How to Check Company Registration in Singapore
Before entering into a contract, making a payment, appointing a supplier or working with a Singapore company, it is useful to verify whether the entity actually exists and whether its registration information is current.
Singapore's Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) maintains the official business register. Its Bizfile platform allows users to search registered entities by business name or Unique Entity Number (UEN), and the search can show basic information such as the entity's live status and registered address.
This makes an ACRA search more reliable for verification than relying only on a company's website, invoice, email signature or information provided by a third party.
What Is the Official Way to Check a Singapore Company?
The primary method is to use ACRA's Bizfile entity search.
The search can be performed using:
• The company's registered name
• The company's UEN
• Name-matching filters such as exact match, name starting with or name containing
• Entity-status and entity-type filters where required
ACRA states that its entity search can be used to check basic information about companies, foreign companies, LLPs, LPs, VCCs and other ACRA-registered entities.
If you are conducting due diligence on a company claiming to have completed company incorporation singapore, searching its legal entity name or UEN is an important first verification step.
How to Check Company Registration Through Bizfile
The basic search process is straightforward:
• Open the Bizfile business-information search.
• Select the Entity search option.
• Enter the company's registered name or UEN.
• Apply the appropriate name or entity filters if several results appear.
• Review the matching entity.
• Open the available entity information to examine the company's basic registration details.
ACRA's current guidance confirms that a user does not need to log in simply to use the free Bizfile search functions.
When checking a company supplied by another party, search using the exact legal name whenever possible rather than relying on an abbreviated trading name.
What Information Can You Check for Free?
The free entity search is useful for an initial verification.
Depending on the entity and information available, you can check basic details such as:
• Entity name
• UEN
• Entity type
• Live or non-live status
• Registered address
• Registration-related information
ACRA specifically states that Bizfile's free search can be used to check basic information including an entity's status and registered address.
For someone researching sg business registration, this basic search can establish whether the organisation appears in the official register before proceeding to more detailed checks.
What Does a “Live” Company Status Mean?
The company's status is one of the most important things to examine.
A live status indicates that the entity is currently recorded as active in ACRA's register. A non-live entity may have a different status, such as being terminated or struck off.
ACRA recommends using its free entity search as part of a basic business risk assessment to confirm that a business has a live status and valid registered address.
However, registration status alone does not establish that a company is financially sound, trustworthy or suitable for a particular transaction. It only confirms information held in the official business register.
How Can You Verify the Company's UEN?
The UEN is the Unique Entity Number assigned to Singapore entities.
If a company provides its UEN, you can enter the number into Bizfile's entity search. ACRA's current search guidance allows users to search by UEN, including previous UEN where applicable.
The UEN is particularly useful because different companies can have similar names. If a supplier gives you both its legal name and UEN, checking the two against the same ACRA record can help identify whether the information corresponds to the same entity.
This is useful when you register company in sg or when you are verifying a company that claims to have already been incorporated.
When Should You Buy an ACRA Business Profile?
A free search is useful for basic verification, but it does not provide every piece of corporate information.
For a more detailed review, an ACRA Business Profile can be purchased through Bizfile. A Business Profile can provide more information about the entity than the basic search.
ACRA's current guidance states that a Business Profile can be purchased using the entity name or UEN, with the current listed price being S$5.50.
A detailed profile can be useful when you need to verify corporate information for:
• Supplier due diligence
• Investment discussions
• Commercial agreements
• Corporate onboarding
• Banking or professional-service requirements
• Cross-border transactions
• Verification of a newly established company
The Business Profile is therefore more appropriate when basic registration confirmation is not enough.
Can You Verify a Singapore Certificate of Incorporation?
Yes. ACRA provides a verification mechanism for its information products.
ACRA's trustBar service can be used to verify the authenticity of eligible Business Profiles and certificates confirming incorporation or registration.
This is particularly relevant when someone sends you a copy of a Singapore incorporation certificate and you want to determine whether the document is an authentic ACRA-issued information product.
Simply receiving a PDF or scanned certificate from a third party should not be treated as equivalent to independently verifying the document.
What If You Want to Check Directors or Shareholders?
Basic entity search is not the same as a complete ownership or management investigation.
Where deeper verification is required, ACRA provides additional information products. A Business Profile can contain corporate information, while a People Profile can provide information about a person's businesses, current and past appointments and shareholding interests.
This can be particularly useful when evaluating a company before entering into a significant commercial relationship.
The appropriate ACRA information product depends on whether you need to verify the entity itself, its officers, its shareholders or a person's corporate involvement.
What Should You Check Before Working With a Singapore Company?
If you are conducting a practical company verification, consider checking the following:
• Exact legal company name
• UEN
• Current entity status
• Registered address
• Entity type
• Incorporation or registration information
• Directors or other relevant officers where required
• Shareholding information where relevant
• Authenticity of certificates or Business Profiles supplied to you
• Whether the company's stated activities correspond with the information available
If the company claims to open company in singapore or has recently completed incorporation, the legal entity should be independently checked rather than relying solely on promotional material or correspondence.
How Does This Help Foreign Entrepreneurs?
Foreign founders often encounter Singapore companies while evaluating suppliers, partners, distributors, service providers or potential investments.
For someone planning incorporation singapore, understanding how ACRA verification works is also useful after incorporation. The company's UEN and official registration information become important references when dealing with banks, government agencies, customers and other counterparties.
A foreign entrepreneur considering whether to register a business in singapore can also use the public search system to understand how existing Singapore entities appear in the official register.
What If the Company Cannot Be Found?
If a company cannot be located, check the information again before assuming that the company is unregistered.
Possible reasons include:
• The search uses a trading name rather than the registered legal name.
• The company name has been entered incorrectly.
• The company has changed its registered name.
• The entity belongs to a different registration category or issuing authority.
• The entity is no longer live.
• The supplied UEN is incorrect.
ACRA's search system provides filters that can help narrow results by entity type and status.
If the company still cannot be verified, request its exact registered name and UEN from the counterparty before proceeding.
How YKG Global Can Help
YKG Global supports international entrepreneurs and companies with Singapore corporate requirements, including company setup, registration coordination and related business documentation.
For clients who need assistance after register new company singapore, support can also include understanding the company's registration information, coordinating relevant corporate documents and assisting with broader international business setup requirements.
The objective is to ensure that the company's official registration information is properly understood before it is used for banking, contracting, expansion or other commercial purposes.
Call us or fill out our contact form to schedule a consultation today.
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