Good news first: a foreigner can own 100% of a Singapore company — no local partner required — and you can even incorporate remotely, from overseas, without a visa. Singapore is genuinely one of the easiest places in the world for a foreigner to start a business. There's just one requirement that shapes everything: the resident director rule.
The one rule that shapes your options
Every Singapore company must have at least one director who is "ordinarily resident" in Singapore. That means a:
- Singapore Citizen,
- Permanent Resident (PR), or
- EntrePass or Employment Pass (EP) holder.
You can own the whole company as a foreigner — but you need at least one local resident director on the board. How you satisfy that splits foreign founders into two paths.
Path 1 — Register remotely with a nominee director
If you don't plan to relocate (or just want to get the company running first), you appoint a nominee director: a local resident who fulfils the residency requirement while you keep full control of the company. Their role is administrative only — they don't run your business.
- You'll engage a Registered Corporate Service Provider (CSP) — as of the latest rules, nominee-director and incorporation appointments must go through a registered CSP.
- You'll also need a company secretary and a registered Singapore address (both covered in our company-registration guide).
- Timeline: with a nominee-director service, the full process including KYC checks typically takes 3–5 business days.
This is the fastest route to a live Singapore company from overseas.
Path 2 — Get an EntrePass and be your own resident director
If you want to relocate to Singapore and run the business yourself, the EntrePass is designed for foreign entrepreneurs. If approved, it gives you residency status and lets you serve as your own local resident director — so you may not need a nominee.
- It's aimed at innovative businesses and has specific qualification criteria.
- Notably, it has no fixed salary requirement, but you must meet the innovation criteria.
- MOM's stated processing time is within 6 weeks (some cases take longer).
The EntrePass suits founders building something innovative who want to be based in Singapore; the nominee route suits those who want the entity set up quickly and may run it from abroad.
What you'll need either way
- 100% foreign ownership is fine — but at least one resident director (nominee or EntrePass/EP).
- A company secretary (appointed within 6 months).
- A registered Singapore address (no P.O. boxes).
- Minimum paid-up capital of S$1.
- The same ACRA fees as any company: S$15 name + S$300 registration.
The honest caveat
Rules for foreign founders — especially around EntrePass criteria and CSP requirements — change and depend on your specifics. Always confirm the current requirements with ACRA (BizFile+) and MOM before you commit, and consider a licensed corporate service provider for the nominee-director and filing steps. This is a plain-English starting point, not official or immigration advice.