Company setup
How much capital does a new Singapore company really need?
You can incorporate with one dollar. You cannot build a credible Employment Pass case or open a corporate bank account on one dollar. The right number is about what the authorities and banks need to see, not the legal floor.
By Travis Tay, Immigration Expert · Updated June 2026.
The legal minimum paid-up capital to incorporate a Singapore private limited company is just SGD 1. But for a foreign-owned company seeking an Employment Pass and a corporate bank account, capital that can plausibly sustain operations, often around SGD 100,000, is far more credible. Paid-up capital is not a fee or a sunk cost; it is your company's own money, available to run the business. The right level is the one that fits your business and supports your pass and your banking.
Paid-up capital is not a cost
This is the point most founders miss. Paid-up capital is money you put into your own company in exchange for shares. It stays in the business and can be used for rent, salaries, equipment, anything the company needs. It is not a government fee and it is not lost. So the question is never "how little can I get away with", it is "what level lets my company operate and read as real".
Why one dollar fails the real tests
A company capitalised at a few dollars cannot plausibly pay a founder's salary, sign a lease, or fund operations, and both MOM and banks know it. At the Employment Pass stage, a tiny capital figure sitting against a SGD 6,000-plus monthly salary is an obvious inconsistency, exactly the kind that prompts a request for more documents, as covered in why MOM reviews applications. At the bank, low capital weakens an already demanding account-opening process.
How much is credible
| Paid-up capital | How it reads |
|---|---|
| SGD 1 to a few thousand | Legal, but thin; struggles to support an EP salary or a bank account |
| Around SGD 50,000 | Workable for a lean services business, depending on the salary and plan |
| Around SGD 100,000+ | Credible for a foreign-owned company seeking an EP and corporate banking |
Around SGD 100,000 is a common, credible level for a founder seeking an Employment Pass, because it signals the company can sustain operations and pay the declared salary. The right figure still depends on your business; a capital-light consultancy and an inventory-heavy trading company are not the same.
You can increase it later
Capital is not fixed at incorporation. You can start at a sensible level and increase paid-up capital later as the business grows or ahead of a banking or pass milestone. What matters is that the figure is consistent with your salary, your plan and your sector at the point each application is assessed. We size it with you, in step with what MOM looks for in your company.
The bottom line
Forget the one-dollar headline. Capitalise your company at a level that lets it operate and supports your Employment Pass and bank account. It is your money either way; the only question is whether the figure helps your case or undermines it.
Questions people ask
Is paid-up capital money I lose? +
No. It is your company's own money, put in for shares and available to run the business. It is not a government fee and it is not a sunk cost.
Do I have to put in one hundred thousand dollars? +
Not legally; the minimum is SGD 1. But around SGD 100,000 is a common, credible level for a foreign-owned company seeking an Employment Pass and a bank account, because it shows the company can sustain operations. The right figure depends on your business.
Can I increase capital later? +
Yes. You can start at a sensible level and increase paid-up capital as the business grows or ahead of a banking or pass milestone.
Why does capital matter for my Employment Pass? +
Because MOM looks for consistency. Capital that is far too low to fund the salary you have declared is a common trigger for a request for more documents. A credible level removes that question.
Does higher capital help open a bank account? +
It helps. Bank compliance teams assess whether the company is a real, funded business, so a credible capital figure supports an already demanding account-opening process.
Related services
Capitalise your company the credible way.
We set a capital level that fits your business and supports your pass and your bank account.