What is a Unique Entity Number (UEN) in Singapore & How to Find It

In Singapore, every registered business is issued a Unique Entity Number (UEN), which is a standard identification number used across all government agencies. Think of it as your company's official registration ID, the way an individual's NRIC or FIN works for personal identification.

The UEN is required any time a business interacts with the government: filing corporate taxes, applying for licences, submitting employee CPF contributions, or registering for PayNow. Without it, a company cannot complete most essential transactions with public agencies.

In this guide, I'll explain what a UEN is, the formats used by different types of business structures in Singapore, how UEN is assigned, and the quickest ways to find or verify any company's UEN number.

A UEN is a standard identification number for registered business entities in Singapore. Most UENs are issued by ACRA (Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority), but some entities receive their UEN from other government agencies depending on their nature:

• Ministry of Health (MOH) — healthcare institutions
• Ministry of Finance (MOF) — financial businesses
• Ministry of Manpower (MOM) — employment agencies and related entities

Any registered entity in Singapore that deals with government agencies needs a UEN. This includes:

• Singapore companies, such as private limited companies (Pte Ltd)
• Sole proprietorship businesses
• Partnerships, including Limited Partnerships (LPs) and Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs)
• Representative offices
• Registered societies
• Charities and non-profits
• Trade unions

Exemptions:

Individuals do not need a UEN. Businesses operating entirely under an individual's full name as stated on their NRIC — or a partnership operating only under partners' full NRIC names — are also exempt.

Entities registered in Singapore use their UEN number when dealing with government departments, including:

• Filing corporate income tax returns with IRAS
• GST registration and filing GST returns
• Applying for licences, such as real estate, financial, or F&B licences
• Applying for permits, such as export permits
• Submitting CPF contributions on behalf of employees
• Registering for PayNow Corporate as entities can link their UEN to a bank account to send or receive SGD funds instantly, without needing bank or account numbers. PayNow is administered by the Association of Banks in Singapore (ABS).
• Accessing CorpPass, Singapore's corporate digital identity system for transacting with government services online
• Other government grants, transactions, and compliance processes

A UEN is 8 to 10 alphanumeric characters. The exact format varies by entity type and issuing agency. The table below shows the most common formats, including what each entity code in the UEN represents

UENs beginning with T or S are assigned to specific entity types (partnerships, societies, trade unions) or entities registered via agencies other than ACRA, rather than the sequential numbering used for sole proprietorships and local companies. The final character in every UEN is always a check letter used to verify the number's validity.

A Special UEN (SUN) is a personalised UEN that businesses can apply for during registration instead of the automatically assigned number. While a standard UEN is free and system-generated, a SUN lets businesses choose a number that is easier to remember or considered auspicious.

Businesses opt for a SUN to:

• Enhance brand recognition with a memorable number
• Align with cultural preferences (for example, numbers containing 8, associated with prosperity)
• Differentiate from competitors

Once you select a SUN during registration, payment must be completed within 30 minutes. If not paid in time, the number is released back into the available pool.

UEN is automatically assigned when you successfully register a business in Singapore. During the registration process, you will have the option to apply for either UEN or Special UEN (SUN). After the registration is completed, the UEN will be available in your business profile. Here’s how to apply for a UEN:

Begin by registering your business

1. First, reserve your entity name via the BizFile name application page 
2. Prepare the required documents, such as identification for shareholders and directors, the company constitution, and proof of address.
3. Once everything is ready, submit your incorporation application online through the Bizfile portal.

For sole proprietorships and partnerships, the main requirement is being a Singapore resident, or appointing a local representative if you are not.

For a company, you’ll need at least one shareholder (individual or corporate), one Singapore-resident director or a nominee director, a local company secretary, and a registered office address.

During the business registration process, you will be asked whether you want a Special UEN (SUN). If you choose no, the system will automatically generate a standard UEN for free. This UEN cannot be customised.

If you choose yes, you can opt for a Special UEN (SUN), which costs SGD 1,000 - 3,000 depending on the combination you choose. You can browse the list of available numbers or enter up to 5 digits in the search bar to find numbers containing those digits.

After selecting your preferred SUN, you will need to complete the payment for it within 30 minutes. If payment is not made within this time, the number will be released back into the pool of available Special UENs.

Once your registration is approved, your business will receive a free Business Profile (BP), which displays your UEN prominently in the first few lines. 

The Business Profile serves as the official record of your registered entities and is free to download within 30 days. If you miss this window, you can purchase a copy from BizFile for SGD 5.50.

Here is a sample of a Business Profile:

To find a business’s UEN, you can use BizFile’s Entity Search at https://www.bizfile.gov.sg/.  Simply enter the business name.

The system will then display the relevant record, including the UEN of the searched business. This search can also retrieve key information about the business, including its official name, registration status, and other registration details. 

You can also search for a business UEN in these two channels:

IRAS GST Directory

To check whether a company is GST-registered — and to confirm its UEN in the process — use the IRAS GST Listing Search. This is useful when verifying suppliers or customers. Note that only GST-registered entities appear in this directory.

CPF Registered Employer Search

If you need to verify that an employer is registered with CPF, the CPF Board allows employer searches by UEN. This tool is used primarily to confirm CPF registration status, not as a general UEN lookup tool. For most purposes, BizFile is the fastest and most complete source for Singapore UEN checks.