How to Open a Bank Account in Singapore – Ultimate Guide
5 minute read
So you have an idea. You’ve got your company ready to go. You’re feeling good. Next step: time to open a bank account.
Don’t make the mistake of using your personal bank account to receive and pay business expenses. A bank account is necessary not only for security but for easier access and control of your business funds.
But how do you open a bank account in Singapore? Where should you start?
Below is our guide on the things you need to consider in order to open an account with banks in Singapore.
Overview:
- Opening a bank account in Singapore
- What bank should I choose?
- Sleek Business Account
- Traditional banks
- Next Steps
*Updated as of April 2023. Please refer to individual bank services website for the most updated information.
Opening a bank account in Singapore
The paperwork
Use the list below to start to get your paperwork in order for your bank meeting.
- A completed Corporate Account Opening Form duly signed by authorized signatories of your company or startup
- A Directors’ Resolution will be needed to prove that the company was given the go ahead to open a bank account. Most banks already have a form ready for this so you only need signatures from your board
- To prove that you are indeed incorporated, you need the Certified True Copy of the Company’s Business Profile from the Company Registrar (note that only a member of the board or the company secretary like Sleek can certify this document)
- Certified True Copy of Passport/Singapore IC and Residential Address Proof of Directors, Signatories and Ultimate Beneficial Owners
Your company secretary is likely to be a valuable ally in getting your required documents together as they likely had these on hand at your incorporation.
They can also act as a signatory to help open the account – however most banks require the presence of at least two signatories when opening the account.
What bank should I choose?
There are quite a number of banks to choose from in Singapore but we’ve rounded them all up and selected the more popular ones for you.
This is not a list of the best banks in Singapore, but rather a list of banks where we found opening a bank account for startups to be easier.
You have two options you can consider – either a traditional Singapore bank or a fintech provider that provides online corporate deposit accounts.
A key difference is that the local banks require a face to face meeting in Singapore, while opening a virtual deposit account can be done entirely online. If you’re considering opening a digital business account, here are 3 things you should consider before making the decision.
Each bank differs on their respective account opening requirements and fees which vary in terms of required minimum deposits, transaction fees, currencies, etc.
At Sleek the connections to our banking partners are made seamlessly from within our Sleek platform once your company has been successfully incorporated.
Sleek Business Account
Sleek has launched the Sleek Business Account, an all-in-one virtual account that allows businesses like yours to instantly start receiving and sending payments.
Sleek Business Account is free for clients who take up any Sleek services. There are no set up fees or minimum balance required, and onboarding is just 1 more step, making it simple and fast for busy entrepreneurs like yourself! Sign up to activate your free Sleek Business Account.
✅ Send & receive money immediately upon setup
✅ The only account that does your bookkeeping
✅ No monthly fees, no initial deposit
Get a free consultation on the best way to set up your business
Got questions about getting started? Get them all answered with a free consultation on business structure and compliance in Singapore.
Traditional Banks
OCBC
Remote bank account opening steps
- Questionnaire to be completed by the company’s directors via email
- Video/phone call to run through the questionnaire, product offerings and any other questions
- Customer to notarize or certify their passport & signature specimen (note: if customer have a signature specimen on his/her passport page, just notarize/certify the passport will do)
- Customer will be guided on which pages to sign, signatures to match the specimen that was notarized/certified true
- Customer to courier the original documents to Singapore for processing
Business Growth Account (For businesses registered in Singapore)
The all-in-one business account for SMEs
- Minimum initial deposit: S$1,000
- Service fee: S$15 per month if monthly average balance falls below S$1,000
- Account fee: S$10 per month, waived for the first 2 months
Business Entrepreneur Plus Account (For businesses registered and based in Singapore)
The fuss-free solution for businesses to manage payments and collections
- Minimum initial deposit: S$30,000
- Service fee: S$50 per month if monthly average balance falls below S$30,000
- Account fee: No recurring account fees
USD Business Smart Account
- Minimum initial deposit: US$500
- Service fee: Waived for 1st 6 months; thereafter, US$15 per month if monthly average balance falls below US$1,000
OCBC or the Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation is the result of a merger between three local banks. They currently own Great Eastern Holdings which is the largest insurance group in Malaysia and Singapore. OCBC offers a wide array of services including three different business accounts for startups in different stages.
They have something for brand new businesses, for ones that are growing and are expecting more transactions, and a business account for established businesses. While the high maintaining balance can be daunting, the account has plenty of free transactions which you can’t find on other accounts.
Account features
- Free business accounts setup (exceptions: CHF/JPY/EUR accounts)
- Free business internet banking and digital tokens
- Free business mobile banking
- Free business debit cards (SG) with free personalisation of company’s logo
- Xero Accounting direct bank feeds enabled
*Additional eligibility criteria may apply, all account openings are subject to the bank’s conditions.
UOB
UOB virtual bank account opening procedure:
- Video verification for the opening of UOB Corporate Bank accounts is now possible for Singapore incorporated companies
- Do note that only the director(s) or shareholder(s) can be the signatories for video conference verification
- First a KYC questionnaire will be sent to the directors to complete on behalf of the Singapore company – only 1 Director will need to complete the questionnaire or the Ultimate Beneficial Owner. Director or the Ultimate Beneficial Owner to forward the completed questionnaire to UOB Banker for an initial review
- After the initial review, UOB Banker will liaise with client on the date and time of the video conference
- Upon confirmation of the date and time of the video conference, a link will be sent to the directors/ shareholders (Video conference is done via Microsoft Teams). A copy of the bank forms will be sent as well
- The directors will click on the link on the date/time of the video conference to sign in. All parties to prepare their original passport and have all the bank forms/ passport printed out
- All intended signatories (Director and/or Shareholder) will need to join in the Microsoft Team conference call – ideally all the signatories will need to be physically present at the same location of the conference as all wet signature(s) are to be signed on the same copy of the form
- The ID documents do not need to be notarised. The KYC check will be a per UOBs current process this includes shareholders and directors.
eBusiness Account
- Initial deposit: S$1,000
- Annual account fee: S$35
- Minimum daily balance: S$5,000
BizTransact Account
- Initial deposit: S$1,000
- Annual account fee: No annual or monthly fees
- Minimum daily balance: S$50,000
The UOB or the United Overseas Bank has presence all over Southeast Asia and China. With branches in 19 countries, it’s another bank you might want to consider opening an account with.
The UOB has three different types of accounts for different banking needs. As a business, you should be looking at their operating accounts which are tailor-made for businesses.
UOB allows online bank opening!
Do note that online account opening is subject to the listed requirements:
- This service is currently only applicable to Singapore-registered Sole Proprietor, Partnership and Private Limited Companies fully owned by individuals (i) Singapore Citizens or (ii) Permanent Resident. For Private Limited Companies, the directors must also be the approved signatories and approved persons of the company.
- Applications must be submitted between 8.30am – 9pm to have the account opened instantly. Applications received outside these timings will be processed on the next working day.
- Applications submitted through this service are subject to approval by UOB Bank and the bank reserves the right to request for additional documents to support the account opening.
*Additional eligibility criteria may apply, all account openings are subject to the bank’s conditions.
Maybank
Flexibiz Account
- Initial deposit: S$1,000
- Recurring fees: No monthly fees
Maybank is another big name in banking in Southeast Asia. Maybank is the fourth largest bank in Southeast Asia by assets. Maybank provides investment banking, corporate banking, insurance and consumer banking among other things to 20 different countries. Maybank has 4 different business accounts to choose from. The most popular account is Flexibiz and it has no monthly fees which can prove beneficial for startups that are a bit low on cash.
*Additional eligibility criteria may apply, all account openings are subject to the bank’s conditions.
DBS
Apply online or walk in to the branch
DBS is a leading financial services group in Asia with a presence in 18 markets. Headquartered and listed in Singapore, DBS is in the three key Asian axes of growth: Greater China, Southeast Asia and South Asia. The best part about opening a company account with DBS is that they can process your application really fast. While DBS requires the authorized signatories and executive director to be present for a face-to-face meeting, exceptions can be made at the bank’s discretion. DBS also offers an online application where you can save time and effort without visiting their branches. All account openings are subject to the bank’s approval.
Business Multi-Currency Account (Starter Bundle)
For SMEs incorporated for less than 3 years
- Monthly account fee: S$10
- No minimum balance
- No initial deposit required
- No fall-below fee
- Free online banking & debit card
Business Multi-Currency Account
Open to all businesses
- S$10,000 min. balance
- Initial deposit of S$1,000
- S$40 fall-below fee
- Free online banking & debit card
- One account, 13 currencies including SGD, USD, EURO, AUD and more.
How to Apply?
1) Use this link to start – https://go.dbs.com/sleek
2) Choose Bank account type – Digital Business Account / Multi-Currency Account
3) Retrieve your company’s information using Corppass & Myinfo Business, OR your Business Registration Number.
4) Follow through the process to fill up the documentations online
5) Select how we should proceed to contact you on the Declaration Page:
For Local Incorporation with only Singaporean / PR Directors
Choose to open your account instantly or with the help of our Virtually RMs without any visit to the branch
For Local Incorporation with Foreign Directors –
Choose a suitable appointment at the branch of your choice.
6) Once you complete and submit the forms online, please email your Online Account Opening Reference Number to the DBS Banker to keep track for you
7) Confirmed Appointment Document checklist – Click here
*Additional eligibility criteria may apply, all account openings are subject to the bank’s conditions.a
Your one-stop guide on the incorporation how-tos in Singapore
If you are new to Singapore and planning on starting a business here, download our free whitepaper that includes everything a business owner needs to kickstart.
Your one-stop guide on the incorporation how-to's in Singapore
If you are new to Singapore and planning on starting a business here, download our free whitepaper that includes everything a business owner needs to kickstart
Next steps
Contrary to what many entrepreneurs say, opening a bank account for your company does not have to be difficult. The process can be straightforward if you have the right information, and even more so if you have the right guidance. Here at Sleek, we help every client by allowing access to our network of bankers and business account solutions.
If you’d like to end your bank-induced headache, get in touch and we’ll be more than happy to connect you with the banking service that best fits your needs.
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