Short answer: Yes. A founder from Vietnam can register a Singapore private limited company, but ACRA requires foreigners to engage a registered corporate service provider, and the company needs at least one director who meets Singapore's local residency rules. Vietnam has its own rules on investment abroad, so take advice in Vietnam before you send funds.
Last checked against ACRA, IRAS and the Vietnamese Government's legal portal on 13 November 2026. Rules change, so confirm before you act.
AAA Corporate Services, Singapore helps founders from Vietnam with the Singapore side: ACRA registration, company secretary, registers and annual filings.
What does a Singapore company need?
| Requirement | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|
| A registered corporate service provider | Foreigners must engage a CSP to reserve the company name and register the company. Check any provider through ACRA's free Bizfile entity search first: see how to choose and verify a CSP. | ACRA |
| A locally resident director | At least one director who meets Singapore's local residency rules: a Singapore citizen, a permanent resident, or a valid holder of an Employment Pass, Personalised Employment Pass or Overseas Networks & Expertise Pass. See our guide to the resident director rule. | ACRA · ACRA directors |
| A company secretary | Appointed within six months of registration. A real person who meets local residency rules and is not the sole director. | ACRA |
| A Singapore registered office | A Singapore address where ACRA and others can send official notices. See registered address in Singapore. | ACRA |
| At least one share and one shareholder | The minimum number of issued shares is one. | ACRA |
What does it cost?
ACRA's fees to set up a company are S$15 for the name application and S$300 for registration, S$315 in total. (ACRA fees) Our incorporation packages include those ACRA fees. What each package covers is on our pricing page. Our incorporation packages do not include a locally resident director, and director arrangements are quoted on request.
How does registration work from Vietnam?
Your corporate service provider files the registration through Bizfile with its Corppass. ACRA asks for each director, secretary and shareholder's full name, date of birth, residential address, mobile number and email, and for details of the people who ultimately own or control the company. When a CSP files for you, ACRA says the other position holders do not have to endorse the registration. ACRA says most registrations are approved soon after payment, complex applications can take up to 15 working days, and those needing extra approval can take 14 to 60 days. (ACRA: registering via Bizfile · ACRA: registrable controllers)
Vietnamese rules that sit outside ACRA
Vietnam has its own rules on investment abroad by Vietnamese individuals and companies, under its Law on Investment and the decrees under it. Those rules can change. AAA does not give Vietnamese legal, tax or foreign exchange advice. Take advice in Vietnam, and check the current position with a Vietnamese lawyer or your bank, before you send funds. (Vietnamese Government portal: Law on Investment 61/2020/QH14)
Tax: Singapore and Vietnam
IRAS says a company is taxed at a flat 17% of its chargeable income. This rate applies to local and foreign companies. Qualifying new companies can claim the start-up exemption for their first three years of assessment: 75% off the first S$100,000 and 50% off the next S$100,000 of normal chargeable income, if IRAS's conditions are met. (IRAS: rates and exemptions) IRAS also says Singapore currently does not impose withholding tax on dividends (IRAS: withholding tax). Under Singapore's one-tier corporate tax system, dividends paid by a Singapore resident company are generally not taxable for the shareholder in Singapore, because the tax paid by the company is final (IRAS: dividends). That is a Singapore tax position only. A shareholder may still be taxed on those dividends in their home country, so take tax advice there. See our corporate tax guide.
IRAS publishes the Singapore-Vietnam agreement for the avoidance of double taxation: concluded 2 March 1994 and in force from 9 September 1994, with a second protocol signed on 12 September 2012 that entered into force on 11 January 2013. How it applies depends on your facts, so take tax advice. (IRAS: Singapore-Vietnam agreement)
If you plan to move to Singapore
Owning a company does not give you the right to work in Singapore. ACRA says that if you want to move to Singapore to run your business you need a work pass, and your eligibility depends on your pass type and personal situation. (ACRA) Read our guide to starting a company on an EP, EntrePass or Dependant's Pass. AAA does not apply for work passes or give immigration advice. MOM decides pass applications.
What about a corporate bank account?
Banks ask who ultimately owns a new company and may ask more of foreign-owned companies. See our guide to opening a corporate bank account for a new Singapore company. AAA cannot promise bank approval.
Our core service pages are also available in Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt): AAA Corporate Services in Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt).
Frequently asked questions
Can a Vietnamese citizen register a Singapore company?
Yes. ACRA says foreigners must engage a corporate service provider to reserve the name and register the business, and the company needs at least one director who meets Singapore's local residency rules.
Do I need a Singapore resident director?
Yes. ACRA says every company must have at least one director who meets its local residency rules: a Singapore citizen, a permanent resident, or a valid holder of an Employment Pass, Personalised Employment Pass or Overseas Networks and Expertise Pass. Our incorporation packages do not include a resident director.
How much does it cost to register a company from Vietnam?
ACRA charges S$15 for the name and S$300 for registration, S$315 in total. What our packages include is on our pricing page.
Do Vietnamese investment rules apply to me?
Vietnam has its own rules on investment abroad, and they can change. AAA does not give Vietnamese legal or foreign exchange advice, so take advice in Vietnam before you send funds.
Is there a tax agreement between Singapore and Vietnam?
Yes. IRAS publishes a Singapore-Vietnam agreement for the avoidance of double taxation, concluded on 2 March 1994 and in force from 9 September 1994, with a second protocol in force from 11 January 2013. How it applies depends on your circumstances, so take tax advice.
Does owning the company let me work in Singapore?
No. ACRA says you need a work pass if you want to move to Singapore to run your business. MOM decides pass applications, and AAA does not apply for work passes or give immigration advice.
Sources
- ACRA: Step 1, requirements and eligibility (last updated 29 Jan 2026)
- ACRA: Step 4.3, choosing company directors and other key officers (last updated 29 Jan 2026)
- ACRA: Step 4.6, registering a local company via Bizfile (last updated 19 Oct 2026)
- ACRA: service and transaction fees for companies (last updated 29 Jan 2026)
- ACRA: setting up and maintaining a Register of Registrable Controllers (last updated 10 Mar 2026)
- IRAS: corporate income tax rate, rebates and tax exemption schemes
- IRAS: payments not subject to withholding tax
- IRAS: tax treatment of dividends
- IRAS: Singapore-Vietnam avoidance of double taxation agreement (PDF)
- Vietnamese Government portal: Law on Investment 61/2020/QH14
- AAA Corporate Services: published packages and pricing
This guide is general information, not legal, tax, banking or immigration advice. Rules change, so confirm current requirements with ACRA, MOM, IRAS, MAS, your bank and your own advisers.
Related guides
- Open a Singapore Company from China (2026 Guide)
- Open a Singapore Company from Indonesia (2026 Guide)
- How to Register a Singapore Company as a Foreigner (2026 Guide)
- Corporate Bank Account for a New Singapore Company (2026)
Talk to AAA Corporate Services
AAA Corporate Services Pte. Ltd. is a Singapore corporate services firm for incorporation, company secretarial, accounting and tax. Tell us your plans and we will explain the registration steps and documents.
No obligation. Message us on WhatsApp · Email cosec@aaacorpsvc.com