Singapore: the words ACRA does not count
Name approval at Singapore's Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) is normally quick. The name application is filed online through Bizfile, many are approved shortly after payment, and an approved name is held for four months. The rules on what counts as identical are where founders get caught: a long list of words that feel distinctive is ignored in the comparison.
A name application costs S$15 and is not refunded if the name is rejected or you withdraw. An approved name is reserved for 120 days, within which you must complete registration. Names that need a referral authority's approval can add 14 to 60 days, according to ACRA's guidance.
What ACRA ignores when comparing names
The identity test is set by the Companies (Identical Names) Regulations 2015 and explained in ACRA's guidance. Before comparing a proposed name with existing and reserved names, ACRA disregards the following. If your name differs from an existing one only in these words, it will be rejected.
| Category | Disregarded |
|---|---|
| Start of name | “The” |
| Geographical words | Asia, Asia Pacific, South Asia, South East Asia, Singapore, Worldwide |
| Business descriptors | Company, And Company, Corporation, Group, Associates, Holdings, Incorporated, International, Trading, Partners, Partnership |
| Entity types | Pte, Private, Ltd, Limited, LLP, LP, PAC, Berhad, Bhd, Sdn, Sendirian, and their long forms |
| Domain endings | .co, .com, .edu, .gov, .net, .org, .sg |
In practice, “Northwind Asia Pacific Holdings Pte. Ltd.” and “Northwind International Pte. Ltd.” are both treated as “Northwind”, and only one can exist. Adding a region or a word such as “Holdings” to a taken name, to make it different, does not work in Singapore for the words on the list. A word that is not on the list, such as “Global”, is compared like any other word.
Names that will be refused outright
- Identical to an existing entity's name or a reserved name, after the reduction above.
- Similar to government bodies or names protected by legislation. ACRA's guidance gives Temasek as an example.
- Undesirable, such as names containing vulgar, obscene or offensive terms.
- Of a kind the Minister has directed ACRA not to accept, under the Companies Act.
Referral authorities
Some words cause the application to be referred to another agency for approval before ACRA can register the name. ACRA's own example is “school”, which may be referred to the Ministry of Education. Other words are referred to the agency that regulates the activity they suggest. ACRA publishes the list of referral authorities, and that agency's decision is what counts. A refusal by the referral authority means ACRA cannot approve the name.
Because referral can add weeks, avoid regulated-sounding words unless your business is actually regulated in that area. If it is, start the regulatory application in parallel.
The suffix
A private company limited by shares in Singapore ends its name with “Private Limited” or “Pte. Ltd.”, and a public company with “Limited” or “Ltd.”. As the table shows, these endings are ignored in the identity comparison. They are part of the legal name, but they never make it unique.
After registration: complaints and directions to change
Approval is not the end. A business that thinks your registered name is identical, too similar to its own, or otherwise undesirable can complain to ACRA. ACRA's guidance says complaints about a similar name must be made within 12 months of the other entity's registration. If ACRA upholds the complaint, it can direct the company to change its name. A newly registered name is therefore exposed to challenge for a year.
Trade marks are a separate check
ACRA compares names against its own register of business entities. It does not decide whether your name infringes a registered trade mark. That is a matter for the Trade Marks Act and IPOS, the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore. ACRA's own checklist for choosing a name tells applicants to look for trade marks to avoid. A name ACRA approves can still lead to an infringement claim, and the cost of rebranding then falls on you. Search the IPOS register before you file the name application. How to search so the result means something.
Questions
Can a foreigner file the name application?
ACRA's guidance says certain filings can be made by anyone with Singpass. To register a local company, a foreign founder generally has to use a registered filing agent or corporate service provider, who files the name application as part of the incorporation.
Can I extend the 120-day reservation?
ACRA's guidance describes the name as released for others to use once the 120 days pass without registration. If you miss the window, you will need to apply again and pay again, and someone else may take the name in between.
My name is identical to a company that is being struck off. Can I have it?
Not while the other entity is still on the register. Once it has been struck off or the name changed, the name may become available. Check ACRA's register on the day you file, not in advance.
Related
- All company-name jurisdictionsHow other registries compare
- Australia: ASIC namesAnother register that ignores a list of words
Published 2026-10-18 and checked against ACRA's published guidance on choosing and reserving a name and the Companies (Identical Names) Regulations 2015. Fees, timings and referral lists change. Confirm with ACRA before filing. Not legal advice.