Written by Sneha Patwari, Corporate Secretary Lead
I've guided hundreds of founders through the incorporation process across Hong Kong and Singapore. The questions are always different; the mistakes are usually the same. I write to help people avoid them.
Key Takeaways
A Singapore registered address must be a physical Singapore address that can receive official communications, so a P.O. box will not work.
From 20 October 2026, ACRA no longer sets minimum opening hours, but you must still make records available for inspection on reasonable notice.
If you live outside Singapore, you cannot use the home schemes, so a provider's address or rented space is the realistic route.
Tell ACRA within 14 days of an address change. Filing is free, but missing the deadline can bring a fine of up to SGD 5,000.
From 20 October 2026, your Singapore registered office no longer has to be open at set hours. That does not mean any address will do.
If you run your company from outside Singapore, the real questions come next. Can you use your own flat? Does a virtual office count? Who answers when someone asks to see your records? Get those wrong and your official mail and your record inspections land at a door nobody checks.
Statrys has incorporated over 1,600 companies, and the registered address is one of the first decisions in every one. Below: what ACRA (the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority) requires after the change, which options exist, and how to file a change in Bizfile, ACRA's online filing portal.
Start with what the address is for.
What Is a Registered Address in Singapore?
A registered address in Singapore is the official address your company files with ACRA. ACRA and others send communications and notices to it, and it is where your company records and registers are meant to be kept. Every company you register in Singapore needs one.
It must be a Singapore address, and a P.O. box does not count. It does not have to be where you run the business. The registered address is for compliance and correspondence. Your business address is where you actually work.
Your registered address is one of several incorporation requirements. For the full list, see the requirements to incorporate a company in Singapore.
What ACRA Requires From 20 October 2026
ACRA requires every company to keep a registered office in Singapore and to keep its records open to inspection. From 20 October 2026 it no longer sets minimum opening hours for that office, according to ACRA's 6 October 2026 announcement.
| Rule | Before 20 October 2026 | From 20 October 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Opening Hours | Open and accessible to the public for at least three hours on each business day | No minimum hours. The company decides. |
| Record Inspection | Records available for inspection under the Companies Act | Records available for at least two hours on each relevant business day once someone gives reasonable notice |
| Change of Address | File within 14 days | Still file within 14 days |
Nobody has to sit at the address during set hours any more. Someone still has to make your records available when a person asks to inspect them. If the address belongs to a provider, find out who that someone is.
Where Your Records Must Be Kept
ACRA treats the registered office as the default home for your company records and registers. You can keep some registers elsewhere, but you must then file that location as your registers address in Bizfile. For a private limited company, ACRA keeps the register of members electronically, updated through your Bizfile filings.
Which Registered Address Option Fits You?
Five options exist. One fact narrows them fast: whether you live in Singapore.
| Option | Who It Suits | Main Catch |
|---|---|---|
| Dedicated Office | Established companies with staff on site | Highest cost and usually a long lease. A tenancy change means a new filing within 14 days. |
| Co-Working Space | Start-ups that want a professional address without a long lease | Confirm the provider allows registered-address use and handles your mail. |
| Virtual Office or Corporate Service Provider Address | Founders living outside Singapore and remote businesses | No desk or meeting space. Confirm who handles record inspections. |
| Home Office Scheme (HDB or URA), See the GoBusiness Guide | People who live in the flat and do small-scale administrative work | Up to two non-resident employees, no client visits, no signage. Not available if you do not live there. |
| Home-Based Business Scheme | Micro-businesses such as home baking or tuition for up to three students at a time | Built for small-scale activities. Rarely fits a company selling services abroad. |
Both home schemes are for people who live in the property, so a founder abroad cannot use them. If you do live in an HDB flat or a private home, the Home Office Scheme costs SGD 20 and approval is instant once you submit through Singpass, Singapore's national digital ID.
Picture a French founder in Bangkok who owns a Singapore Pte Ltd (a private limited company) and sells design services to clients in Europe. The home schemes are out. A lease is more than she needs. A provider's address with mail handling fits, as long as she checks the right things first.
Before You Sign With a Provider
Get answers in writing to four questions:
- Who holds your registers, and where?
- Who responds when someone asks to inspect your records?
- How does your mail reach you, and how fast?
- What happens to the address if you stop paying or switch provider?
A provider that cannot answer the first two has not thought about the inspection duty. You have to.
How to Update Your Registered Address in Bizfile
File the change within 14 days of the date it takes effect. It costs nothing and processes immediately.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Deadline | Within 14 days of the change |
| Fee | Free |
| Processing | Immediate |
One trap for foreign founders: ACRA gives foreign companies 30 days, but in ACRA's rules a foreign company is one incorporated outside Singapore. If you set up a Singapore Pte Ltd, you are a local company and the 14-day deadline applies to you, whatever your nationality.
Step 1: Log in to Bizfile
Log in as a business user through Corppass, Singapore's corporate login for government filings. A corporate service provider can also file for you.
Step 2: Open Your Entity Details
Select your entity, then click View entity details to reach the Entity information page.
Step 3: Edit the Office Address
Choose Office address from the left menu and click Edit. Enter the new postal code and click Retrieve address.
Step 4: Enter the Effective Date
Enter the date the change takes effect, then click Review and confirm.
Step 5: Submit and Check Your InboxStep 5: Submit and Check Your Inbox
Submit the filing. You will see a confirmation message and a notice in your Bizfile inbox. If your registers are kept somewhere other than the registered office, update the registers address too.
What Happens If You Miss the 14-Day Deadline
Missing the 14-day deadline is an offence. ACRA's list of common offences sets the penalty at a fine of up to SGD 5,000 plus a default penalty, and it applies to the company and to each officer in default. ACRA also applies late lodgement penalties to late filings.
If you are the only director, you are the officer in default. The fine lands on you, not just on the company.
Put the deadline in your calendar as soon as the move date is fixed. The 14 days run from the date of the change, so a move on the 1st leaves you until the 15th.
How Outdated Records Hurt Your Business
ACRA makes most company information available to the public, so clients and suppliers see the address on file. ACRA and others also send notices there, and a stale address means a notice that reaches no one.
The annual return now adds a check. From 20 October 2026, companies must confirm at filing that the particulars ACRA holds are accurate, and ACRA's examples include the registered office address. A stale address surfaces at filing time. Our guide to annual return filing covers the rest of that filing.
Registered Address for Foreign-Owned Companies: What Statrys Includes
If you are incorporating from abroad, Statrys' Singapore package includes a registered address and virtual mailroom service as part of its company secretary services. It also includes a nominee director (a Singapore-resident director appointed for you) and a statutory records portal you can open remotely. It is built for founders who want to register a company in Singapore as a foreigner without a lease.
Run Statrys through the same four checks as any provider. The full package is on our Singapore company incorporation page.
FAQs
Can I Use My Home Address as My Registered Address in Singapore?
Yes, if you live there and register under the Home Office Scheme through HDB (public housing) or URA (private property). The scheme costs SGD 20 with instant approval. It limits you to administrative work with up to two non-resident employees, and it bans client visits and signage. It is not available if you do not live in the property.
Can a Virtual Office Be My Registered Address in Singapore?
Yes, as long as it is a physical address in Singapore and your records can be made available for inspection. Foreign owners commonly use one. Check that the provider handles your mail and tells you who responds when someone asks to inspect your records.
Does My Registered Office Still Need to Be Open During Business Hours?
No, not from 20 October 2026. ACRA removed the minimum opening-hours requirement. You must still make company records available for inspection for at least two hours on each relevant business day once someone gives reasonable notice.
How Long Do I Have to Update My Registered Address With ACRA?
Fourteen days from the date of the change for a Singapore-incorporated company. Foreign companies, meaning companies incorporated outside Singapore, have 30 days. Filing in Bizfile is free and processed immediately. Missing the deadline can bring a fine of up to SGD 5,000 plus a default penalty.
Is My Registered Address Public?
Yes. ACRA makes most company information available to the public, and the registered address is part of the company record. If you do not want your home address on it, a provider's address keeps it off the record.
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