If a foreign company wishes to establish its presence in Singapore then it has two options. It can either register a subsidiary company or register a branch. In either of the cases, a foreign company cannot self-register and must hire a registration service provider.
The complete registration process for the branch office registration can be divided into several steps.
- Branch Name – You are required to submit an application for the name approval of your branch. The branch name must not be different than the name of its foreign parent company.
- Authorized Representative – You are required to appoint an authorized representative for your branch. This representative must be a Singapore Citizen (SC), Singapore Permanent Resident (SPR) or an Employment Pass holder. If you are willing to relocate one of your current employees to Singapore, you have to apply for an Employment Pass for them.
- Registered Office – You must have a registered office address for your Singapore branch office.
Specific documents are required to register a foreign company branch office with ACRA.
- Copy of incorporation certificate of the foreign company certified by the director or secretary of the company
- Certified copy of foreign company’s constitution
- Memorandum of appointment and particulars of at least 1 local authorized representative for the Singapore branch office
- Memorandum that explains the powers of the local authorized representative
- Particulars of foreign company directors
- Registered branch office address details (in Singapore)
- Financial statements of the foreign company (latest and audited)
The process to register the branch office of a foreign company with ACRA is very simple and does not take long. The entire process is done online using an online platform BizFile+. It is better to hire an incorporation service provider as they stay updated with all the rules and regulations of ACRA.
Our company can help you register branch office of your company with ACRA in 1-2 days if all the documents are provided.