Corporate Secretarial Services in Singapore
Singapore companies have ongoing statutory, filing and governance responsibilities throughout their lifecycle, including annual returns, maintenance of company information and documentation of corporate changes.
LGR provides company secretary Singapore support for statutory records, annual compliance, corporate actions and governance so that directors and shareholders can manage their corporate obligations in an organised manner.
CORPORATE SECRETARIAL · SINGAPORE
At a glance
Company secretary: Required for every Singapore company
Appointment: Within six months after incorporation
Annual return: Generally filed within seven months after FYE for a non-listed company
Corporate registers: Required registers and information must be maintained
Controllers: RORC requirements apply unless exempt
Nominee arrangements: ROND and RONS requirements may apply
Corporate changes: Certain changes generally need to be filed within 14 days
Annual Compliance
Companies should monitor annual-return deadlines, financial-statement requirements and AGM obligations or exemptions based on the company's circumstances.
The company's financial year end is an important reference point for these deadlines.
Statutory Registers
Companies must maintain required information relating to directors, secretaries, shareholders and other relevant persons.
Registrable-controller and nominee information may also require both internal maintenance and filings with ACRA.
Changes involving directors, secretaries, shareholders, shares, registered office, constitution and other corporate matters may require approvals, documentation and Bizfile submissions.
These matters should be addressed when the change occurs.
Corporate Actions
Corporate secretarial compliance involves more than filing an annual return. Companies need to maintain accurate statutory information, document corporate decisions and address changes as they occur.
Some requirements recur annually, while others arise when directors, shareholders, share capital, registered particulars or ownership arrangements change.
Keeping corporate information current helps ensure that the company's records remain aligned with its actual ownership, management and operations.
What does corporate secretarial compliance involve in Singapore?
CORPORATE COMPLIANCE
CORPORATE RECORDS
What information and documents should a Singapore company maintain?
Effective company-secretarial administration begins with complete and current corporate records that reflect the company's ownership, officers, governance and significant corporate actions.
Company & Statutory Information
Company & Statutory Information
Company name and UEN
Registered office details
Constitution
Financial year end
Directors and company secretary
Members and shareholdings
Share capital information
Registrable controller information
Nominee director or shareholder information, where applicable
Corporate Documents
Corporate Documents
Board and shareholder resolutions
Minutes and written decisions
Share allotment documents
Share transfer documents
Director and secretary changes
Registered-office changes
Auditor appointments or changes
Banking and authorised-signatory resolutions
Previous annual returns and filings
Additional records may be required where the company has corporate shareholders, nominee arrangements, restructuring, complex ownership or historical compliance matters.
OUR PROCESS
How we manage Singapore corporate secretarial matters
LGR first reviews the company's existing corporate position before determining the documentation, approvals and regulatory submissions required.
02 — Prepare the Corporate Action
We review the company's ownership, officers, statutory information and recent corporate activities to understand the matter that needs to be addressed.
01 — Understand the Current Position
We prepare or coordinate the relevant resolutions, minutes, notices and supporting corporate documents.
03 — Complete Required Lodgements
Where an ACRA submission is required, we coordinate the relevant Bizfile filing and update the associated corporate records.
We monitor recurring and event-driven requirements so that future corporate actions and filing deadlines can be addressed in an organised manner.
04 — Maintain Ongoing Compliance
ONGOING COMPLIANCE
What corporate compliance obligations should be monitored?
Singapore companies should monitor both annual obligations and event-driven requirements that arise when their corporate information, ownership or governance arrangements change.
Every live Singapore company must file an annual return with ACRA.
For a typical non-listed company, the filing deadline is generally within seven months after its financial year end.
Annual Return
AGM & Financial Statements
A non-listed company generally holds its AGM within six months after its financial year end unless an exemption applies or the company has validly dispensed with holding an AGM.
Private companies may qualify for AGM exemption where the statutory conditions are met, including timely circulation of financial statements.
Controllers & Nominee Registers
Companies should maintain their Register of Registrable Controllers and, where applicable, Registers of Nominee Directors and Nominee Shareholders.
Relevant information and changes may also need to be filed with ACRA's central registers.
Company Information & Officers
Changes to company information, directors, secretaries, shares and shareholders should be reviewed promptly to determine the appropriate ACRA filing.
Many common changes must be notified within 14 days.
EVENT-DRIVEN COMPLIANCE
Which company changes require secretarial attention?
Corporate secretarial work continues throughout the year whenever the company's ownership, management, capital or registered information changes.
These matters may require board or shareholder approval, supporting documents, updates to registers and separate ACRA filings.
Directors & officers
Appointment, resignation or changes in particulars of directors, secretaries and other position holders may require regulatory updates.
Shares & shareholders
Share allotments, transfers, changes in shareholding and capital restructuring may require corporate approvals and updates to ACRA records.
Registered office
Changes to the company's registered office or relevant company information should be filed within the applicable timeframe.
Constitution & governance
Amendments to the constitution and significant shareholder or board decisions should be supported by the appropriate resolutions and documentation.
Controllers & nominees
Ownership, control or nominee changes should also be considered from the RORC, ROND and RONS perspective.
Common corporate changes
HOW LGR ASSISTS
Company secretary services
Annual-return coordination
AGM and resolution support
Statutory and electronic registers
RORC compliance
ROND and RONS compliance
Director and officer changes
Share allotments and transfers
Registered-office changes
Banking and corporate resolutions
Accounting and tax coordination
Malaysia–Singapore cross-border matters
Where a matter requires specialist legal, tax, immigration or other professional advice outside our scope, we can help identify and coordinate the appropriate next step.
One coordinated corporate compliance view
Corporate secretarial support with governance in mind
LGR's role is not limited to completing Bizfile submissions.
We help directors and shareholders understand the corporate action being undertaken, prepare the supporting documentation and maintain the company's statutory position so that filings and governance remain aligned.
Ongoing corporate secretarial support
We coordinate recurring statutory and company-secretarial requirements throughout the company's lifecycle.
Corporate resolutions & documentation
We prepare and coordinate board and shareholder resolutions, minutes and supporting documents for agreed corporate actions.
Annual compliance coordination
We monitor annual-return, AGM and relevant financial-statement requirements based on the company's circumstances.
Corporate changes
We support director, shareholder, share-capital, registered-office and other corporate changes within the agreed scope.
Frequently asked questions about company secretary services in Singapore
These are some of the questions directors and shareholders commonly encounter when managing a Singapore company's corporate and statutory requirements.
2. Who can act as company secretary in Singapore?
The company secretary must be an individual and must satisfy Singapore's applicable residency requirements.
The sole director of a company cannot also act as that company's secretary.
3. When is the annual return due?
For a typical non-listed Singapore company, the annual return is generally due within seven months after its financial year end.
A different deadline applies where a company with share capital maintains an overseas branch register.
4. Does every private company need to hold an AGM?
Not necessarily. A private company may be exempt from holding an AGM or may dispense with an AGM where the relevant statutory conditions are satisfied.
The appropriate position should be assessed based on the company's circumstances.
5. What are RORC, ROND and RONS?
RORC refers to the Register of Registrable Controllers and records persons who own or control the company.
ROND and RONS refer to the Registers of Nominee Directors and Nominee Shareholders. These registers support transparency around nominee arrangements.
6. Can changes simply be reported in the next annual return?
Not necessarily. Many changes are event-driven and have their own filing deadlines.
For example, common changes involving company information, officers and shareholders may need to be reported to ACRA within 14 days rather than waiting for the next annual return.
COMMON QUESTIONS
1. Does every Singapore company need a company secretary?
Yes. Every Singapore company must have a company secretary, and the secretary must be appointed within six months after successful registration.
CONTINUE EXPLORING
Related services & practical guidance
Company Incorporation
Coordinate corporate income tax, ECI, GST and other regulatory matters alongside the company's corporate obligations.
Tax & Regulatory Support
Establish a Singapore company with its initial ownership, director, registered-office and compliance requirements considered from the beginning.
Accounting & Financial Reporting
Maintain accounting records and financial information required for management, tax compliance and statutory reporting.
Singapore Company Compliance Calendar
A practical overview of annual returns, AGM requirements, statutory registers and recurring corporate compliance deadlines.
Read the Guide →
NEED COMPANY SECRETARIAL SUPPORT?
Looking for a company secretary in Singapore?
Speak with LGR about your company's current corporate position, upcoming statutory requirements, corporate changes and ongoing secretarial support.