All set to setting up a company in Singapore! You are just a few steps away from professionalising your business.
At the outset, choosing the correct name for your business is the first thing that comes to mind, so a company name check is essential. It plays a critical role in setting up your business; a company name check is crucial. The name by which it is known represents the business, deeply influencing the prospective customer’s mind and affecting their behaviour.
Additionally, preparing yourself sufficiently before proceeding with name reservation and being thoughtful in choosing it will minimise the chances of the desired name being rejected by the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA), Singapore. The ACRA reserves the right to approve or reject any name/s applied for reservation by any proposed business entity in Singapore by its own established guidelines regarding business incorporation in Singapore.
Key considerations when choosing a name for your proposed business or company
Ensure that the proposed name does not resemble or is identical to one already registered with ACRA or that you know already exists in the Singapore market; a company name check is important.
Merely adding/replacing a word to an already registered name will not be considered a different name.
Also, those with similar pronunciations and similar meanings but used in different series will be disregarded. For example:
For more such words, you can refer to Table A provided by ACRA, specifying words disregarded when assessing identical names.
- Refrain from choosing undesirable names (e.g., vulgar, obscene, or offensive), such as names using symbols. @#$, etc., names similar to those of government bodies or protected by law, such as names containing “Temasek”, are not available for registration.
- Choose a name that closely relates to your business activity and is distinctive and unique to avoid confusion among prospective customers and business-setup competitors. Be careful about choosing the name so that it does not mislead or give false information about the nature of the business.
- Do not use words like bank, finance, insurance, education, school, etc., which will require special approval from other authorities / regulatory bodies and unnecessarily delay the registration process.
How do you check name availability in Singapore?
Visit BizFile+, the ACRA business filing portal, enter the desired business name in the search bar at the top of the page, and click the “Search” button to find out whether it is identical to the Singapore company name check tool one already registered. Or refer to the link:
You can search for different alternative names until you get the perfect one.
Conclusion
Selecting the best name for your business can sometimes take time and effort. Still, ACRA simultaneously makes it easy for its users by providing a convenient search option at its Bizfile+ portal, where you can search for Singapore business incorporation and find out if a foreigner can open a company in Singapore through different names. Additionally, referring to ACRA’s guide on choosing a name will make it easier to reserve your name with ACRA.
Spending enough time checking name availability will also minimise your chances of competitor/s filing complaints against you for having a similar business name, especially in the context of Singapore business incorporation. Do you still need help? Use the 3E Accounting Name Check Search button, where we will make it convenient for you, or contact us!
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Contact Us TodayFrequently Asked Questions
You can visit the ACRA BizFile+ portal and use the search button at the top menu to find name/s available for registration.
If your desired business name is unavailable for registration with ACRA, you must adhere to ACRA’s naming guidelines and then devise alternate options.
