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Singapore

As part of our registry spotlight series, we offer valuable insights on the national registries that can be accessed through the Know Your Customer platform and single API.

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The Registry

What is the Singapore Business Register?

Singapore is a global hub for business and entrepreneurship, with thousands of new companies registered in the city-state every year.

In line with Singapore’s reputation as a modern and highly digitised country, also its company registry is among the easiest to access and most advanced in the world.

Maintained by the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA), the Singapore register is an electronic database that provides valuable information on all registered companies in Singapore.

As the national regulator of businesses in Singapore, ACRA was first established in 2004 and its main responsibilities are to oversee the registration and regulation of companies and to promote good corporate governance practices.

Accessing The Registry

How do you access the Singapore Business Register?

There are a few ways to access the Singapore Business Register.

The easiest and most convenient method is through the BizFile portal, which provides users with online access to the registry. Users can also access the registry in person at ACRA’s office.

To purchase specific business profiles, users must register and top up an account, which can be done online through the BizFile portal. Finally, users can also access some basic information about a company for free, including its name, registration date, and status.

Available Information

What information is available via the Singapore Business Register?

The Singapore Business Register contains information on several types of companies, including Private companies limited by sharesPublic companies limited by sharesPartnerships, and Sole proprietorships.

The types of information and documents available in the database include business profiles, company information (e.g. company name, registration date, status), officers (e.g. directors, secretaries), and shareholders.

Business profiles are the most comprehensive documents available in the registry, providing a detailed overview of a company’s operations, financial performance, and ownership structure. However, it’s important to note that some details may be redacted for privacy reasons.

Businesses Registered Yearly

How many new companies are incorporated in Singapore every year?

According to ACRA’s latest statistics, there were 588,764 companies in the Singapore Business Register as of the end of 2023.

In the course of 2023 alone, 70,402 new companies were formed, a 12.3% increase year-on-year.

These numbers reflect the city-state’s commitment to promoting entrepreneurship and innovation, as well as its reputation as a business-friendly destination for newcomers from all over the world.

They also highlight the importance of accessing registry data in real-time to ensure the highest level of compliance and accuracy when verifying business customers for Know Your Business (KYB) and client due diligence purposes. In most cases, information on these newly incorporated companies will not be present in static entity databases, but it will be readily available in the official registry or via platforms like Know Your Customer that exclusively rely on live access to official sources.

To learn about the far-reaching benefits of real-time registry access, click here.

Real-Time Registry Access

How does Know Your Customer simplify access to official registry data?

Through Know Your Customer, you can easily streamline and automate access to the Singapore business register and cross-border identification of Ultimate Beneficial Owners (UBOs) via one easy-to-use platform or single API.

Our solution provides a standardised and user-centric experience across company registries in 127 countries worldwide, empowering compliance teams with the most accurate documentation and shareholder data available, sourced in real-time from their official source.

Additionally, our end-to-end digital compliance workflow helps teams manage and monitor compliance processes in line with local and international regulations, making it safer and easier to onboard international customers with complex shareholding structures.

Experience the benefits of our Live Registry Solution and Automated UBO Engine to drive secure cross-border growth for your business.

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Last updated on March 28th, 2024 at 09:00 am

Nicolas Gaurier

With a wealth of experience spanning over a decade, Nicolas has been instrumental in advising APAC Financial Institutions on enhancing their AML/KYC processes. His true passion lies in deeply understanding the unique challenges faced by his customers and offering cutting-edge solutions to overcome them. Prior to his tenure at Know Your Customer, Nicolas held diverse positions at LexisNexis Risk Solutions for a duration of six years.