Opening a company in Singapore: locals, foreigners, freelancers and digital nomads

At a glance: Pte. Ltd. with SGD 1 capital, ACRA Bizfile online in one to three days for SGD 315, one director ordinarily resident in Singapore, 17 percent corporate tax with start-up and partial exemptions, 9 percent GST from SGD 1 million turnover, no digital nomad visa. Legal forms. Sole proprietorship: no capital, ACRA registration SGD 115 a year, unlimited liability, a resident owner or authorised representative required. Private company limited by shares (Pte. Ltd.): paid-up capital from SGD 1, up to 50 shareholders, one director ordinarily resident in Singapore, a company secretary within six months and a registered office; an exempt private company (20 or fewer individual shareholders) files lighter accounts. LLP for professional firms, VCC for funds. Registration. ACRA's Bizfile portal: name application SGD 15 and incorporation SGD 300, usually approved within hours unless referred to another agency; no notary. Founders without Singpass must use a registered filing agent: packages SGD 500 to 1,500, nominee resident director SGD 1,500 to 3,000 a year plus a deposit, secretary 300 to 800, address 200 to 500. Total first year excluding capital roughly SGD 1,000 to 3,000 (about 700 to 2,000 euros) for a local, 3,000 to 6,000 with nominee services. Taxes 2026. Corporate income tax 17 percent; start-up exemption for the first three years of assessment (75 percent of the first SGD 100,000 and 50 percent of the next 100,000 exempt), then the partial exemption (75 percent of the first 10,000, 50 percent of the next 190,000); 50 percent rebate capped at SGD 40,000 for YA 2026. One-tier system: no tax or withholding on dividends, no capital gains tax. GST 9 percent, registration compulsory above SGD 1 million (about 680,000 euros) taxable turnover in twelve months. Personal tax 0 to 24 percent, the top rate above SGD 1 million; non-residents 24 percent flat, on employment income 15 percent or resident rates if higher. Freelancers and the self-employed. Register a sole proprietorship on Bizfile (SGD 115 a year) or trade under your own full name without registration; personal rates on actual profit, no flat regime. Self-employed persons with net trade income above SGD 6,000 pay MediSave, about 8 to 10.5 percent by age up to an annual cap; CPF retirement savings are voluntary. GST only above SGD 1 million. Foreigners. 100 percent foreign ownership outside domestic media, legal practice and licensed finance; one director must be ordinarily resident (citizen, permanent resident, Employment Pass or EntrePass holder), shareholders may be abroad. Founder routes: the EntrePass for entrepreneurs backed by at least SGD 100,000 from a recognised investor, an incubator or protected IP (at least 30 percent held, one year then renewals, SGD 105 application and 225 issuance), or an Employment Pass from the founder's own company at the SGD 5,600 a month floor (6,200 in finance, about 3,800 to 4,200 euros) plus the COMPASS points test. Incorporation works from abroad through a filing agent, but DBS, OCBC and UOB verify non-resident directors in person; Aspire, Airwallex and Wise are the usual workaround. Branch of a foreign company. Registered on Bizfile (SGD 315) with the parent's certified constitution and certificate of incorporation and at least one authorised representative ordinarily resident in Singapore; the parent's audited accounts are filed yearly. Taxed as a non-resident at 17 percent on Singapore-sourced income without the start-up exemption and usually without treaty benefits; no branch remittance tax. A Pte. Ltd. subsidiary is the standard choice; a representative office (Enterprise Singapore) suits market research. Digital nomads. No digital nomad visa. Visitors get 30 or 90 days visa-free by nationality and may not work for Singapore clients; remote work for a foreign employer during a short visit is tolerated rather than authorised. Longer routes are an Employment Pass or EntrePass through a Singapore company, the Tech.Pass or the ONE Pass for earners above SGD 30,000 a month. Pay for work physically performed in Singapore is taxable unless the stay is 60 days or less. Changed recently. GST 9 percent (January 2024); top personal rate 24 percent (YA 2024); new Bizfile portal (December 2024); Employment Pass floor SGD 5,600 (January 2025), 6,000 from January 2027; domestic top-up tax for large multinationals (2025); Corporate Service Providers Act, nominee directors only via licensed providers (June 2025); 50 percent corporate tax rebate capped at SGD 40,000 (April 2026). Figures checked October 2026 from ACRA, IRAS, the Ministry of Manpower, PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries and Singapore corporate service providers; thresholds and fees change yearly. Confirm with a licensed adviser in Singapore before you file.