There are seven types of companies that can be incorporated in Singapore. When submitting your company name application, you must specify the relevant company type. The available options are:
1. Exempt private company
2. Private company limited by shares
3. Public company limited by shares
4. Public company limited by guarantee
5. Unlimited private company
6. Unlimited exempt private company
7. Unlimited public company
The main features of the different company types are outlined in the table below.
| Private Company (Liability of the shareholders to creditors is limited to the capital originally invested by the shareholders) | Public Company | Unlimited Company (Liability of the members or shareholders is not limited) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type of Company | Exempt Private Company - Most common type of company in Singapore. - Name usually ends with “Pte Ltd”. - Can have a maximum of 20 shareholders. - No shareholder is a corporation. - Has a share capital. | Limited by Shares - Name usually ends with “Ltd”. - Can have more than 50 shareholders. - May raise capital by offering shares or debentures to the public. - Must register a prospectus with the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) before making any public offers. · Liability of the shareholders to creditors of the company is limited to the capital originally invested by the shareholders. | Unlimited Private Company
- Usually has the words “Unlimited” as part of its name. - Hybrid company incorporated with or without share capital |
Limited by Shares - Name usually ends with “Pte Ltd”. - Has a share capital. - Can have a maximum of 50 shareholders. - Corporations can be shareholders. | Limited by Guarantee - Name usually ends with “Ltd”. - Carries out non-profit making activities of national or public interest, such as promoting arts, charity etc. - Has no share capital. - Liability of members is limited to the amount which they undertake to contribute to the assets of the company in the event of winding up. This amount will be specified in the company’s constitution. | Unlimited Exempt Private Company
- Can have a maximum of 20 shareholders. - No shareholder is a corporation. Unlimited Public Company - May have more than 50 shareholders. - Corporations can be shareholders. |
