice if a UEN search finds nothing. If GST has been charged by a business that is not registered, our article on GST charged by a non-GST-registered supplier explains what to do.
Some activities require a licence. Check the relevant regulator’s public register directly:
- Property agencies and agents: the Council for Estate Agencies Public Register, which CEA says is updated daily.
- Employment agencies: MOM’s EA Directory, which lists licensed agencies, registered personnel and agencies under revocation, suspension or surveillance.
- Financial services: the Monetary Authority of Singapore’s register of regulated financial institutions, for anyone offering investment, payment, insurance or lending services that require a licence.
Search the register yourself rather than relying on a licence number shown in an email or on a website.
How do you check for insolvency and court cases?
A live status on Bizfile does not mean a company is free of claims. The Ministry of Law’s Insolvency Office offers a corporate insolvency search for companies wound up by the court, and court judgments are published on official channels. For a pending winding-up application or a lawsuit, you need further checks, set out in our guide on how to check whether a Singapore company is being wound up or has been sued. Rely only on official judgments and court records; anonymous online reviews are not evidence.
What red flags should make you pause?
- The name does not match. The name on the quotation, bank account or website differs from the registered name, or the UEN on the invoice belongs to a different entity.
- A very recent incorporation. The company was set up weeks ago but claims a long track record, or it says it has “taken over” from an older company you had trouble with.
- A board you cannot reach. The only local director appears to be a nominee and the people you deal with are not officers or shareholders. Nominee arrangements can be legitimate, but find out who actually makes decisions.
- Frequent changes of officers or address. ACRA notes that frequent changes in the people involved may point to instability.
- No GST registration despite apparent size. A business describing large annual sales that is not GST-registered may be overstating its size, or may have a compliance problem. Ask before you rely on its claims.
- Payment to someone else. A request to pay a personal account, an overseas account or a newly changed account. See our article on invoice fraud when a supplier’s bank details change by email.
What should the contract say once the checks are done?
- The exact registered name and UEN of each party, matching the Business Profile, including “Pte. Ltd.” or “Limited”.
- The registered office address as the address for notices, or another address the company confirms in writing.
- A signatory who has authority. Ideally a director shown on the profile, or a person authorised by a board resolution you have seen.
- A warranty that the company is validly existing, is not in liquidation and holds any licences it needs.
- A personal guarantee or security where paid-up capital is small and your exposure is large.
The same name and UEN should appear on invoices and letters; see our section 144 checklist for company names and UENs on invoices.
What documents should you keep from the checks?
- Screenshots or PDFs of the UEN and Bizfile results, dated
- The purchased Business Profile and any People Profile or financial profile
- The IRAS GST search result and any licence register entries
- Insolvency and court search results, if run
- Your file note of any red flag and how it was resolved
Example: checking a new supplier before a large deposit
Example: A Singapore retailer is asked to pay a 40% deposit to a fit-out contractor that says it has worked in Singapore since 2012. The retailer’s finance manager finds the UEN on uen.gov.sg and sees that the company is live but was incorporated last year. The Business Profile shows a paid-up capital of S$1,000, one director who is not the person negotiating, and a different trading name from the one on the quotation. The IRAS search shows no GST registration, although the quotation adds 9% GST. The retailer asks for an explanation, insists on contracting with the registered entity using its correct name and UEN, removes GST from the quotation until registration is shown, and negotiates staged payments against completed work instead of a large deposit.
Frequently asked questions
Are the free Bizfile and UEN searches enough?
They confirm that an entity exists, its status and registered address. For any meaningful contract, buy the Business Profile as well so you can see officers, shareholders, capital and charges.
Can I see a company’s financial statements?
Filed financial information is available through ACRA’s paid products, such as the Corporate Compliance and Financial Profile. The level of detail depends on what the company filed, and small or exempt private companies may file limited information.
Can I check a foreign company that wants to trade with me?
A foreign company registered in Singapore as a branch has a UEN and appears on Bizfile. For the parent company, check the official company registry in its home country.
What if the director’s residential address is not shown?
That is normal. Individuals may give a contact address, and ACRA shows the residential address publicly only where no contact address has been provided.
How often should I recheck an existing customer or supplier?
Recheck before any large new order, credit increase or contract renewal, and whenever payment patterns change. A company’s status, officers and charges can change at any time.
Need help checking a Singapore company?
Raffles Corporate Services can obtain ACRA Business Profiles, People Profiles and other official records for you, explain what they show, and run the corporate checks described above before you sign, invest or extend credit. Contact us at [email protected] or on WhatsApp at +65 8501 7133.
Willie Tan, Raffles Corporate Services