Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Singapore: A Full Guide [2025]

If you run a company or hold shares in one, you might have heard of the term “Annual General Meeting (AGM)”. But do you know what it is and why they’re important for companies? 

An AGM is considered one of the most important touchpoints between a company and its shareholders. It gives shareholders the opportunity to question management, review the company’s financial health, and vote on key matters that shape the future of the business.

In this article, we’ll cover: 

✔️ What an AGM is and why it matters

✔️ Who must hold one and key exemptions for private companies

✔️ Step-by-step guidance on holding, filing, or dispensing with an AGM

✔️ How to postpone an AGM (in case you need to)

An AGM is a mandatory annual meeting where a company’s shareholders and directors assess the company’s performance, examine its corporate governance, and make important decisions.

During the meeting, the company’ executives will present its financial statements to its shareholders, who can then ask questions about the company’s performance and overall health. 

It is an important platform for addressing shareholders’ concerns and keeping them informed.

Topics that may be discussed at an AGM include, but are not limited to:

In Singapore, all companies are required to hold an AGM, unless they qualify for an exemption.

Key exemptions 

Private companies can be exempted from holding AGMs if they send their financial statements to members within five months after the financial year ends. However, if any member or the auditor requests an AGM and notifies the company no later than 14 days before the end of the sixth month following the financial year-end, the directors are still required to hold an AGM.

Private dormant companies are not required to hold an AGM if they meet all of the following conditions:

• They are dormant.
• They are not listed and are not a subsidiary of a listed company.
• They have total assets of SGD 500,000 or less (consolidated if the company is the ultimate parent).
• They are exempt from preparing financial statements.

The safeguard still applies: if a member requests a company’s AGM, it must be held.

In Singapore, companies are required to hold their AGM within a specified timeframe after their Financial Year-End (FYE). These timelines differ depending on whether the company is a public company listed on the stock exchange or privately held. Below are the key deadlines:

Holding an AGM in Singapore requires following specific rules to ensure the meeting and its decisions are valid. Missing steps or deadlines can render the meeting invalid. The process involves the following steps:

1. Check statutory requirements – Review your company’s constitution to understand the rules for conducting meetings.

2. Confirm quorum – Make sure enough shareholders or proxies will attend

3. Set the agenda – Prepare a clear list of matters for discussion and voting

4. Notify shareholders – Send the meeting notice to shareholders, together with the agenda, date, time and location

5. Prepare key documents – Compile financial statements and auditor reports

6. Hold the meeting – Follow the agenda, manage discussions, and conduct votes properly.

7. Record minutes – Keep detailed minutes of the meeting and ensure they are signed.

8. File required reports with ACRA – Submit the Annual Return and any other approved updates to ACRA on time.

What Make an AGM Invalid

Next, let’s go through each step in detail.

Start by reviewing the Companies Act and your company’s constitution. 

Your company constitution should have all the key details, such as the required notice period for the meeting, the minimum number of attendees needed for decisions to be valid (Quorum), and the procedures for voting.

The company’s articles of association may also specify the chairman who will preside over the meeting. Typically, the chairman is a director elected by the other directors to be responsible for guiding the meeting according to the agenda. If no regular chairman is available, one can be elected at the meeting.

A quorum is the minimum number of participants needed for the annual general meeting to be valid. Participants can include shareholders attending in person or represented by a proxy, which is someone authorised by a shareholder to attend and vote on their behalf.

Typically, a quorum consists of two or more shareholders. In some cases, particularly in very small companies, a single shareholder may be allowed to constitute a quorum. The minimum number of shareholders required should be set out in the company constitution.

If the required number of participants is not met, the meeting cannot proceed officially, and any decisions made would not be legally binding. Make sure that enough shareholders or proxies will be present before the meeting begins.

Prepare a clear agenda that outlines the matters to be discussed. A typical agenda might include:

• Opening remarks
• Review of previous meeting minutes
• Presentation of reports or financial statements
• Discussion of special resolutions, such as appointing or reappointing key personnels, declaring dividends, etc.
• Q&A and voting session
• Closing remarks

For major resolutions, such as removing a director or auditor, any shareholder who wants to propose such a resolution must submit a special notice to the company at least 28 days before the AGM. The company must then include the item in the agenda.

Send the notice of meeting to shareholders, executives, board members and other stakeholders according to the notice period specified in your company constitution. Under the Companies Act, the default requirement is at least 14 days in advance. The notice should include the date, time, location (or virtual link), and agenda of the meeting.  

If the notice is not given within the required timeframe, the AGM held is considered invalid.

Before the AGM, gather all key documents, including 

• Company Constitution
• Memorandum and Articles of Association (M&AA)
• Annual Financial Statements – Balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow statement
• Annual Statement of Accounts and Treasurer’s Report
• Operational Reports – Summaries of the group’s activities and performance
• Auditor’s Report
• Director’s Report
• Minutes of the Previous Year’s AGM, if applicable
• Sign-in Sheet prepared for all attendees

Hold the meeting with the chairman ensuring the agenda is followed and shareholders have the opportunity to participate in discussions. Any items requiring a vote must be put to a vote, and the results should be accurately recorded.

The meeting can be held in person or online. Online meetings are permitted if the platform can verify participants’ identities, support real-time voting and communication, protect data, and comply with the company’s constitution. 

Take detailed minutes of the meeting. The minutes should be signed by the chairman of the meeting and, if required, by the company secretary. The minutes should be kept in the company’s records at the registered office of the company for future reference and legal compliance.

Information approved at the AGM, like updated directors or changes in shareholding, is used to complete the Annual Return. Companies must file the Annual Return with ACRA according to the following timelines.

If your company is required to hold an AGM but cannot do so by the scheduled date, you may request an Extension of Time (EOT) of up to 60 days from ACRA. The application must be submitted before the AGM due date, as you cannot submit an EOT or further EOT application on Bizfile after the due date.

1. Visit Bizfile’s Application for extension of time.
2. Provide reasons for the extension and attach relevant supporting documents such as letters from directors detailing the need for additional time, correspondence from the auditor outlining the cause of the delay, and an indicative timeline for completing the audit. Acceptable reasons include, for example, allowing the accountant sufficient time to finalise the audit or a change of auditor that occurred between the financial year-end and the annual return due date.
3. Pay the non-refundable SGD 200 application fee. A confirmation email will be sent to the applicant.

ACRA typically requires at least 14 working days to process an EOT application. Processing may take longer during peak periods or if further clarification is needed. It is advisable to plan your submission carefully to allow sufficient time.

If the AGM still cannot be held by the first extended date, you may request a further EOT. However, ACRA will only approve additional extensions if strong supporting reasons are provided.

Yes. It is possible to hold virtual or online AGMs. Companies hosting virtual meetings must use reliable systems to verify members’ identities and facilitate real-time participation, including live voting. These platforms should also have strong security measures to protect participants’ data.

Alternatively, in place of holding the meeting, the company can pass written resolutions for matters that would normally be discussed at the AGM. The written resolutions can be shared as hard copies or in another clear format, such as email, if the company and its members agree. All shareholders have to provide written consent to use a written resolution instead of  a physical AGM for this arrangement to be valid.

When you set up your company in Singapore with Statrys, you don’t just get incorporation—you also get the peace of mind knowing your corporate secretarial obligations are taken care of from day one.

Statrys Company Formation package includes company secretarial services, so your Annual General Meeting (AGM) and related filings will be handled correctly and on time.

With Statrys, you benefit from:

✅End-to-end company formation — from registration with ACRA to your first set of statutory records.

✅AGM document preparation — all the paperwork required for your Annual General Meeting.

✅AGM Meeting preparation and annual return report filling — we track your Financial Year End (FYE), help organise your AGM within 6 months, and file your Annual Return within 1 month after.

✅Statutory record keeping — all documents are securely available online 24/7.

Whether you’re a first-time founder or an experienced business owner, Statrys makes sure that incorporation and compliance go hand in hand, so you can focus on growing your business instead of worrying about missing a deadline.