Singapore Company Registration Cost 2026: The All-In Breakdown for Foreign Founders

What does it really cost to register a company in Singapore?

The honest answer: the Singapore company registration cost most foreign founders actually pay is not the government fee — it's the mandatory services around it. The official ACRA fee to incorporate is a fixed S$315. But because a foreigner must appoint a locally resident director and a company secretary, your true first-year budget lands higher. This guide breaks down every line item, separates what's genuinely required from what providers upsell, and gives you a realistic all-in range.

The fixed government fee (the easy part)

Registration is filed through ACRA's BizFile+ portal, and the statutory fees are the same for everyone:

• Company name application: S$15 (the approved name is reserved for 120 days)
• Incorporation fee: S$300
• Total ACRA fee: S$315
• Recurring: S$60 per year for your annual return filing

That's it for the government. Everything below is the service layer — and where quotes diverge.

The services a foreigner actually needs

Resident director (nominee)

A Singapore company must have at least one director ordinarily resident in Singapore. If you're not relocating immediately, you appoint a nominee director. Market rates in 2026 run S$1,800–S$4,000 per year, priced by risk: a low-risk local business sits near the bottom, while cross-border fintech or e-commerce faces more scrutiny and higher fees. Lower-tier providers often also require a refundable security deposit of S$5,000–S$10,000. We cover how to evaluate this properly in our guide to nominee director services.

Company secretary

Every company must appoint a qualified company secretary within 6 months. Expect S$300–S$1,500 per year depending on scope.

Registered address

You need a physical Singapore address (not a PO box). A registered-address service typically costs S$120–S$400 per year, or is bundled into a package.

Accounting, tax and bookkeeping

Not required at incorporation, but you'll need it before your first filings. Basic annual accounting for a small company commonly starts around S$600–S$1,500 per year and scales with transaction volume.

The realistic Year-1 all-in range

Putting it together for a typical foreign-owned private limited company:

• Lean setup (bundled provider, low-risk business): roughly S$2,500–S$4,000 in Year 1
• Typical setup (nominee + secretary + address + basic accounting): roughly S$4,000–S$7,000 in Year 1
• Higher-risk or premium (fintech/e-commerce, higher indemnity, no deposit): S$7,000+

Expert tip: Compare providers on the *bundle*, not the headline incorporation price. A "S$0 incorporation" offer almost always recovers its margin through the nominee director fee, the security deposit, or an accounting retainer. Ask for the total 12-month cost in writing, and confirm whether the nominee deposit is refundable.

What providers commonly upsell

• Premium nominee "packages" that duplicate secretarial work you're already paying for.
• Bank account "guarantees" — no one can guarantee approval; the bank decides.
• Trademark, GST registration, or payroll add-ons before you actually need them.

None of these are scams — but you should buy them because you need them, not because they're bundled. For the full process behind these costs, see our step-by-step guide to registering a company in Singapore as a foreigner.

Get an honest, side-by-side quote

Because the real cost lives in the service layer, the provider you choose determines your Year-1 spend more than any government fee. Tell us your business and requirements, and we'll match you with exactly 3 vetted Singapore providers within 24 hours — so you can compare all-in quotes fairly, with no sales pressure and no cost to you.