Short answer: A Singapore company can be registered in one working day when the name is clear and documents are complete, because ACRA approves most registrations soon after payment. Names referred to another agency can take up to 15 working days to clear, and referred registrations 14 to 60 days. Bank account, GST and Employment Pass steps add their own time.
Ask how long to incorporate a company in Singapore and the usual answer is “a day”. That is true for the ACRA registration, but a company that can invoice, get paid and employ its first foreign hire has to clear a longer chain: the corporate service provider’s identity checks, the name application, ACRA registration, Corppass, the bank account, GST where it applies, and a work pass. Below are the official processing times for each step, where published.
Key facts at a glance
- Name application: S$15 fee. ACRA’s review takes up to 3 working days, or up to 15 working days if the name is sent to a referral authority. An approved name is reserved for 120 days.
- Company registration: S$300 fee. Most registrations are approved soon after payment; complex ones can take up to 15 working days, and those needing referral approval 14 to 60 days.
- Corporate service providers (CSPs) must be registered with ACRA under the Corporate Service Providers Act 2024, in force since 9 June 2025, and must carry out customer due diligence before incorporating a company.
- Corppass: if the person applying uses the Letter of Authorisation route, Corppass notifies the result after 5 working days.
- GST: compulsory once taxable turnover is expected to exceed S$1 million in the next 12 months; apply within 30 days of the forecast. IRAS processes 60% of applications within 10 working days and the rest within 30 days.
- Employment Pass: the job must usually be advertised on MyCareersFuture for at least 14 consecutive days first. Online applications are processed or given an update within 10 business days; the fee is S$105.
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.
How long to incorporate a company in Singapore, from start to finish?
The ACRA part can be done in one working day; the full path to an operating company usually takes several weeks. The difference comes from steps outside ACRA’s control, mainly bank onboarding and, if you need one, a work pass.
Think of it as a critical path, where each step depends on the one before. You cannot open a corporate bank account without a Unique Entity Number (UEN, the company’s registration number), or apply for an Employment Pass (EP) for a company that does not yet exist. Preparing bank documents and the job advertisement can run in parallel.
| Step | Fast case | Typical case | Referred or complex case |
|---|---|---|---|
| CSP onboarding and customer due diligence | Complete documents for local individuals; checks clear quickly | Some documents need certification or follow-up questions | Corporate or overseas owners needing enhanced checks |
| Name application (S$15) | Approved soon after payment | Up to 3 working days for ACRA’s review | Up to 15 working days if referred to another agency |
| Company registration (S$300) | Approved soon after payment | Up to 15 working days if the application is complex | 14 to 60 days if it needs referral approval |
| Corppass administrator | A registered officer with Singpass registers without further approvals | Online approval by a registered officer | Letter of Authorisation: result after 5 working days |
| Corporate bank account | No published standard; depends on the bank’s own KYC review | ||
| GST registration (if required) | 60% of applications within 10 working days | Remaining applications within 30 days | |
| Employment Pass | Advertising exemption applies; decision or update within 10 business days | 14 consecutive days of advertising, then up to 10 business days | Longer if MOM asks for more documents |
Assumptions: agency times are ACRA, IRAS and MOM published figures as at 27 October 2026, counted from a complete submission. They are not guarantees.
What happens before anything is filed with ACRA?
Your corporate service provider must first identify and verify who you are and who ultimately owns the company. This is customer due diligence (CDD), sometimes called know-your-customer or KYC, and it is now a legal requirement for every CSP.
The Corporate Service Providers Act 2024 took effect on 9 June 2025. It requires businesses providing corporate services in and from Singapore to register with ACRA and to meet anti-money laundering, counter-terrorism financing and counter-proliferation financing obligations. At the Bill’s second reading, the Second Minister for Finance noted that non-residents must engage a CSP to set up a Singapore company, and that every CSP must conduct customer due diligence before incorporating one.
This step is fast when the file is complete: identity documents, proof of residential address, and a clear picture of who funds and controls the company. It slows down when shareholders are companies, because ownership must be traced to the individuals behind them. Our checklist of documents needed to incorporate a Singapore company lists what to prepare.
At Raffles Corporate Services, we aim to incorporate within 1 business day of receiving complete documents, subject to compliance checks. Our published Incorporation of Company Package for a private company is S$450 one time. Compliance check fees apply where required: S$80 for work pass holders, S$250 for non-resident entities and S$400 for non-resident individuals.
How long does ACRA take to approve a company name?
Most name applications are approved soon after payment. If ACRA needs to review the name, it takes up to 3 working days; if the name is sent to a referral authority, up to 15 working days.
The fee is S$15 and is not refunded if the name is rejected or withdrawn. Once approved, the name is reserved for 120 days, and you must register the company within that window or the name is released.
Referral happens when the name or the business activity falls within another agency’s remit. ACRA’s published list includes, for example:
- names containing “academy”, “college”, “institute” or “university”, which are referred to the Ministry of Education;
- names containing “military” or “defence”, which are referred to the Ministry of Defence;
- activities such as running schools or learning centres for academic education, which can require approval from the Skills and Workforce Development Agency (SWDA, formerly SkillsFuture Singapore) or the Ministry of Education;
- financial activity codes such as banking, which involve the Monetary Authority of Singapore.
Name approval is not a licence. Avoid referral-triggering words and activity codes you do not need. See ACRA’s guide to applying for a business entity name, and our article on why Bizfile name applications get stuck.
How long does ACRA registration take once the name is approved?
Most registrations are approved soon after payment of the S$300 fee, so a clean application is usually done the same working day. ACRA says complex applications may take up to 15 working days, and registrations needing extra approval from referral authorities 14 to 60 days.
One point catches founders who file themselves: every other position holder named in the application must endorse it within 60 days, and payment opens only once all endorsements are in. ACRA notes this is not required when a CSP files for you.
Once approved, the company receives its UEN and can download its business profile. ACRA’s step-by-step registration guide sets out the fees and processing times.
How long does Corppass setup take for a new company?
If a registered officer of the company (for example a director) holds Singpass as an NRIC or FIN user, they can register as the Corppass administrator without further approvals. Other applicants need the registered officer’s online approval or a signed Letter of Authorisation, and Corppass emails the result of a Letter of Authorisation request after 5 working days.
Corppass is the business login for government digital services, so set it up once the UEN is issued. Our guide to setting up Corppass for a new company walks through the screens.
How long does it take to open a corporate bank account?
No regulator sets a deadline for a bank to decide, so this is usually the least predictable step. Each bank runs its own KYC review.
The main factors are:
- whether every director and authorised signatory can complete identity verification, which some banks require in person;
- how clearly you can show the source of funds and the expected transactions;
- whether any shareholder is a company or is based in a higher-risk jurisdiction;
- how quickly you answer follow-up questions.
Prepare the bank pack early and apply once the UEN is issued. Our article on opening a corporate bank account in Singapore covers why applications stall.
Do you need GST registration before you start trading, and how long does it take?
Most new companies do not need GST registration on day one. Registration becomes compulsory once you can reasonably expect taxable turnover to exceed S$1 million in the next 12 months, or once it exceeded S$1 million in a calendar year.
Under the forward-looking test, you must apply within 30 days of the date of your forecast. Where that liability arises on or after 1 July 2025, you are registered 2 months from the forecast date, replacing the old 31st-day rule. IRAS processes 60% of applications within 10 working days and the rest within 30 days, and will not process incomplete applications. Voluntary registrants must also have a GIRO arrangement in place. Use our free GST Registration Checker and Company Set-Up Cost Calculator to see whether, and when, you need to register.
How long does an Employment Pass take for the first hire or founder?
If the role must be advertised, allow about four weeks: 14 consecutive days on MyCareersFuture before applying, then up to 10 business days for MOM to process or update an online application. If the company is exempt from advertising, the wait is mainly MOM’s processing time.
The advertising requirement does not apply if the company has fewer than 10 employees, the fixed monthly salary is S$22,500 or more, the role lasts no more than 1 month, or the role is filled by a local transferee. A new company often falls within the first exemption. MOM still expects fair hiring either way.
The steps run in this order:
- Incorporate the company and obtain the UEN.
- Advertise on MyCareersFuture for 14 consecutive days, unless exempt.
- Obtain the candidate’s written consent and submit the EP application online, paying the S$105 fee.
- Wait for the outcome or an update within 10 business days. If MOM asks for more documents, processing takes longer.
- On approval, get the pass issued; if MOM requires it, the candidate registers fingerprints and photo within 2 weeks after issue.
The candidate does not need to be in Singapore when you apply. See MOM’s Employment Pass application page for current details. Work pass applications are handled by our associated MOM-licensed agency, Little Big Employment Agency.
What usually delays a Singapore incorporation?
Most delays come from incomplete information, not from ACRA:
- uncertified or expired identity documents for overseas directors or shareholders;
- corporate shareholders without clear documents showing who owns and controls them;
- a name or activity code that triggers referral when it was not needed;
- position holders who do not endorse a self-filed application promptly;
- leaving the bank pack and job advertisement until after incorporation.
Once the company exists, the compliance clock starts. Our guide to the first 30 days after incorporating covers what to do next.
Frequently asked questions
Can a Singapore company really be incorporated in one day?
Yes, for the ACRA registration, provided the name is not referred, the application is not complex and your CSP’s due diligence is complete.
How long is an approved company name reserved?
120 days. If the company is not registered within that period, ACRA releases the name for others to use, and you would need to apply and pay the S$15 fee again.
Why would ACRA take 14 to 60 days to register a company?
That range applies when the registration needs approval from a referral authority, such as the Ministry of Education for education businesses or the Monetary Authority of Singapore for financial activities. The other agency’s review sets the pace.
Can I apply for an Employment Pass before the company is incorporated?
No. The employer applying must exist. A company not registered in Singapore must use a local sponsor, and MOM gives a processing time of within 6 weeks for most of those cases, so it is usually quicker to incorporate first.
Do foreigners have to use a corporate service provider?
Non-residents setting up a Singapore company must engage a registered CSP, which must carry out customer due diligence before incorporating. Allow extra time for this if your documents are issued overseas.
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: 27 October 2026. The Editorial Team, Raffles Corporate Services.