When a Singapore company opens an overseas bank account, tenders for a foreign contract, or sets up a subsidiary abroad, the counterparty often asks for a “Certificate of Good Standing”. Many directors have never heard of it, and confuse it with the ACRA Business Profile they already have. The two documents look similar but say very different things. This guide explains what a Certificate of Good Standing actually certifies in Singapore, when you need one, how to obtain it from ACRA, and how it differs from a Business Profile and a Certificate of Incumbency.
Getting the right document the first time matters. Overseas banks and registries reject the wrong certificate routinely, and a rejected application can cost you weeks. Below is everything a company secretary or director needs to know for 2026.
What Is a Certificate of Good Standing?
A Certificate of Good Standing is an official document issued by the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) confirming that a Singapore company is live on the register, is not in the process of being struck off or wound up, and has kept up to date with its statutory filing obligations. It carries the electronic signature of an Assistant Registrar of Companies, which is what gives it evidential weight with foreign banks, courts and registries.
In plain terms, the certificate answers one question that a Business Profile does not: is this company in good legal standing right now? A Business Profile lists who the directors and shareholders are and what the company does. A Certificate of Good Standing goes further and certifies that the company exists, is active, and has no outstanding compliance defaults on record.
ACRA will only issue the certificate if the company is genuinely compliant. If your annual return is overdue, or the company status shows anything other than “Live”, the certificate will either not be available or will reflect the defect. That is precisely why counterparties ask for it.
Certificate of Good Standing vs Business Profile vs Certificate of Incumbency
These three documents are frequently mixed up. Here is how they differ.
Business Profile
The ACRA Business Profile is a snapshot of the company’s registered information: its Unique Entity Number (UEN), incorporation date, registered office address, principal activities, directors, secretary, shareholders and share capital. It is the document most people buy from BizFile+ for everyday purposes. In Singapore, the Business Profile is also the accepted local equivalent of a Certificate of Incumbency. It does not, however, certify compliance or good standing.
Certificate of Incumbency
A Certificate of Incumbency confirms who currently holds office in the company, its directors, secretary and sometimes shareholders. Overseas parties from common-law jurisdictions often request one. In Singapore there is no separate ACRA product called a “Certificate of Incumbency”; the Business Profile serves this function, and where a counterparty insists on a signed incumbency certificate, a company secretary can issue one referencing the Business Profile.
Certificate of Good Standing
This is the compliance certificate. It is the correct document when the request specifically mentions “good standing”, when an overseas bank or regulator needs proof that the company is active and compliant, or when you are registering a branch or subsidiary in another country. If you send a Business Profile where a Certificate of Good Standing was asked for, expect it to be rejected.
When Do You Need a Certificate of Good Standing?
Common situations include: opening a corporate bank account overseas; registering a foreign branch, representative office or subsidiary; tendering for government or large corporate contracts abroad; applying for a licence in another jurisdiction; and closing a cross-border financing or M&A transaction where the buyer’s lawyers run due diligence on the target’s standing.
Domestically, the certificate is rarely required because local banks and agencies can verify a company’s status directly on BizFile+. The demand almost always comes from outside Singapore, where the counterparty cannot access ACRA’s register and needs an official, signed attestation instead.
How to Obtain a Certificate of Good Standing from ACRA
The certificate is purchased through ACRA. In practice most companies ask their corporate secretary to obtain it, because the secretary can first confirm the company is actually compliant and fix any gaps before applying. The general process is as follows.
First, confirm the company status is “Live” and that all filings are current, in particular the annual return under Section 197 of the Companies Act. Second, apply for the certificate through ACRA and pay the prescribed fee. Third, ACRA issues the certificate electronically, signed by an Assistant Registrar. You can find ACRA’s official list of purchasable certificates on the ACRA certificates page.
If the company is behind on filings, sort those out first. A common trap is discovering an overdue annual return only when a foreign bank asks for the certificate. Keeping your statutory registers and ACRA filings current means the certificate is available on demand.
Legalisation: Notarisation and Apostille
An electronic certificate is often not enough for overseas use. Foreign authorities may require the document to be legalised, notarised by a Singapore notary public and then either apostilled (Singapore joined the Apostille Convention, which took effect in 2021) or authenticated by the Singapore Academy of Law and the relevant embassy, depending on the destination country. Always ask the requesting party which level of legalisation they need before you start, as apostille and embassy legalisation add time and cost.
Timeline and Cost
| Item | Typical position (2026) |
|---|---|
| ACRA Certificate of Good Standing | Issued electronically, usually within the same working day once applied for, subject to the company being compliant |
| ACRA Business Profile | Available almost immediately from BizFile+ |
| Notarisation | Add 1 to 2 working days via a notary public |
| Apostille / legalisation | Add several working days depending on the destination country |
Fees are modest for the certificate itself; the larger cost and time usually come from legalisation. Confirm exact fees with ACRA or your corporate secretary at the time of application.
Practical Tips
Ask the requesting party for their exact wording. “Good standing”, “incumbency” and “business profile” are not interchangeable, and getting the wrong one causes delay. Check the certificate’s date; overseas parties frequently insist the certificate be dated within the last one to three months. Keep the company compliant year-round so the certificate is always available, and remember that the company’s UEN never changes even if the company name changes, so historical certificates remain traceable to the same entity.
For related reading, see our guides on filing your annual return with ACRA, updating ACRA when your company details change, and our overview of what ACRA does. Our sister site also compares these documents in its guide on the Certificate of Incumbency and Certificate of Good Standing.
Conclusion
A Certificate of Good Standing is a small document that can hold up a big transaction if you get it wrong. Know the difference between it, the Business Profile and a Certificate of Incumbency, keep your company compliant so the certificate is always available, and clarify the legalisation requirements early. If you are unsure which document an overseas bank or registry actually needs, your corporate secretary can confirm it and obtain the correct certificate for you.
— The Editorial Team, Raffles Corporate Services