Direct answer
ACRA explains who needs to register a business and sets out additional rules for foreigners, including local-residency requirements and the use of a corporate service provider in certain cases.
What the official guidance says
For overseas founders, start with ACRA’s eligibility and foreigner rules, then separate business-registration requirements from immigration or work-pass requirements.
Foreign Founder Setup Workflow in Singapore
Source: Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) guidance, via our in-depth guides:
Directors, Owners & Governance checklist for Singapore
- Check whether the activity requires registration.
- Identify the applicant role and Singpass status.
- For foreign founders, verify the CSP and local-resident requirements.
- Check current work-pass guidance separately if relocation is involved.
- Confirm whether a CSP is mandatory.
- Check the local-resident requirement.
- Complete the company-registration steps through the permitted channel.
- Verify any immigration route separately with the relevant authority.
Practical focus
Map directors, members, shareholders or other governance roles against the exact requirements published by the relevant authority.
Frequently asked questions
Which authority controls directors, owners & governance in Singapore?
Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) is the primary authority for the guidance on this page. Other authorities can be involved depending on your activity; re-check the official source before acting.