Anyone registering, verifying, or maintaining a Singapore entity goes through ACRA’s Bizfile portal. ACRA replaced the old BizFile+ system with the new Bizfile portal on 9 December 2024, per ACRA’s launch announcement. Most older guides still describe BizFile+ flows that no longer exist.
This guide covers the current portal: what ACRA is, how to register and search, and what you must file after incorporation.
What Is ACRA?
The Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) is Singapore’s national regulator of business entities, public accountants, and corporate service providers. ACRA is a statutory board under the Ministry of Finance. It registers entities, maintains the public register, regulates financial reporting, and strikes off non-compliant companies.
ACRA operates under the Companies Act 1967, the Business Names Registration Act, and the Limited Liability Partnerships Act. It also leads Singapore’s anti-scam messaging, pointing the public to the ScamShield helpline on 1799.
What Is Bizfile (Formerly BizFile+)?
Bizfile is ACRA’s online filing and information portal. It is the single channel for registrations, statutory filings, updates, closures, and public searches. ACRA launched Bizfile on 9 December 2024 at bizfile.gov.sg, replacing the portal formerly styled BizFile+. ACRA defines Bizfile as its digital service portal for business registration, filing, and information.
Bizfile’s core functions per ACRA’s Bizfile overview are purchasing business information, registering new entities or professionals, managing existing registrations, and filing annual returns or declarations. You transact by logging in with Singpass (residents) or Corppass (entity-level filings). Foreign individuals without Singpass must engage a registered filing agent.
Compliance reminders and links to platforms such as the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) featured on the old BizFile+ system. Treat them as pre-relaunch features until you confirm them on the current portal.
What Is a Unique Entity Number (UEN)?
The Unique Entity Number (UEN) is the single standard ID every Singapore-registered entity uses with all government agencies. ACRA issues a free UEN automatically at registration. The UEN replaced multiple agency-specific numbers when Singapore rolled it out on 1 January 2009, per the Ministry of Finance.
The UEN format varies by entity type.
| Entity type | UEN format | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Businesses (sole proprietorships/partnerships) | 9 characters (nnnnnnnnX) | 53XXXXXXA |
| Local companies | 10 characters (yyyynnnnnX) | 2010XXXXXB |
| Other entities (LLPs, societies) from 2009 | 10 characters (TyyPQnnnnX) | T09LLXXXXC |
Source: Singapore UEN standard (Ministry of Finance / ACRA). The final character in every format is a check letter.
You can pay for a Special UEN (SUN), a memorable number chosen at registration.
| Special UEN tier | Fee | Qualifying pattern |
|---|---|---|
| Tier One | S$3,000 | Consecutive identical numbers, or any combination containing “8” |
| Tier Two | S$1,000 | Repetitive patterns (excluding “8”), or ending in triple identical digits (222, 555, 999) |
Source: ACRA’s Special UEN guide, last updated 11 November 2025. A SUN is available only when you register a new entity, and it is non-refundable and non-exchangeable. To confirm an existing company’s number, use our Singapore UEN verification guide.
How Do I Register a Company on Bizfile Step by Step?
Incorporation runs entirely on Bizfile. You reserve the company name, prepare the requirements, log in with Singpass or Corppass (or engage a corporate service provider), submit with activity codes, pay, and receive your UEN and electronic Certificate of Incorporation. ACRA charges S$15 for the name application and S$300 to register the company.
Follow these six steps:
- Reserve the company name on Bizfile. An approved name is held for 120 days before it is released.
- Prepare the requirements (see the checklist below).
- Log in with Singpass or Corppass, or appoint a corporate service provider (CSP). Foreigners must use a CSP.
- Submit the incorporation application with Singapore Standard Industrial Classification (SSIC) activity codes.
- Pay the fees.
- Receive your UEN and electronic Certificate of Incorporation.
The requirements for a private limited company are:
- At least one director who is a Singapore resident.
- A company secretary appointed within 6 months.
- At least one shareholder.
- A local registered address.
- A company constitution.
- Minimum paid-up capital, which can be S$1.
The core fees are fixed by ACRA.
| Item | Fee | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Company name application | S$15 | ACRA company-related fees |
| Company incorporation | S$300 | ACRA company-related fees |
| Business (sole prop/partnership) registration, 1-year | S$100 | ACRA sole proprietor & partnership fees |
| Business registration, 3-year | S$160 | ACRA sole proprietor & partnership fees |
Certificates are electronic by default. You can purchase a certified copy separately. Check a name’s availability first with our company name checker.
How Do Foreign Companies Register on Bizfile?
A foreign entity either registers a branch or incorporates a local subsidiary, and it cannot self-file. It must appoint a registered filing agent or corporate service provider (CSP). A branch also needs an authorised representative who is resident in Singapore.
| Option | What it is | Key requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Branch (foreign company) | An extension of the parent, not a separate legal entity | Authorised representative resident in Singapore |
| Subsidiary (local company) | A separate Singapore-incorporated private limited company | Local resident director plus CSP filing |
For the full setup path, see our guides on how to incorporate in Singapore and business expansion in Singapore. To weigh an entity against hiring through an employer of record, use our entity vs EOR calculator.
How Do I Search a Company in Singapore on Bizfile?
Bizfile offers four public search functions: entity, industry, people, and reserved names, per ACRA’s search-functions guide updated 27 October 2025. Entity search by name or UEN is the main path for verifying a company, and basic details are free.
| Search function | What it returns | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Entity search | Find and buy Business Profiles, check registration status and address, verify CSP registration | ACRA guide, 27 Oct 2025 |
| Industry search | Businesses by SSIC code (e.g. 56112 for cafes) | ACRA guide, 27 Oct 2025 |
| People search | People Profiles, public accountant and qualified individual status | ACRA guide, 27 Oct 2025 |
| Reserved name search | Reserved business names, held for 120 days | ACRA guide, 27 Oct 2025 |
Entity search offers three keyword match types by name: “name containing,” “name starting with,” and “name exact match.” You can also search by UEN, including a previous UEN. If an entity is a registered CSP, its registration details appear on the profile.
Verification matters. Scam and cybercrime cases in Singapore rose 10.8% to 55,810 in the prior year, per Singapore Police Force figures. A Bizfile search is the fastest legitimacy check before you pay or partner. For cross-border checks, our global tax ID verification tool validates IDs across countries.
How Do I Check and Buy an ACRA Business Profile?
Basic registration details are free on Bizfile. The full Business Profile extract, showing registration status, registered address, directors, shareholders, and business activities, is a paid download. It is widely cited at about S$5.50, so confirm the current fee at checkout on Bizfile.
To buy one, run an entity search, select the company, add the Business Profile to your cart, pay, and download the PDF.
Bizfile also sells other official documents, including certificates of good standing, certified extracts, and historical documents.
Do You Renew a Bizfile Registration? Business Renewal vs Annual Returns
Only sole proprietorships and partnerships renew their business name registration. ACRA charges S$30 for a one-year renewal and S$90 for three years, per its renewal fee page. Companies never renew; they file annual returns instead.
You can renew a business registration up to 60 days before expiry, and within 30 days after expiry before deregistration risk. This corrects a common error: the S$30 and S$90 fees never applied to companies, which follow the annual return regime below.
What Are a Company’s Ongoing Statutory Filing Obligations?
After incorporation, a company must file annual returns, lodge financial statements where required, and report changes of address, directors, and name to ACRA through Bizfile under the Companies Act. Non-listed companies file annual returns within 7 months after their financial year end (FYE); listed companies file within 5 months.
| Filing item | Requirement / fee | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Annual return deadline (non-listed) | Within 7 months after FYE | ACRA annual returns, updated 31 Jan 2026 |
| Annual return deadline (listed) | Within 5 months after FYE | ACRA annual returns, updated 31 Jan 2026 |
| Annual return filing fee | S$60 per filing | ACRA service & transaction fees, updated 29 Jan 2026 |
| Extension of time (EOT) application | S$200 for a 60-day extension | ACRA service & transaction fees |
| Late filing penalty | S$300 (≤3 months late) / S$600 (>3 months late) | ACRA penalties page |
Every company must appoint a qualified company secretary within 6 months, and register for Goods and Services Tax (GST) if turnover crosses the threshold, as covered in our Singapore GST filing guide. Corporate secretarial support is the practical way companies stay on top of these deadlines. Track them with our compliance calendar.
What Happens If a Company Is Struck Off the ACRA Register?
ACRA can strike off a company that is not carrying on business or fails to meet statutory obligations, ending the entity’s legal existence. Directors’ compliance records are affected, and reinstatement requires a court order and is costly.
Companies can also apply voluntarily to be struck off through Bizfile when closing down. Voluntary striking off is a planned exit for dormant or non-operational entities that meet ACRA’s criteria. Involuntary striking off is an enforcement action for compliance failure.
How Commenda Helps With Singapore Incorporation and Compliance
Commenda incorporates your Singapore entity, provides the resident director and company secretary, and handles every ACRA statutory filing on time. Our Singapore incorporation service takes you from name reservation to your UEN and electronic Certificate of Incorporation, and our Singapore country page shows the full compliance stack we manage after that. To verify an existing entity, start with our UEN verification guide.
Book a demo to get a clear incorporation and compliance roadmap for your Singapore entity.
