What do I do to register my Branch Office with the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA)?

Setting up a branch in Singapore is completed in two steps with ACRA.

• Name approval
• Entity registration

Name Approval

You must make sure that the name is identical to the parent company. Also, check if your name is identical to other businesses. For branch registration, your company name must be identical to the parent company’s name but does not resemble any other company’s name.

Entity Registration

First of all, you must register yourself with the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA). The Singapore branch is only considered an extension of the parent firm and not a separate legal entity.

This again comes with a few requirements:

• 100% shares of the branch must be owned by the parent company.
• A Singapore branch office needs to have at least one agent who is a resident of Singapore. A Singapore resident can be a citizen, PR, or even an Employment Pass or Dependant Pass holder.
• Unlike a new company registration, a branch office is not required to appoint a company secretary. However, it s is advisable to go for it.
• You must have a registered office address. Your PO Box number won't be considered a registered address.
• Memorandum and Articles of Association of the parent company are required to be lodged with the ACRA.

Upon registering with the company registrar in Singapore, a Singapore branch office will become a proper legal entity. Foreign companies cannot self-register in Singapore as per the guidelines of the Companies Act.

Branch office registration is valid for only a year. It must be renewed every year.