Southeast Asiaphase 1

Singapore: what can be established about a company

Singapore keeps a single, well-maintained company register (ACRA) with a free status check and a paid Business Profile (S$5.50 per entity on the Bizfile portal relaunched in December 2024) that lists officers, shareholders and paid-up capital. Financial statements are filed with ACRA by most non-exempt companies and can be bought per document, but small exempt private companies file no accounts. Beneficial owners are recorded in a central register that is not open to the public; since 16 June 2025 the Business Profile does flag nominee directors and nominee shareholders, though not who appointed them.

Identifiers

Identifier	Format	Note
UEN	e.g. 201912345A (9 or 10 characters)	Unique Entity Number issued by ACRA; used across government, including IRAS, MOM and GeBIZ
SGX stock code	e.g. D05	Trading symbol for listed issuers; map to UEN via the issuer's SGX profile
LEI	20-character ISO 17442	Held by many financial and listed entities; mapped to UEN in the GLEIF registry

Sources

Each with what it discloses, how it is accessed, and our coverage level.

Registry

ACRA Bizfile (company register)Free search of entity name, UEN, status and registered address. The paid Business Profile adds incorporation date, officers, shareholders, share capital and nominee flags.Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) · Business Profile S$5.50 per entity (check the authority). The portal was replaced in December 2024; older ACRA iShop links no longer resolve.

paid per document
full

Securities filings

ACRA financial statements and annual returnsFiled annual returns and, where the company is required to file them, XBRL financial statements purchasable per document.Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) · Exempt private companies that are solvent are not required to file financial statements, so no accounts exist for many small companies. Filing deadlines mean accounts can be up to 7 months after year end.

paid per document
partial

Beneficial ownership

Register of Registrable Controllers (RORC)Companies and LLPs must keep a register of controllers and file it with ACRA's central register. The central register is available to public agencies only, not to the public.Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) · OpenDossier records that the register exists and infers control only from public shareholder data. From 16 June 2025 nominee status of directors and shareholders appears in the Business Profile; nominator identities remain confidential.

restricted
partial

Securities filings

SGX company announcementsContinuous disclosure by listed issuers: results, substantial shareholder notices, director changes, circulars and annual reports.Singapore Exchange (SGX) · Listed issuers only. Announcements are indexed by issuer name, which can differ from the registered entity name.

open web
full

Regulators

MAS Enforcement ActionsPublished enforcement outcomes against financial institutions and individuals: composition penalties, prohibition orders, reprimands and licence revocations.Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) · Covers MAS-regulated entities only. Investigations that end without public action are not listed.

open web
full

Courts

Singapore Courts judgments (eLitigation)Free written judgments of the Supreme Court and selected State Courts decisions. Case files and cause lists are not public.Singapore Judiciary · Only reported written judgments appear; most civil claims settle or end without a published judgment. Fuller coverage and headnotes sit behind the paid LawNet service.

open web
partial

Sanctions

MAS targeted financial sanctionsSingapore's implementation of UN Security Council designations and MAS (Sanctions and Freezing of Assets of Persons) regulations.Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) · Singapore has few autonomous designations; OpenDossier also screens the UN consolidated list and major third-country lists (OFAC, EU, UK).

open web
full

Insolvency

Insolvency Office (Ministry of Law) insolvency searchSearch of bankruptcy and corporate insolvency records (winding up, judicial management, schemes) and notices of winding up for the Official Receiver's cases.Ministry of Law, Insolvency Office · A fee applies per search (check the authority). Voluntary liquidations are also reflected as a status change in the ACRA register.

paid per document
partial

Insolvency

Government Gazette (eGazette)Statutory notices including winding-up petitions and orders, striking-off, receiverships and name changes.Government of Singapore · Notices are text documents; entity matching is by name and UEN where printed. Historical issues are indexed less completely.

open web
partial

IP offices

IPOS Digital HubSearch of Singapore trade marks, patents and registered designs with applicant and owner names.Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) · Owner names are free text and are not keyed to UEN. International marks designating Singapore also appear in the WIPO Global Brand Database.

open web
partial

Procurement

GeBIZGovernment tender notices and award records, and the list of suppliers debarred from public procurement.Ministry of Finance, Government Procurement · Award records name the supplier but historical data is limited and not downloadable in bulk without an account.

open web
planned

Caveats

Many Singapore companies share a trading name with unrelated entities; always resolve to the UEN before attaching any record.
Exempt private companies file no financial statements, so the absence of accounts says nothing about solvency.
The controllers register is confidential; shareholder lists in the Business Profile show registered holders, who may be nominees. Nominee status is flagged from 16 June 2025, the nominator is not.
ACRA data reflects filings, which may lag the underlying change by weeks; officer changes must be filed within 14 days.
Court records beyond published judgments, including pending claims, are not public.

Questions

Can I see who owns a Singapore private company?

The Business Profile lists registered shareholders and their holdings. The register of controllers that records beneficial owners is held by ACRA and not open to the public, so a nominee shareholder may conceal the ultimate owner. Since 16 June 2025 the profile shows whether a shareholder is a nominee.

Are financial statements of Singapore companies public?

Companies that are required to file them lodge financial statements with ACRA, and they can be bought per document. Solvent exempt private companies are not required to file accounts, so none exist for many small companies.

Is the ACRA company search free?

Basic information (name, UEN, status, registered address) is free on Bizfile. The Business Profile and filed documents are paid per item; check the authority for current fees.

How do I check whether a Singapore company is being wound up?

The ACRA status field shows liquidation and striking-off states. Winding-up petitions and orders are published in the Government Gazette, and the Ministry of Law Insolvency Office offers a paid insolvency search.

Sources

Reviewed 26 October 2026. Rules and fees change; confirm with the authority before relying on them.

A brief on a company in Singapore

Coverage stated by section; official document fees at cost.

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