Business Name Registration (Singapore)

A Business Name Registration in Singapore records the information required to apply for the registration or permit involved.

ACRA administers the business-registration process through the BizFile+ online portal, which handles name searches, application submissions, payment of registration fees, and issuance of the certificate of registration. The registration fee prescribed by ACRA is currently S$115 for a one-year registration or S$175 for a three-year registration. The Registrar of Business Names — an ACRA officer — reviews each application against the criteria in s. 12 of the Business Names Registration Act, which prohibits registration of names that are identical to an existing registered business name, that are undesirable (offensive or misleading), or that require specific approval from a government authority (such as names containing words like "bank," "finance," "law," "medical," or "Singapore").

Sole proprietors must be at least 18 years old, be a Singapore citizen, permanent resident, or holder of a valid EntrePass issued by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), and must not be an undischarged bankrupt. Partnerships — governed by the Partnership Act (Cap. 391) — require at least two partners and not more than 20 (with exceptions for professional partnerships of lawyers, accountants, and medical practitioners). Limited partnerships — governed by the Limited Partnerships Act (Cap. 163B) — must have at least one general partner and one limited partner, with the limited partner's liability capped at their capital contribution.

Goods and Services Tax (GST) registration with the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) is mandatory for businesses with annual taxable turnover exceeding S$1 million under s. 8(2) of the Goods and Services Tax Act (Cap. 117A), and voluntary registration is available below that threshold. The business-name registration application includes fields for the proposed business activities (classified under the Singapore Standard Industrial Classification — SSIC codes), and ACRA assigns the SSIC codes that appear on the business profile. These codes may be relevant for regulatory purposes — for example, businesses classified under financial-services SSIC codes may trigger MAS licensing requirements.

Registered businesses must comply with ongoing obligations under the Business Names Registration Act, including filing annual renewals (or multi-year renewals), notifying ACRA of changes to business particulars (address, partners, activities) within 14 days under s. 20, and displaying the registered business name at the principal place of business under s. 16. Failure to register a business name is an offence under s. 27, carrying a fine of up to S$10,000 or imprisonment of up to two years. ACRA conducts enforcement reviews and may issue composition fines for minor breaches. The Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS) may also review business-name registrations in the context of misleading business practices under the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act (Cap. 52A).

A Business Name Registration is needed whenever an individual or group of individuals in Singapore intends to carry on business under a name that differs from their own personal name or under a partnership arrangement that requires formal registration with ACRA.

Sole proprietors starting a new business — whether in retail, food and beverage, professional services, e-commerce, or any other sector — must register their business name with ACRA before commencing operations if the business name is not the owner's full name as shown on their NRIC. Even home-based businesses operated from HDB flats (subject to HDB's Home-Based Business Scheme conditions) or private residential premises require registration if conducted under a business name.

Partnerships formed under the Partnership Act (Cap. 391) must register the partnership business name with ACRA. When two or more persons agree to carry on business in common with a view to profit — whether through a formal partnership agreement or an informal arrangement — the business name must be registered. Law firms, medical practices, and accounting firms operating as partnerships are subject to the same registration requirement, with the respective professional bodies (the Law Society of Singapore, the Singapore Medical Council, and ISCA) imposing additional practice requirements.

Foreign individuals and foreign companies seeking to operate a business in Singapore must register a business name with ACRA. Foreign individuals must appoint a locally resident authorised representative under s. 14 of the Business Names Registration Act, and foreign companies must register a Singapore branch office or subsidiary. The MOM EntrePass scheme allows foreign entrepreneurs to register and operate a business in Singapore, subject to meeting MOM's eligibility criteria.

Existing businesses changing their business name must file a new registration with ACRA, as the Business Names Registration Act does not permit amendment of the registered name — the existing registration must be cancelled and a new registration filed. Businesses adding or removing partners, changing the principal place of business, or altering the nature of business activities must notify ACRA within 14 days under s. 20 of the Act.

Companies incorporated under the Companies Act 1967 (Cap. 50) that carry on business under a name different from their registered company name must also register the alternative business name with ACRA. IRAS uses the ACRA-registered business name and UEN for tax correspondence and assessment purposes.

A Singapore Business Name Registration application must contain specific information required by the Business Names Registration Act 2014 and ACRA's BizFile+ submission system. The forms-legal.com Business Name Registration template covers each required element in a structure aligned with ACRA's filing specifications.

Proposed business name is the name under which the business will operate. ACRA's name-search function on BizFile+ allows applicants to check whether a proposed name is available — names identical to existing registered names or reserved names are rejected. Section 12 of the Business Names Registration Act prohibits names that are undesirable, identical to existing names, or that contain restricted words requiring government approval. Names containing words associated with regulated activities — such as "bank" (requiring MAS approval), "law" (requiring the Attorney-General's Chambers approval), or "school" (requiring the Ministry of Education approval) — require pre-approval from the relevant authority before ACRA will process the registration.

Owner or registrant details require the full name, NRIC or FIN number (for individuals), residential address, nationality, and date of birth of each owner. For sole proprietorships, there is one owner. For partnerships, the details of every partner must be provided. For corporate-owned businesses, the company's UEN, registered name, and registered address are required. At least one owner must be a Singapore citizen or permanent resident ordinarily resident in Singapore, or hold a valid work pass that permits business ownership.

Business details include the principal place of business address (which must be a physical address in Singapore — PO boxes are not accepted), the date of commencement of business, and the nature of business activities described using SSIC codes. The SSIC code determines the regulatory requirements that may apply — food-and-beverage businesses (SSIC 56) require licences from the Singapore Food Agency (SFA), education businesses (SSIC 85) may require registration with the Committee for Private Education (CPE), and financial-services businesses (SSIC 64-66) may require MAS licensing.

Partnership details (for partnerships and limited partnerships) must specify the type of partnership (general or limited), the names and particulars of all partners, and — for limited partnerships under the Limited Partnerships Act (Cap. 163B) — the designation of each partner as a general partner or limited partner and the capital contribution of each limited partner.

GST and tax information should indicate whether the business is or intends to be GST-registered with IRAS. Businesses with annual taxable turnover exceeding S$1 million must register for GST under the Goods and Services Tax Act (Cap. 117A, s. 8(2)). The ACRA registration generates a UEN that is used as the business's tax reference number for income-tax filings with IRAS under the Income Tax Act (Cap. 134).

The declaration section requires each owner or partner to declare that the information provided is true and accurate, that the registrant is not an undischarged bankrupt (unless the Official Assignee has granted permission to carry on business under s. 26(2) of the Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act 2018), and that the registrant will comply with the ongoing obligations under the Business Names Registration Act.

Post-registration obligations include displaying the registered business name at the principal place of business (s. 16), maintaining accurate records of business transactions, filing annual renewals before the registration expiry date, and notifying ACRA within 14 days of any changes to the registered particulars (s. 20) — including changes to the owner's residential address, the business address, the nature of business activities, or the composition of the partnership.