Want to Start a Tuition Centre in Singapore? MOE Registration, Premises and Costs

Short answer: A tuition centre in Singapore that teaches 10 or more students must be registered with the Ministry of Education (MOE) under the Education Act 1957 before classes begin. You first incorporate an ACRA-registered entity, then secure premises approved for commercial school use, then register the centre, its courses and teachers. Small home tuition follows HDB or URA rules.

If you plan to start a tuition centre in Singapore, the order of the steps matters more than most founders expect. MOE will not register a centre until the business entity exists, the premises have fire safety clearance and planning approval for school use, and renovation is finished. Get the order wrong and you may pay rent on a unit that cannot be used as a school. For full-time or diploma-level programmes, see our separate guide to Private Education Institution (PEI) registration, which we do not repeat here.

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.

Does a tuition or enrichment centre need to register with MOE?

Yes, if it teaches 10 or more people. The Education Act 1957 defines a “school” as an organisation for the provision of education for 10 or more persons, or a place where 10 or more persons are being or are habitually taught, whether in one or more classes. Section 21 then provides that no school shall be carried on unless it is registered.

Two points in that definition catch founders out:

• The count is not per class. A centre that runs three classes of four students each is teaching 12 people, even if no single room ever holds 10.
• The definition covers the organisation as well as the place, so spreading students across small venues does not help.

MOE’s private school registration page states that you must register your private school, the courses offered and the teachers permitted to teach if your school offers education for 10 or more persons, and that this includes tuition and enrichment centres teaching mainstream school subjects. The GoBusiness licence page also covers privately run schools offering academic classes leading to GCE examinations, and courses in business studies, computer education, languages and fine arts. If your programme sits at the edge, ask MOE in writing before you sign a lease.

The Act also restricts names. Under section 4A, an unregistered, non-exempt provider that uses words such as “academy”, “college”, “school” or “university” in its name without the Director-General’s written consent commits an offence, punishable by a fine of up to S$2,000, imprisonment of up to 12 months, or both.

When does the Private Education Act or another regulator apply instead?

Full-time, post-secondary and foreign-curriculum programmes fall under a different regime, and so do centres caring for young children. Section 4 of the Education Act says the Act does not apply to any private education institution within the meaning of the Private Education Act 2009, or to any early childhood development centre licensed under the Early Childhood Development Centres Act 2017.

MOE’s page still names SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG). On 1 July 2026, SSG and Workforce Singapore merged to form the Skills and Workforce Development Agency (SWDA), which now publishes the private education resources for students and institutions.

Take care with classes for young children: MOE may refer a school to ECDA if its programmes make it registrable as an early childhood development centre.

Can you run a tuition centre from home or an HDB flat?

Only on a very small scale. GoBusiness lists private tuition for not more than 3 students at a time as an activity under the Home-Based Business Scheme, which does not allow non-resident employees. Commercial schools, including tuition centres, are listed as activities not permitted under the Home Office Scheme.

For anything larger, you need commercial premises. Our article on the Home Office Scheme and the Home-Based Business Scheme sets out the differences.

What premises approvals does a commercial tuition centre need?

You need premises approved for commercial school use, plus fire safety clearance, before MOE will register the centre. URA treats “Commercial School” as its own use class (Class 18), defined to include a tuition centre, language school, computer school, art school, music school, dance school, acting school, and speech and drama school.

Since URA’s circular of 24 March 2016, changing a unit from office to commercial school use needs a planning application. Before you sign a lease, check the unit’s approved use with URA or, for HDB commercial premises, with HDB.

MOE’s document list for registration asks for:

• an A1-sized floor plan approved by SCDF’s Fire Safety and Shelter Department, with a project description stating that the use is a school, tuition centre or enrichment centre;
• a Fire Safety Certificate; and
• URA’s Grant of Written Permission, or HDB’s Approval on Use of Premises, for use as a commercial school, tuition centre or enrichment centre.

MOE asks that renovation and furnishing be completed before you apply, because a site inspection follows once the documents are accepted.

How do you start a tuition centre in Singapore, step by step?

Incorporate first, secure and approve the premises next, and register with MOE last. The sequence below follows MOE’s published process.

1. Choose a name that works for both ACRA and MOE. MOE requires the school name to show that it is a place of learning (for example “ABC Learning Centre”) and to align with the ACRA-registered business name (for example “ABC Learning Centre Pte Ltd”).
2. Incorporate the company with ACRA. Our guide to how to register a company in Singapore walks through the full sequence. Raffles Corporate Services can incorporate within 1 business day of receiving complete documents, subject to compliance checks.
3. Set up Corppass for the new company. MOE requires you to apply through GoBusiness using the Corppass of the entity that will own the school, not a parent company.
4. Find a unit with commercial school use, or apply to URA or HDB for approval, and obtain SCDF fire safety clearance.
5. Complete the renovation and furnishing.
6. Appoint the Committee of Management of the School (SMC) by directors’ resolution, and prepare a Form CM for each member.
7. Prepare Form RC (course particulars) and a Form RT for each teacher, with identity documents and certificates (notarially translated if not in English).
8. Apply on GoBusiness for the Certificate of Registration of School and pay the fee. Each application can include up to 10 courses and 10 teachers; more can be added after registration.
9. Host MOE’s site inspection. Approval follows a satisfactory visit.

What does MOE check on teachers, managers and child safety?

MOE registers each teacher individually and screens for serious criminal convictions. Section 35 of the Education Act prohibits anyone from teaching in a school unless they are a registered teacher or authorised or permitted to teach under Part 9 of the Act.

In a parliamentary reply on 6 July 2021, MOE said tutors at registered centres must declare any conviction for an offence punishable with imprisonment, and that MOE will not register applicants convicted of serious offences, including sexual offences. These rules do not cover freelance home tutors or tutor-matching agencies. On 8 September 2026, the Ministry of Home Affairs told Parliament that employers in unregulated sectors are not currently required to verify employees’ criminal records, though they may ask candidates to declare past offences, and that the Government is still considering wider screening, possibly through a voluntary certificate-based system. No new rule had been announced when we reviewed this article.

Section 26 requires every non-government school to be run by a committee of management of not more than 9 persons (unless the Director-General approves more), responsible for compliance with the Act. Under section 52, registered schools are inspected periodically.

If you plan to hire foreign tutors, each one needs MOE teacher registration and a valid work pass. Our associated MOM-licensed agency, Little Big Employment Agency, handles work pass applications.

How much does it cost to set up a tuition centre company?

Government fees are modest; rent, renovation and premises approvals usually cost far more.

For a fuller year-one budget, including accounting and tax filing, see how much it costs to set up and run a Singapore company. Our free tools can help with planning. The MOE certificate has no expiry date, so there is no renewal fee.

What ongoing compliance applies once the centre is registered?

MOE registration is a one-off, but the centre must keep its MOE records current and the company must meet its own ACRA and IRAS duties every year.

• MOE amendments: file an amendment application to add teachers or courses, change the committee of management, relocate or expand, rename, or close the school.
• Committee re-registration: MOE requires the committee of management to be re-registered every 3 years.
• Company filings: the company holds its AGM where required and files its annual return with ACRA, which charges S$60 for the filing.
• GST: under IRAS rules, a business must register for GST if its taxable turnover exceeded S$1 million in the calendar year, or is expected to exceed S$1 million in the next 12 months.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need MOE registration if I teach fewer than 10 students?

The Act’s definition of a school starts at 10 or more persons, counted across all classes. Home business rules still limit home tuition to 3 students at a time.

Can a sole proprietorship register a tuition centre with MOE?

MOE’s document list provides for sole proprietorships, partnerships and LLPs as well as companies, and the applicant must be registered with ACRA. A private limited company adds limited liability.

How long does MOE registration take?

MOE estimates 14 days from the later of a complete set of documents and a satisfactory site visit. Premises approvals usually take longer.

Does MOE registration mean my centre is accredited?

No. MOE says registration does not endorse or accredit a school, its courses or teachers. Describe your status only as “Registered with the Ministry of Education”.

Last reviewed: 26 October 2026. The Editorial Team, Raffles Corporate Services.