Is Physical Space Necessary for Your Singapore Company Registered Office Address?

There is a range of statutory protections that prospective business owners would have to comply with in order to establish a company in Singapore.

One of the statutory requirements mandated under Section 142(1) of the Companies Act, Cap. 50 for setting up a company in Singapore is that it should have a registered office address in Singapore. This address will also have to be entered in the electronic application form submitted to the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority ('ACRA').

As part of the registration process, a company cannot be incorporated without first providing a registered office address in Singapore, although it can opt to use a registered office address service.

When Your Business Have Special Licencing Requirements

All the companies in Singapore are not subject to licencing. There are certain sectors in which obtaining a licence is a mandatory requirement for registering a Singapore company. In some of these licences, you may find a condition where you have to have a physical office address. For example, the Travel Agency License requires a company to have a proper office at a commercial location with proper signage. So, if you are obtaining a business licence where the licencing requirements may need you to have a physical space, then the virtual office address provided by a corporate service provider like Epica will not suffice. And you'll have to get a physical space on the ground.