Singapore company registration for Indian founders
A private limited company (Pte Ltd) registered with ACRA, taxed at a flat 17% with exemptions on the first slices of income, and covered by a long-standing treaty with India — with the ODI and FEMA side in India handled alongside.
Singapore suits Indian businesses that want an Asia-Pacific base, investors or customers in South-East Asia, or a well-regulated common-law jurisdiction for a technology or trading company. It also expects real governance: a director who is ordinarily resident in Singapore, a company secretary, a registered office open to the public and annual filings with ACRA and IRAS.
Key facts at a glance
| Company type | Private company limited by shares (Pte Ltd), registered with ACRA through Bizfile. Foreigners must register through a Singapore corporate service provider |
| Directors | At least one director aged 18 or over who is ordinarily resident in Singapore — a citizen, permanent resident or holder of a qualifying pass such as an Employment Pass |
| Company secretary | Must be appointed within 6 months of incorporation |
| Share capital | At least one share; issued capital can start from S$1, and shares can be issued in different currencies |
| Registered office | A Singapore address open and accessible to the public during normal business hours |
| Corporate income tax | 17% flat rate. Partial exemption: 75% of the first S$10,000 and 50% of the next S$190,000 of chargeable income. Qualifying new companies can instead claim the start-up exemption for their first three years of assessment: 75% of the first S$100,000 and 50% of the next S$100,000 |
| GST | Registration required once taxable turnover exceeds S$1 million (calendar-year or 12-month forecast test); current rate 9% |
| Audit | Required unless the company qualifies as a small company — at least two of: revenue up to S$10 million, total assets up to S$10 million, 50 or fewer employees (ACRA is reviewing these thresholds in 2026) |
| India link | India–Singapore DTAA of 1994, as amended by protocols in 2005 and 2016; gains on shares acquired from 1 April 2017 can be taxed in the country where the company is resident |
Annual compliance in Singapore
- Estimated Chargeable Income (ECI) to IRAS within 3 months of the financial year-end, unless revenue is S$5 million or less and the ECI is nil.
- Corporate tax return — Form C-S, C-S (Lite) or Form C, depending on revenue and claims — by 30 November each year.
- Annual return to ACRA within 7 months of the financial year-end for a non-listed company, with financial statements in XBRL unless an exemption applies.
- AGM within 6 months of the year-end, unless the company sends its financial statements to members within 5 months or dispenses with the AGM as allowed for private companies.
- Registers — the register of registrable controllers is kept from incorporation and lodged with ACRA, and nominee directors and shareholders are disclosed to ACRA.
Moving to Singapore: work passes
If no founder is ordinarily resident in Singapore, the company needs another person who is, this can be arranged through a corporate service provider until a founder relocates. Founders who move typically use an Employment Pass, which has a minimum qualifying salary (currently S$5,600 a month outside financial services, rising with age, and S$6,000 for new applications from 1 January 2027) and a points-based COMPASS assessment. The EntrePass is for founders holding at least 30% of a venture-backed or innovative start-up that meets MOM's criteria.
Best suited for
- An Asia-Pacific operating or regional base
- SaaS and technology companies working with Singapore investors or customers
- Trading with South-East Asian markets
- Founders who plan to relocate to Singapore
What we handle
- Incorporation through a licensed Singapore corporate service provider, with company secretary and registered office
- A resident director arrangement where no founder lives in Singapore
- Bank account introduction and the KYC pack (requirements vary by bank)
- Bookkeeping, ECI, corporate tax return and ACRA filings, and audit coordination where an audit is needed
- ODI reporting in India — Form FC, the Annual Performance Report and Schedule FA
The Indian side
A resident individual can invest only within the Liberalised Remittance Scheme limit of USD 250,000 per financial year, and only in an operating company that is not in financial services and has no subsidiaries the individual controls. An Indian company can invest under the automatic route up to 400% of its net worth. The investment is reported in Form FC through your bank, followed by the Annual Performance Report by 31 December each year. Control matters on both sides: a Singapore company managed from India risks losing Singapore tax residence (and the start-up exemption) and being treated as resident in India under the place of effective management test. See ODI & FEMA compliance.
Sources: ACRA guidance on registering a local company via Bizfile, directors and key officers, local residency, share capital, AGMs, annual returns, XBRL filing, audit exemption and registers of registrable controllers; IRAS guidance on corporate income tax rates and exemptions, tax residency, ECI, Form C-S/C-S (Lite)/C and GST registration; MOM Employment Pass and EntrePass eligibility; India–Singapore Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (1994) and protocols of 2005 and 2016; Foreign Exchange Management (Overseas Investment) Rules and Regulations, 2022 and RBI Master Direction on Overseas Investment; Income-tax Act, 2025 (section 6).
Ready to register in Singapore?
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