Singapore Company Formation for Foreign Entrepreneurs
Singapore Company Incorporation & Entrepreneur Pass Package
This package is suitable for foreign entrepreneurs who wish to setup a business in Singapore and relocate to Singapore on an Entrepreneur Pass (EntrePass). Under this package, we will first apply for your EntrePass and upon approval, incorporate your company.
Please ensure that you are able to meet the EntrePass requirements before you proceed with this package. Full eligibility criteria is available on Hawksford's GuideMeSingapore.com.
- Package Details
- Process
- Documents
- FAQs
This package includes the following services:
EntrePass application filing
- Preparation of business plan prescribed by authorities
- Advising you on completing the application form and supporting documents
- Acting as the sponsor for your EntrePass application
- Submitting the EntrePass application to authorities
- Tracking the application status with authorities up to the outcome stage
Company incorporation
- Name reservation
- Preparation of incorporation documents
- Registration with the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA)
- Bank account opening assistance
- Electronic Certificate of Incorporation
- Company profile extract from the ACRA
- Minutes of first board meeting
- Share certificates
- Company seal
- Company rubber stamp
- Government and our professional fee
Company secretarial services for 1 year
- Appointing a senior Hawksford Singapore team member as the professional company secretary
- Providing assistance with understanding and compliance with Singapore Companies Act including reminders of the various statutory compliance deadlines
- Safekeeping, updating, and maintaining registers, minutes book, and other statutory records of the company
- Consultation during the year on routine corporate secretarial matters
- Maintenance of the register of controllers
Company registered address (RA) for 1 year
- Listing our address as your company’s registered address with ACRA
- Receiving official notices
- Receiving and forwarding incoming mail for your company
The process and the steps for this package are as follows:
Step 1: Submit your request
Let us know that you wish to proceed forward with this package by clicking the “Set Up Now” button above and completing the online form. Upon receipt of your request, one of our client services consultants will follow-up with you to clarify any questions you might have and to advice you of the next steps.
Step 2: Provide company incorporation and business idea details
We will send you the relevant forms for you to furnish the required details. Supporting documents will be required to facilitate the due diligence work and preparation of the incorporation documents accordingly.
Step 3: Make payment
Upon receipt of the completed registration details form and due diligence clearance, we will send you an invoice for our services. In order for us to commence our services, you will need to make payment as per the invoice sent to you. We accept bank transfer, local cheque, or credit card.
Step 4: Prepare and File EntrePass Application
Upon receipt of the payment, we will proceed to drafting the business plan and work with you on preparing the EntrePass application and supporting documents. Once ready, we will then file the EntrePass application along with the business plan and supporting documents.
Step 5: Prepare company incorporation documents
Upon receipt of the payment, we will prepare the necessary registration documents and email them to you for signing. If you are in Singapore, you can visit our office and sign the documents.
Step 6: Incorporate company
Upon receipt of the signed incorporation and supporting documents from you, we will proceed to branch office registration with the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority of Singapore (ACRA).
Step 7: Open Bank Account and inject capital
Once the company has been registered with ACRA, if you have availed to our bank account opening service, we will assist you with opening of a corporate bank account for the newly incorporated company. You will then need to inject the proposed capital (as per the business plan) and notify us. Please note that the bank will conduct their own due diligence and may require to meet with the Executive Directors of the company.
Step 8: Notify EntrePass Authorities
After the proposed capital has been injected into the company, we will notify EntrePass authorities of the same and wait for their final approval letter.
Step 9: Arrange for Employment Pass collection
Upon receipt of the final approval letter, you will be required to visit Singapore to collect your EntrePass. We will assist you in scheduling an appointment with authorities for the issuance of the pass.
Step 10: You are done. Congratulations!
After you have collected your Employment Pass, you are ready to relocate to Singapore and start work for the branch office.
Scroll to topDocuments required for this package:
Documents required for Company Incorporation
For each Singapore individual resident shareholder and director:
- Copy of Singapore IC; or
- Copy of passport if the individual is not a citizen of Singapore
For each non-resident individual shareholder and director:
- Copy of passport; and
- Copy of residential address proof such as a recent utility bill, residential phone bill, tax bill, or cable TV bill
Documents required for EntrePass application filing
- Completed EP application
- Copy of passport
- 1 passport size recent photo
- Copies of educational certificates (above high school)
- Copy of resume
- Copies of past employment testimonials, appointment letters, etc, if available
- Tenancy agreement for business operations address in Singapore
- 1-2 page document that outlines a) detailed description of the duties to be performed by the applicant; and b) detailed description of activities and/or products of the company
- If you have a similar existing business overseas, it would be helpful to provide details such as audited accounts, brochures, client contracts, website details, etc.
Documents required for Dependant Pass for Spouse
- Completed DP application
- Copy of passport
- 1 passport size recent photo
- Copy of marriage certificate
- Educational details
- Salary details for the most recent employment held, if any
Documents required for Dependant Pass for Child
- Completed DP application
- Copy of passport
- 1 passport size recent photo
- Copy of birth certificate showing the names of both parents
- School enrollment details in an educational institute in Singapore
Please note the following:
- All documents must be in English or officially translated in English
- All copies of documents must be certified true copies by a notary public or you must bring the originals to our office for sighting
- If you are overseas, you can email us the scanned copies of documents so we can proceed with preparing the necessary incorporation documents. However we must receive the original certified true copies (or sight the originals at our office) before we can incorporate the company
- Our compliance department may ask for additional information if necessary
Package specific questions and answers:
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- If you want to apply for a work visa before incorporating your company, you can only apply for the Entrepreneur Pass (EntrePass).
- If you have a company and it is less than 6 months old, the authorities would usually recommend that you apply for EntrePass (not Employment Pass). Nevertheless, it is still possible to apply for an Employment Pass, and this is subject to the authorities.
- If your company is more than 6 months old, you can only apply for Employment Pass. In this situation, the authorities will look into how active your company has been since incorporation and may ask for the company accounts, contracts, etc.
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Key factors include:
- The quality of your business idea. Is it entrepreneurial in nature? Will it generate local employment? Does it have the potential to grow big?
- The "innovativeness" of your business idea. Do you have substantial funding from a venture capitalist or accredited angel investor? Are you undergoing any research collaboration with a recognized institution? Are you part of any incubation scheme in Singapore?
- Your personal credentials. Do you have qualifications to pursue the proposed business idea? Is your previous experience relevant to the proposed business idea?
- Proposed investment. How much money are you planning to invest into the business? Is it your personal money or borrowed money? Note that the minimum required amount is SGD50,000.
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Yes, as part of our EntrePass application filing service, we will draft a business plan for you. However, you will need to provide us the details of your proposed business venture, including evidence that you fulfill one of the innovativeness criteria.
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A rough timeline is as follows:
- It takes about two weeks to draft the business plan and prepare the Entrepass application for filing.
- Once filed, it takes authorities approximately six-eight weeks to review the application and notify of the outcome.
- The authority will issue you an Approval In-Principle (AIP) letter, after which you have one month to incorporate the company and inject the capital. Depending upon whether you are located in Singapore or overseas during this time, this process may take anywhere from a couple of days to a couple of weeks. The AIP deadline may be extended, subject to the authorities.
- Once the authorities have been notified of the company incorporation and capital, they will take approximately two weeks to send the final approval letter (In-Principal Approval), after which you have six months to visit Singapore and collect your EntrePass.
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You can apply for family’s Dependant’s Pass (DP) at the time of applying for your work pass or after its approval. The following guidelines apply:
- If you apply for Dependant's Passes for your family members together with your own work pass, they will be processed simultaneously. This approach is faster, but please be mindful that if your work pass is not successful for any reason, you would have incurred the unnecessary expenses in applying for the Dependant’s Passes.
- The alternative approach is to apply for the Dependant’s Passes after your work pass application is successful. This will mean that your family members will have to wait few more weeks before they can collect their Dependant’s Passes.
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No, you are not required to visit Singapore to apply for EntrePass. We can work with you via emails and document couriering in order to get the necessary work done. However, once your EntrePass is approved, you will need to visit Singapore to collect your EntrePass. You are also expected to relocate to Singapore after the Entrepass has been issued to you.
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Each Singapore company must appoint a qualified company secretary who is knowledgeable and experienced with Singapore company laws. A company secretary typically assist the members and officers of the company with the following matters:
- Assisting members with understanding and compliance with Singapore Companies Act
- Reminding members of various statutory deadlines and assisting them with statutory compliance
- Maintaining the statutory registers
- Ensuring that the company files statutory information accurately and on time
- Providing members and directors with notice of meetings
- Preparing and filing necessary corporate resolutions as and when necessary
- Ensuring that people entitled to do so can inspect company records
- Custody and use of the company seal
We act as the company secretary for all companies that we incorporate. Our annual company secretary retainer fee is for routine corporate secretarial services that include:
- Appointing a senior Hawksford Singapore team member as the professional company secretary for your company
- Reminding you of the various statutory compliance dates
- Safekeeping, updating, and maintaining registers, minutes book, and other statutory records of the company
- Free consultation during the year on routine corporate secretarial matters
- Charging of discounted fees for non-routine services
Please note that non-routine service requests are charged on a per request basis.
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We offer a comprehensive range of services with the objective of being a one-stop service provider for all your company needs. For almost all of our clients, we handle annual statutory compliance requirements for their companies that consist of:
- Preparation and filing of Annual Return with the ACRA; and
- Preparation and filing of Annual Tax Return with Inland Revenue Authority.
In a nutshell, our core services consist of:
- Incorporation of local companies, subsidiaries of foreign corporations and registration of branches of overseas companies
- On-going statutory administration of companies
- Accounting, payroll, and tax filing for companies
- Application for business licenses
- Application for work passes for expatriates
- Other related corporate services
We also have a deep network of professional and dependable partner firms that augment our own in-house services such as trademark registration service, office lease services, specialized business licenses, legal services, etc..
Important information about this package:
- You are not required to incorporate the company until your EntrePass is approved.
- Upon your 'in-principal-approval' notification of the EntrePass/Dependent Pass, the disbursements for issuance of each pass will apply, as well as visa stamping fee and change of local director, where applicable.
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