Do you need a Singapore company to sell here?

It depends how you sell. A one-off pop-up market can often run with no Singapore company at all. Selling on marketplaces or your own store usually needs a local entity so you're the seller of record. Incorporation is ~1–3 business days and ~S$3,000–4,000 all-in for year one. Either way, you still need a Responsible Person for cosmetics.

• Pop-up market: often no entity — someone local can be seller of record for the weekend.
• Shopee / Lazada / TikTok Shop SG: all three need a local UEN + SG bank account.
• Incorporation: 1–3 business days, ~S$3,000–4,000 year-one all-in.
• The recurring cost people miss: a nominee director, ~S$2,000–3,000/yr.
• Not ready to incorporate? Sell through us as seller of record.

The pop-up path (no entity)

For a single pop-up market weekend you often don't need a Singapore company at all — someone just has to be the seller of record. That party is legally making the sale and answerable for it, and it doesn't have to be you. A Singapore entity can hold that position for the event, with your brand on the table.

What you still need, entity or not: a Responsible Person for any cosmetic, products notified to HSA, packs carrying the RP's Singapore name and address, and legal work status for anyone staffing the booth (see Booth setup). What you don't need: your own UEN, a Singapore bank account, a nominee director, or a corporate secretary.

The honest version: this path is built for testing — find out whether Singapore shoppers want your product before you spend S$4,000 on a company. If the weekend goes well, incorporate then, with evidence.

The marketplace / store path (entity)

The moment you want to sell continuously, the answer changes: Shopee, Lazada and TikTok Shop Singapore all require a local ACRA entity (UEN) plus a Singapore corporate bank account for a proper local store. It's a platform requirement, not a grey area.

	Cross-border seller	Local seller
Entity needed	No	Yes — UEN + SG bank account
Commission	Higher	Lower
Mall / official store	Generally not available	Available with trademark
Delivery expectations	Longer	Local

⚠️ On the commission gap: figures of ~14% cross-border vs ~5–10% local circulate — treat that as a planning assumption, not a fact. Charges vary by category, programme and date. Pull a live quote from the Seller Centre for your exact category before deciding.

What an entity actually gets you

Beyond ticking a platform box, an entity lets you be your own RP, access local marketplace rates, hold SGD, reclaim import GST, and look credible. Across a growing range, being your own RP eventually costs less than paying per SKU, and a GST-registered entity reclaims the 9% import GST (trade-off: you must then charge 9% and stay registered two years).

Who we'd use to incorporate — the market splits into digital-first and full-service. Prices indicative; get written quotes.

We earn a referral fee if you sign up through these links. We only list partners we'd use ourselves, and it never changes what you pay them.

Need	Who	Best for	The catch
Incorporation	Osome	AI-driven; secretary + accounting bundled; fast filing	Less hand-holding
Incorporation	Sleek	Most hand-holding; standalone nominee; accounting from ~S$900/yr	Pricier
Business account	Airwallex	Multi-currency, ~48h remote open, interbank + ~0.6% to IDR	Not a bank (no SDIC)
Business account	Aspire (code VXXJEUJP)	Singapore SME-focused	Not a bank (no SDIC)
Business account	Wise	Transparent ~0.4–0.7% all-in to IDR; local account details	Not a bank (no SDIC)

Also worth knowing (we don't earn on this one): BBCIncorp is often the cheapest all-in incorporation package for foreign owners.

What it costs

Item	Indicative
Incorporation, year-one all-in	~S$3,000–4,000
Nominee resident director	~S$2,000–3,000/yr — recurring
Corporate secretary	Usually bundled; required within 6 months
Paid-up capital	S$1
Timeline	1–3 business days (longer if referred)

100% foreign ownership is allowed — you don't need a Singaporean partner.

⚠️ The banking problem nobody warns you about

A fully Indonesian-owned Singapore company doesn't qualify for instant account-opening at DBS/OCBC/UOB (those need a Singaporean/PR with Singpass). You're routed to manual due diligence — two to eight weeks or more. The practical path is a fintech account (Airwallex, Aspire or Wise), open in ~2 days, fully remote. Start it the day your UEN lands — it's the long pole, not incorporation.

The no-entity shortcut

If you want to start selling before you're ready to incorporate, you can sell through us as the seller of record for your Singapore sales. You keep the brand, the pricing and the customer; we handle the seller-side paperwork. It's built for pop-ups and early sales — once you're scaling, your own entity works out better (lower commission, reclaimable GST, your own name on the notification), and we'll tell you when you've hit that point. See if it fits →

FAQ

Can I sell on Shopee without a Singapore company? Only as a cross-border seller — higher commission, no Mall tier. A proper local store needs a UEN + SG bank account.

Do I need a Singaporean business partner? No. 100% foreign ownership is allowed.

What's the catch with incorporating as an Indonesian owner? Banking. The company is easy; opening the bank account is the slow part — start a fintech account immediately.

Do I still need a Responsible Person if I incorporate? Yes for cosmetics — but now you can be your own RP under your entity.

See if sell-through-us fits → · Read the RP guide →

Last verified 22 July 2026. Sources: ACRA requirements for foreigners, ACRA directors and company secretary, IRAS voluntary GST considerations, and IRAS importing-goods guidance. Vendor pricing indicative — confirm by quote at the time of application. Not legal or tax advice.