Company setup
The real cost of setting up and running a company in Singapore.
A SGD 300 incorporation headline is real, and it is also misleading. For a foreign founder who needs an Employment Pass, a bank account and ongoing compliance, the first-year cost is a different number, and worth seeing in full before you start.
By Travis Tay, Immigration Expert · Updated June 2026.
Incorporating a Singapore company costs SGD 315 in ACRA fees, but that is only the registration. A foreign founder also needs a resident director arrangement, a registered office and corporate secretary, the Employment Pass itself, and ongoing accounting, tax and payroll. Our package covering company setup and the Employment Pass starts from SGD 8,888, with capital, banking and compliance separate. The number that matters is the realistic first-year total, not the registration headline.
Why cheap quotes mislead
The cheapest online quotes price one thing, incorporation, and leave out everything that makes the company actually usable for a foreign founder. The registration is genuinely inexpensive. The work that follows, satisfying the resident-director rule, preparing an Employment Pass that holds up, opening a bank account, and keeping the company compliant, is where the real cost and the real value sit. A low setup quote that leaves you stuck at the Employment Pass is not a saving.
What to budget for in year one
| Item | Notes |
|---|---|
| ACRA incorporation | SGD 315 (SGD 15 name application + SGD 300 registration) |
| Bridging resident director | Until your own EP is approved |
| Registered office and corporate secretary | Both are mandatory; the secretary within six months |
| Employment Pass application | Preparation and submission of a well-documented case |
| Accounting, tax filing and payroll | Ongoing through the year |
| Corporate bank account | KYC support; bank fees vary |
Our flagship package bundles the core of this, company incorporation and the Employment Pass, from SGD 8,888. Banking, compliance, permanent residence planning and other services are quoted on top, so you see each clearly.
The piece people forget: capital
Paid-up capital is not a cost, but founders often confuse it with one. It is money you put into your own company, and it stays there to run the business. For an Employment Pass and a bank account, a credible level, often around SGD 100,000, matters, but it is not an expense you lose. We explain this fully in how much capital a company needs.
Ongoing, not one-off
A company is an annual commitment, not a one-time purchase. Each year you have the corporate secretary, registered office, bookkeeping, the annual return to ACRA and the corporate tax filing to IRAS. New companies benefit from the start-up tax exemption (75 percent of the first SGD 100,000 of chargeable income, then 50 percent of the next SGD 100,000, for the first three years), and GST registration is only mandatory once turnover exceeds SGD 1 million. Keeping all of this in order is what protects your EP renewal, as covered in our compliance service.
How we quote it
We give you the full first-year picture up front: the SGD 8,888 package, plus the specific add-ons your situation needs, plus the capital level we recommend (which is yours, not a fee). No headline that hides the rest. That way you can plan the real cost, not just the registration.
Questions people ask
What does the SGD 8,888 package include? +
Company incorporation, a bridging resident director until your Employment Pass is approved, the Employment Pass prepared and submitted, and a COMPASS profile review and strategy. Banking, ongoing compliance, PR planning and other services are quoted separately.
How much is incorporation on its own? +
ACRA charges SGD 315 in total, SGD 15 for the name application and SGD 300 for registration. That is only the registration step, not the resident director, Employment Pass, banking or compliance a foreign founder also needs.
Is paid-up capital an extra cost? +
No. Paid-up capital is your company's own money, available to run the business. It is not a fee. A credible level, often around SGD 100,000, supports your Employment Pass and bank account, but it is not lost.
What are the ongoing annual costs? +
Mainly the corporate secretary, registered office, bookkeeping, the annual return to ACRA and corporate tax filing to IRAS, plus payroll once you pay yourself or staff. These recur every year and protect your EP renewal.
Do I need to register for GST? +
Only if your annual taxable turnover exceeds SGD 1 million; below that, GST registration is voluntary. The current GST rate is 9 percent.
Related services
Get the full picture, not just the headline.
We quote your real first-year cost up front, with every add-on shown clearly.