Every business needs a name to differentiate itself from other businesses.
Choosing a name
Once you have decided on a name for your business or company, you should check if it has already been registered through Bizfile. The proposed name cannot be identical to one that is already registered by existing entities.
On the Bizfile portal, enter your proposed business name in the search bar at the top of the page and click the “Search” button.
If the company name has already been registered, consider alternative names or add words to differentiate your proposed name from the registered entity. However, some words, as listed in Table A, will not qualify as sufficiently different. These words will be disregarded when ACRA assesses whether a name is identical to another registered entity.
Table A: List of words disregarded when assessing identical names
| The (at start of name) | Asia | Asia Pacific | Associates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Company | And Company | Corporation | Group |
| Holding/ Holdings | Incorporated | International | Partner/Partners |
| Partnership/Partnerships | Singapore | South Asia | South East Asia |
| Trading | Worldwide | Berhad or Bhd | Limited or Ltd |
| Limited Liability Partnership or LLP | Limited Partnership or LP | Private or Pte | Public Accounting Corporation or PAC |
| Sendirian or Sdn | .co | .com | .edu |
| .gov | .net | .org | .sg |
The following are examples of identical name applications that will be rejected:
| Existing business name in our register | Name Application that will be rejected |
|---|---|
| Morning Caffeine Pte Ltd | Morning Caffeine International Pte Ltd |
| Morning Caffeine Pte Ltd | The Morning Caffeine Pte Ltd |
| Morning Caffeine Pte Ltd | Morning Caffeine LLP |
You should also avoid selecting names that are undesirable (e.g., vulgar, obscene, or offensive), similar to those of government bodies, or protected by law. For instance, names containing “Temasek” are not available for registration.
Read our policy statement on business names and name complaints (PDF, 433KB).
Registering a name
You can register a business name via Bizfile for $15.
After your name application is approved, we will reserve the name for 120 days. If you do not proceed to register the business or incorporate the company within this period, the reservation will expire and the name will be released for anyone to register.
Some name applications may be referred to Referral Authorities for approval. For example, if your proposed business name includes the word “school”, it may be referred to the Ministry of Education. The processing time for referred applications may take between 14 and 60 days.
Find out more about Referral Authorities.
If you intend to apply for charity status, visit the Charity Portal for more information on the naming criteria and other guidelines.
Specifying your business activity
As part of the name application, you must specify the primary and secondary activities of your business by choosing the most relevant Singapore Standard Industrial Classification (SSIC) code corresponding to your intended business activity.
The SSIC is the national standard developed by the Singapore Department of Statistics (DOS) to classify all registered firms into their respective industries based on their principal economic activity.
Some business activities may require your company, after it has been registered, to apply for additional licences or permits before you can start operations. Find out more about licences and permits on GoBusiness.
