Certificate of Incumbency vs Certificate of Good Standing in Singapore: Which Do You Need? (2026)

Written by the VIVOS Editorial Team (ACRA Registered Filing Agent FA20240323) and reviewed by Ray Tay. Figures checked against ACRA, the Singapore Academy of Law, DBS, HSBC and GoBusiness on 10 November 2026.

Updated 10 November 2026: since 27 March 2026, ACRA sends the filer a free Business Profile after a new registration, a renewal or an Annual Return. Check your Bizfile inbox before you pay.

How do a certificate of incumbency, a certificate of good standing and a Business Profile compare?

A certificate of incumbency names the people who run a company. A certificate of good standing proves the company is live. An ACRA Business Profile shows the same people from ACRA’s own records. ACRA issues only the last two.

The fees come from the Bizfile Business Profile page and certificates page, checked on 10 November 2026. ACRA’s published sample of the good standing certificate lists no directors or shareholders.

Does ACRA issue a certificate of incumbency in Singapore?

No. ACRA’s list of products on Bizfile has no certificate of incumbency, and we found no Singapore law that creates one. The document is a matter of commercial practice: the company secretary prepares it from the company’s registers, and a director often countersigns.

The Bizfile certificates page, checked on 10 November 2026, lists nine types of ACRA certificate, including good standing, incorporation, conversion and charge. None is a certificate of incumbency. A typical private certificate states the company’s particulars, directors, secretary, shareholders, shareholdings and registered office, with a date and a signature.

The catch: the document is only as good as its signer. Recipients rely on the company secretary’s registers, so some ask for notarisation and others for the ACRA record instead. Who may act as company secretary is covered in our guide to company secretary requirements in Singapore.

What does a certificate of good standing show, and who can get one?

ACRA’s Certificate of Good Standing proves the live existence of a company incorporated in Singapore and carries the e-signature of an ACRA assistant registrar. It names no directors or shareholders. Anyone can buy one for S$11 per copy if it is available.

ACRA emails a download code within 15 minutes of payment, and the download must be completed within 30 days, according to ACRA’s download guide (updated 14 May 2026). ACRA states no validity period for its certificates on its verifying and certifying page (updated 29 January 2026). The recipient sets the age limit.

Bizfile says the certificate is available for live local and foreign companies. It does not list the tests for availability. Practitioner guides say the company should have filings up to date and not be struck off or being wound up, and report that an overdue Annual Return makes the certificate unavailable or shows the default. Check the status on Bizfile before you promise one to a counterparty.

Which document do Singapore banks and overseas counterparties ask for?

It depends on where the company is incorporated and who is asking. Singapore banks generally ask a Singapore company for its ACRA Business Profile. HSBC Singapore requires a certificate of incumbency and a certificate of good standing only for entities incorporated outside Singapore.

These checklists are old or undated, so treat them as examples and ask your bank for its current list. The full account-opening process is in our guide to opening a Singapore corporate bank account remotely. Use this table to choose the document:

Before you buy anything, ask the requester three things: the exact document name, the age limit and whether it must be notarised, apostilled or legalised.

What do people most often get wrong about these documents?

The most common error is buying the wrong document. A Certificate of Good Standing shows no directors or shareholders, and ACRA issues no certificate of incumbency.

• Ordering good standing when the form asks for officers. Order the Business Profile, or ask your company secretary for a signed statement.
• Ordering too early. These documents are snapshots. ACRA sets no validity period, so the requester’s limit applies: one year in the DBS checklists above, six months at HSBC Singapore, and one to three months for some overseas parties, according to practitioner guides.
• Paying for a profile you already hold. Since 27 March 2026 the filer receives a free copy, and it stays downloadable for 60 days.

How do you get an ACRA Business Profile or Certificate of Good Standing?

Buy it on Bizfile, ACRA’s online portal: search the company by name or UEN, pay and download the PDF. A Business Profile costs S$5.50 and anyone can buy one as a guest. A Certificate of Good Standing costs S$11 and is available for live companies.

1. The buyer opens Bizfile and searches for the company by name or UEN. A guest can buy a Business Profile, according to ACRA’s buying guide.
2. The buyer adds the Business Profile to the cart and pays S$5.50. For good standing, the buyer chooses Certificates instead and pays S$11.
3. ACRA emails a download code within 15 minutes of payment. The buyer downloads the file within 30 days.
4. The company secretary or a director checks the status, officers and shareholders against the requester’s form. Anything wrong goes to a filing, not to the requester.
5. If the bank wants certified true copies, the company secretary or a director certifies the copy.
6. If the document is going overseas, the buyer applies for the apostille from the final copy.

Our guide to the ACRA Business Profile has the detail on each field.

Does a Singapore certificate need an apostille to be used overseas?

Often, yes. The Apostille Convention has applied to Singapore since 16 September 2021, and the Singapore Academy of Law (SAL) issues Singapore apostilles. If the destination is not a party, the document needs legalisation by that country’s mission instead.

The fees and eligibility come from the SAL legalisation FAQ, and the UAE steps from the Singapore Embassy guidance. SAL’s e-Apostille list names only the Business Profile and Business Certificates. It does not name the Certificate of Good Standing, so ask SAL which route applies before you pay. Check the destination on the HCCH status table: mainland China has been a party since 7 November 2023, and the UAE is not listed.

Worked example. A mainland China counterparty asks a Singapore company for apostilled proof of its directors and shareholders. A Business Profile at S$5.50 and an e-Apostille at S$10.70 come to S$16.20 in official fees, if the counterparty accepts an electronic apostille. A notarised certificate of incumbency goes through SAL at S$87.20 including GST, before the notary’s fee and whatever your company secretary charges.

How can VIVOS help with these documents?

VIVOS PTE. LTD. is an ACRA Registered Filing Agent (FA20240323) and handles corporate secretary services for Singapore companies. If a bank or counterparty has named the document it wants, send us its exact wording and we will tell you which ACRA document fits and what else the receiving party needs. Speak to the team on +65 8827 7870 (WhatsApp) or contact@vivos.com.sg, at 14B Stanley Street, Singapore 068733.

Frequently asked questions

Does Singapore have a certificate of incumbency?

Not from ACRA. ACRA sells no document by that name, and we found no Singapore law that creates one. Companies that are asked for one often supply an ACRA Business Profile, which lists officers and shareholders, or a statement signed by the company secretary. Ask for the exact wording and age limit before you order anything. ACRA charges S$5.50 for a Business Profile as at 10 November 2026.

What is the purpose of a certificate of incumbency?

A certificate of incumbency tells a bank, registry or counterparty who the directors, officers and shareholders of a company are on a given date. The recipient uses it to confirm who may act for the company and who owns it. It is a snapshot, so recipients set an age limit, which ranges from about one month to one year in the sources we checked.

What is the difference between a certificate of incumbency and a certificate of incorporation?

A certificate of incorporation shows that a company was formed, and when. A certificate of incumbency shows who runs it now. In Singapore, ACRA issues a Certificate Confirming Incorporation of Company through Bizfile, and Bizfile limits purchase of it to authorised people such as company officers. It records the formation. It is not updated when directors change, so it cannot show who runs the company today.

Is an ACRA Business Profile accepted instead of a certificate of incumbency?

Often, but only the requester can say. DBS’s checklist for Singapore-incorporated companies lists a certificate of incumbency or Bizfile for corporate shareholders, and GoBusiness lists the Business Profile among the documents Singapore banks generally ask for. A foreign bank or registry may insist on the exact title. Send a Business Profile only after the requester has agreed to it.

How long is a certificate of incumbency valid in Singapore?

We found no law that sets a validity period, and ACRA states none for its own certificates. The DBS checklists say within one year, HSBC Singapore says within six months of validity, and practitioner guides report one to three months for some overseas parties. Order close to the submission date, and ask whether the limit runs from issue or submission.

Is there a free ACRA Business Profile?

Yes, for the filer. Since 27 March 2026, ACRA sends a free Business Profile to the filer’s Bizfile inbox within 15 minutes of a new registration, a renewal or an Annual Return, and it stays downloadable for 60 days, according to ACRA’s announcement. Anyone else buys a profile at S$5.50.

Can a struck-off Singapore company get a certificate of good standing?

Bizfile says the certificate is available for live local and foreign companies. A struck-off company is not live. Practitioners also report that overdue filings and winding up block the certificate or show the default. Check the company’s status on Bizfile first. If it has been struck off, restore it before you apply.

Sources

• ACRA Bizfile: Business Profile
• ACRA Bizfile: Certificates, including the Certificate of Good Standing
• ACRA: Buying a Business Profile
• ACRA: Simplified free Business Profile download
• ACRA: Downloading ACRA information products
• ACRA: Verifying and certifying
• Singapore Academy of Law: Legalisation FAQ
• HCCH: Apostille Convention status table
• Singapore Embassy, UAE: Legalisation of Singapore documents
• GoBusiness: Open a corporate bank account
• DBS: Singapore-incorporated company checklist
• DBS: Account-opening checklist
• HSBC Singapore: Document upload guidance

Last reviewed: 10 November 2026 by Ray Tay. See how we write and check our guides in the editorial policy.