An ACRA profile starts the Singapore company check.
Match the UEN, choose the right ACRA records and read their filing dates. A public profile leaves some ownership and control questions for the company to answer.
By Matthew Lee
The UEN identifies the entity; the ACRA Business Profile shows its filed particulars.
Singapore’s Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) supplies company information through Bizfile. A basic lookup is a useful first check. For an onboarding file, choose the information product that answers your question and retain the document with its retrieval date.
A company’s existence, its registered shareholders and the people who ultimately control it are separate questions. The Business Profile helps with the first two. An ownership review can require further records and a declaration from the company.
Match the UEN first
Ask for the exact registered name and Unique Entity Number (UEN). Enter the UEN on Bizfile and compare the returned name, entity type, status and registered address with the counterparty’s documents. If you search by name, resolve similar names before buying information.
UEN formats vary by entity category. Preserve the complete identifier, including letters and leading zeroes. A company, business, LLP and foreign company registration can have different records; a familiar trading name does not tell you which legal person is contracting.
If an invoice names a brand while the agreement names a company, ask the counterparty to explain the relationship. Keep that explanation with the registry match. An address shared with a corporate services provider is a reason to check the operating address, rather than evidence of wrongdoing on its own.
Choose the information product
ACRA describes the Business Profile as a snapshot of information held on the register. It includes registration particulars, business activities, capital and officer and shareholder information. Available fields depend on the entity and the filings made.
| Question | Starting record | Follow-up |
|---|---|---|
| Which entity is this? | Basic lookup and Business Profile | Compare the UEN with the contract |
| Who are its officers? | Business Profile or relevant register | Check appointments and authority for the transaction |
| Who holds its shares? | Business Profile and register of members | Resolve share classes and corporate members |
| What has it filed? | Filed document extracts | Retain the relevant annual return, constitution or accounts |
| Is a certificate required? | Appropriate ACRA certificate | Confirm eligibility, authority and the recipient’s requirements |
A profile, an extract and a certificate serve different purposes. Specify the required record when ordering. If a bank or overseas authority requests certification, confirm the exact form it will accept before purchasing a plain copy.
Read the dates together
Record when you retrieved the profile and when the underlying annual return or other relevant document was filed. A recent download does not make every underlying statement recent. Compare changes in officers, capital and address with the transaction you are reviewing.
For a company with a recently appointed director, check the appointment record rather than relying on an older annual return. For an ownership change, request the relevant member record and supporting documents. Explain any remaining gap in your review note.
The registered address is an official contact location. It does not establish where stock, staff or management are located. The business activity classification also does not prove that a regulated activity is licensed; check the relevant regulator where the activity requires authorisation.
Follow corporate shareholders
Read the shareholders and holdings shown in the available records, including share classes. A corporate shareholder is another entity to identify by jurisdiction and registration number. Obtain its ownership evidence and continue the chain towards natural persons.
ACRA’s Central Register of Registrable Controllers is not available for ordinary public purchase. Do not label a Business Profile as a public beneficial ownership report. Nominees, trusts, voting arrangements and other control rights may require company-supplied evidence.
Ask for an ownership chart and a signed declaration where the public chain leaves a gap. Compare them with the records you have, aggregate interests across relevant paths and assess control separately. The UBO tracing guide illustrates why a small immediate holding can still lead to a qualifying owner.
Capital and financial statements
Read issued and paid-up capital separately. Neither figure establishes the cash currently available to pay a supplier or repay a loan. Check the currency and share classes before comparing totals across a group.
Whether financial statements are available depends on the company’s filing obligations. An absence of public accounts does not by itself establish non-compliance. Confirm the relevant exemption or filing position, then ask the client for financial evidence if your assessment needs it.
For filed accounts, record the financial year, the reporting entity and whether the statements cover a group. Check the auditor’s report where supplied. A profile’s financial summary is a starting point; the underlying statements explain the figures and qualifications.
Build the evidence file
- Entity match: the exact name, UEN and entity type, with any trading-name explanation.
- Registry evidence: the Business Profile and selected extracts, with source and retrieval date.
- Ownership working: relevant member records, the chain, calculations and unresolved gaps.
- Authority: the current officer record and any mandate required for the transaction.
- Review conclusion: the questions raised, answers received and reason for accepting or escalating them.
Keep the original record beside any summary. Separate information from ACRA, statements supplied by the company and your own conclusions. That makes a later reviewer’s job easier when the officer or ownership record has changed.
Ordering through Fill Easy
Send the Singapore company’s name, UEN, required documents and your reference to agent@fill-easy.com, or use the API. Say whether you need only a Business Profile or additional member records, filed documents or a certificate. Availability, any required authority, price and expected turnaround are confirmed with the order.
Our Singapore registry page lists the information products. CorpVerify returns the requested records with source, retrieval time and request ID. For the people behind the company, the Singpass and Myinfo guide covers a separate identity-verification workflow.
Which ownership gap remains after your team reads the ACRA profile?