The Real Cost of Incorporating Your Company in Singapore in 2026: Beyond ACRA’s S$315 Government Fees
Summary
Mandatory Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) fees are a flat S$315: This number comprises two components: S$15 for name application and S$300 for registration. Professional, secretarial, and compliance costs push your first-year figure higher.
Mezzanine Enterprise’s professional incorporation packages range from S$638 to S$1,688 in Year 1: This range scales from basic incorporation and secretary care up to a fully bundled package with accounting, tax, and a registered address.
Cheap does not mean good: A missed annual return or an overlooked filing deadline on a basic package can cost more in penalties than the price difference to a bundled tier would have.
How much does it cost to incorporate in Singapore? The S$315 government fee is the number quoted most often, but it's rarely anywhere close to what you would actually spend in your first year.
Professional and corporate secretarial fees, along with a registered address and compliance work, add to this baseline. The realistic first-year figure sits well above the government minimum, and how far above depends on what you buy.
In this article, we break down the true cost of incorporating a company in Singapore, which encompasses the optional costs that apply situationally and the hidden costs that take effect after incorporation.
What are ACRA’s Mandatory Government Fees to Incorporate a Company in Singapore?
ACRA charges a fixed total of S$315, which applies to all companies that incorporate in Singapore via the BizFile+ portal. This figure comprises two key components:
S$15 for name application
S$300 for the registration itself
This one-time payment applies regardless of your company's size, industry, or structure. Approved names are reserved for 120 days from approval. If you don’t finalise your incorporation within this window, the name is released back into the public domain for someone else to reserve.
RELATED READ
How to Register Your Company with ACRA in Singapore →
Professional and Corporate Secretarial Fees: The Other Half of the Cost to Incorporate a Company in Singapore
Beyond ACRA’s S$315 fee, you’ll face other costs that are entirely dependent on what you choose to pay for. A basic filing service that simply registers your business and hands you your Unique Entity Number (UEN) will, of course, cost less than a corporate service provider (CSP) who appoints a corporate secretary for your business.
Aside from meeting the requirement of appointing a corporate secretary within six months of incorporation, your CSP also manages your statutory registers and adheres to all filing deadlines.
Mezzanine Enterprise is one such CSP, with our incorporation packages starting at S$638 with two years of corporate secretary care. Under our watch, we help you:
Draft a clear company constitution
Document your post-incorporation process
Appoint a corporate secretary, directors, and auditors
Prepare and file your annual return (excludes S$60 government fee)
Arrange your first board resolution and Annual General Meeting (AGM)
Issue your share certificate
What Other Optional Costs Add to Your Incorporation Fees?
With your core professional fees accounted for, we now move on to examine other optional costs that apply only if your situation calls for them. They are as follows:
Registered office address: You require this if you don't have a suitable physical address in Singapore that is open to the public during business hours. Often bundled into a full-compliance package rather than priced separately.
Nominee director: If neither of your directors is an ordinarily Singaporean resident, you'll need to appoint one to satisfy the mandatory resident-director requirement, priced separately from standard incorporation.
Employment Pass (EP): If you're relocating to Singapore to personally run your business, you’ll need to pay a fee when you submit an application for an EP.
Variable Capital Company (VCC) or specialised structures: These fund vehicles and other non-standard entity types typically carry higher professional fees than a simple Pte Ltd due to the additional regulatory coordination required.
Corporate bank account: Opening a corporate bank account is required if you operate as a Pte Ltd, as you need to clearly separate your personal and business finances from each other.
Annual return filing and eXtensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL) filing: Recurring costs that a one-time incorporation fee doesn't capture; these filings must be accounted for on an annual basis.
Which Cost Tier Fits Your Singapore Incorporation?
With the base and optional costs both on the table, your tier decision boils down to how much of the ongoing work you want to own yourself. The cheapest option isn't always the best choice, especially when you factor in the impact of missing any crucial steps.
A basic package that only covers incorporation and a named corporate secretary leaves you responsible for finding your own accountant and tracking your own filing deadlines. You'll also need to source a registered address separately if you don't already have one. If you’re a founder who is comfortable managing these pieces independently, this is a reasonable trade-off.
But if you’d rather have one point of contact accountable for the whole compliance picture, a bundled tier tends to work out cheaper in practice. It costs less than the sum of separately purchased pieces, and considerably less than the cost of a missed deadline. A single missed annual return or overlooked ACRA notice can trigger penalties that exceed the price difference between a basic and a bundled tier.
RELATED READ
A Primer on Payroll Compliance and CPF Contributions →
Incorporating Your Company with Mezzanine Enterprise: Our Price Tiers at a Glance
Incorporation Only | Incorporation + Corporate Secretary | Incorporation + Corporate Secretary + Accounting & Tax | |
Price (first year) | From S$638 | From S$688 | From S$1,288 |
Incorporation
| ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Corporate Secretary (2 Years)
| ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Bank Account Opening
| — | ✓ | ✓ |
Accounting & Tax
| — | — | ✓ |
[Add-on] Nominee Director
| — | — | — |
Register Your Company with Mezzanine Enterprise Today
At Mezzanine Enterprise, our expert team of corporate specialists works closely with our in-house legal partner, Eastern Mezzanine Law Corporation, to incorporate your business in full compliance with all applicable regulations.
We also add a personal touch to our incorporation process with you, starting a unique WhatsApp group to manage all communications to ensure full alignment before proceeding with each step.
That’s not all. When you incorporate with ME, you unlock exclusive access to the Mezzanine Ecosystem’s full suite of specialist HR, tax, legal, marketing, and IT services that will go a long way in jumpstarting your new company.
Chat with us now to get a quote for your new company.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to incorporate a company in Singapore in 2026?
The Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) charges a flat fee of S$315. Professional corporate secretarial fees add to this base figure, with Mezzanine Enterprise’s charges starting from S$638 for a basic first-year package.
What are ACRA's mandatory incorporation fees?
S$315, split into S$15 for the name application and S$300 for registration.
Are there hidden costs when incorporating in Singapore?
Yes, there are both monetary and non-monetary costs that are not disclosed upfront. Namely, you’d be looking at your corporate bank account’s 2- to 4-week onboarding period, as well as recurring costs such as annual return filing and, where applicable, eXtensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL) filing.
Is S$1 paid-up capital enough, or should I put in more?
Legally, S$1 is enough for a start. Whether it's enough in practice depends on how banks, landlords, or potential investors read your company's credibility, since a very low paid-up capital figure can raise questions during onboarding.
What's included in Mezzanine Enterprise's incorporation packages?
Our tiers range from basic incorporation with a full year of corporate secretary care, up to full compliance covering accounting, tax management, and a registered address with mailroom.
