Representative office of a foreign entity
A temporary presence of a foreign company that may study the market and test feasibility only. It is not a legal entity and may not earn revenue.
- Entiva fee to form
- $1,919
- Government fees to form
- S$200
- Run plan
- $99 a month
- Steps to form
- 1
- Ongoing filings
- 3
- Ways to close
- 2
Who it suits, and what defines it.
The facts that decide whether it fits.
Who it suits
- Foreign companies that want to test the market before setting up a branch or subsidiary.
Key facts
- Legal status
- Not a legal entity
- Purpose
- Market studies and feasibility only
- Revenue
- May not earn revenue
- Parent turnover
- At least US$250,000; group accounts do not count
- Parent age
- Established for at least 3 years
- Staff
- No more than 4
- Maximum stay
- 3 years in total
- Licensing body
- Enterprise Singapore (trade sectors), via GoBusiness
What the law requires.
10 rules, each in plain words.
Parent turnover of at least US$250,000
Group accounts cannot be used to meet it.
A parent established for at least 3 years
No more than 4 staff
A Corppass account before applying
Corppass is the corporate digital ID for government e-services. Its administrator needs an NRIC (identity card number) or FIN; otherwise a local third-party filer must apply.
A Chief Representative in Singapore
This person should be stationed in Singapore and reachable by Enterprise Singapore.
Certificate of incorporation, audited accounts and a purpose letter
The accounts are the latest audited accounts, and the letter is signed on letterhead and states the purpose.
Licence length depends on the application date
Before 1 Apr 2027 it is 1 year, extendable by 2 years to a maximum of 3; from 1 Apr 2027 it is 3 years upfront.
An annual declaration of compliance from 1 Apr 2027
Another is needed whenever a new Chief Representative joins.
No re-registration after 3 years
To continue in Singapore, the parent must register a branch or a subsidiary with ACRA, the business registry.
Banks, finance and law practices apply elsewhere
Banks, finance, exchanges and insurers go to MAS, the Monetary Authority of Singapore, and foreign law practices go to the Ministry of Law.
How Entiva forms it.
1 step. Entiva prepares and files each one, and collects every signature the law needs.
The steps
1 step- 1Apply for the Representative Office licence
Filed with Enterprise Singapore on GoBusiness Licensing, taking about 14 working days. Fee: S$200 before 1 Apr 2027; from then, S$200 plus S$400 on approval.
Documents
7- Parent's certificate of incorporation
- Parent's latest audited accounts
- Purpose letter on the parent's letterhead
- Parent's authorisation for Entiva to file for it
- Chief Representative's passport and work pass or NRIC
- English translations, where needed
- The Representative Office licence
Who takes part
3- The Chief Representative is stationed in Singapore and needs an NRIC or a work pass
- An authorised signatory of the parent signs the purpose letter and authorisation
- Owners of more than 25% of the parent are checked where Entiva provides filing services
What has to be filed, and when.
Entiva tracks every deadline from the day it is formed, and files before each one.
Every year, and as things happen
3 filings- Extend a licence applied for before 1 Apr 2027
Before it expires, with a new application on GoBusiness
- File the annual declaration of compliance
Once a year, and when a new Chief Representative joins, from 1 Apr 2027
- File employees' income records with IRAS, the tax authority
1 March each year, if there are employees
The changes Entiva handles.
Each change is prepared, approved, signed and filed.
The most common changes
3 changes- Declare a new Chief Representative
- Correct employment income records
- Give employees their IR8A forms on paper
How it closes.
2 routes. The right one depends on whether it can pay its debts, and who starts it.
Early cancellation
The parent closes the office before the licence expires.
- 1
Cancel the licence on GoBusiness
Move to a branch or subsidiary
The parent wants to continue in Singapore beyond 3 years.
- 1
Cancel the licence on GoBusiness
- 2
Reserve a name for the new entity
- 3
Register a branch with ACRA
- 4
Or incorporate a subsidiary
What Entiva does for you.
From the first filing to the last.
Representative office of a foreign entity
- Checks the parent's documents and files the licence application on GoBusiness Licensing.Formation
- Files as the authorised third-party filer, so the parent needs no Corppass administrator with an NRIC or FIN.Formation
- Files a new application to extend the licence before it expires.Ongoing
- Prepares and records the annual declaration of compliance.Ongoing
- Cancels the licence on GoBusiness if the parent closes the office early.Closing
Build it with the API.
Every step on this page is an action in the Entiva API, with its documents, signatures and filing.
What it costs, item by item.
Every Entiva fee and every government fee, from forming it to closing it.
Forming it
$1,919one-off
- Government fees
- S$200
Closing it
Quoted before it starts
- Entiva fee
- Fixed, quoted first
- Government fees
- At cost
Included in the Run plan
- File the annual declaration of compliance
- File employees' income records with IRAS, the tax authority
- Routine changes
- Every deadline tracked
Extra, at a fixed fee
- Extend a licence applied for before 1 Apr 2027
Each extra is quoted before it starts, and nothing is done until you approve it.
Forming it
Entiva's formation fee is $1,919, one-off. Government fees are passed through at cost.
S$200 for applications submitted before 1 Apr 2027. From 1 Apr 2027: S$200 non-refundable processing fee plus S$400 on approval for a 3-year licence.
Excludes steps marked only if needed.
Every year
The Run plan costs $99 a month ($1,188 a year).
Changes
Routine changes are included in the Run plan.
Closing it
Closing is a fixed-fee project, quoted before it starts.
S$15 for every entity type, including VCCs.
S$300 registration, plus the separate S$15 name application.
Entiva fees are in US dollars. Government fees are in the currency each authority charges, passed through at cost when the filing is made. Taxes are separate.
Start with your first company.
We are onboarding a small group of founders and finance teams with entities in more than one country.