- An SSIC code is the five-digit number that tells ACRA what your business does
- New registrations must use SSIC 2025 codes from 9 May 2026
- Companies can declare one primary and one optional secondary code
- Regulated activities can trigger referrals that slow down incorporation
An SSIC code is a five-digit Singapore Standard Industrial Classification code used to describe a company’s business activities when registering with ACRA. Singapore’s SSIC 2025 classification updates the previous SSIC 2020 edition to reflect changes in the economy and emerging activities. If you’re registering a company, this guide explains how to find the appropriate code, choose your principal and secondary activities, check the official classification and update your company’s records when its activities change.
Quick Answer: An SSIC code is the five-digit Singapore Standard Industrial Classification code that tells ACRA what your business does. You choose it when you register your company on Bizfile, and you can update it later if your activities change. Pick the code that matches your main revenue-generating activity, and check whether it needs a licence before you file.
What is an SSIC code?
An SSIC code is a five-digit classification number used in Singapore to describe your business activity when you register with ACRA, a step covered in our step-by-step ACRA registration guide.
It stands for Singapore Standard Industrial Classification and helps government agencies understand what your company does. SSIC codes are required during incorporation and are used for:
- Company registration and approval
- Determining if your business needs extra licences
- Tax profiling and incentive eligibility with IRAS
- Statistical reporting and regulatory oversight
- Global classification standards
- Emerging industries like fintech, sustainability, AI, and digital services
- Changes in Singapore’s economic landscape
What changed with Singapore’s SSIC 2025 classification?
Singapore’s SSIC 2025 classification replaces SSIC 2020, updating industry categories and definitions to reflect changes in economic activities and align with the latest international classification framework.
For businesses, the key consideration is whether the registered SSIC code accurately describes their actual business activities.
- New company registrations: You can select up to two SSIC codes when registering a company: a principal activity and an optional secondary activity. Choose the principal code based on the activity that contributes the most value added to your business.
- Existing companies: Review your registered business activities to ensure they remain accurate. The introduction of SSIC 2025 does not, by itself, mean every existing company must change its code.
- Changes to business activities: If your company’s activities change, update the relevant information with ACRA through Bizfile within the applicable filing deadline, generally 14 days.
- Replacing an older code: SSIC 2025 may use revised categories or definitions, so don’t assume your previous SSIC 2020 code still describes your activity accurately. Match your business activity to the updated classification before selecting a replacement.
To choose a code, start with your company’s main revenue-generating operations, identify the activity that contributes the most value added, and compare the relevant category definitions. If your company carries out a distinct secondary activity, select a second code where appropriate. For regulated activities, check licensing requirements separately; an SSIC code alone does not establish that a licence is required or that your business qualifies for a particular approval.
For specific code descriptions and the official SSIC 2025 classification, refer to this.
How do you check your company’s SSIC code?
Need to find your company’s SSIC code Singapore? Just follow these quick steps on the Sleek platform:
- Log in to your Sleek account.
- On the left-hand menu, go to ‘Company Info’, then click ‘Company ID’.
- Your SSIC code will be listed under the ‘Principal Activities’ section, typically at the bottom right of the page.
Want to see it in action? Watch the quick video walkthrough above. Your ACRA SSIC code also appears on your ACRA business profile, which you can download from Bizfile.
How do you find the right SSIC code for your business?
Once you’ve identified your business’s principal activity, the next step is matching it to the right SSIC code. This part can feel frustrating because the list is long, the categories are vague, and some codes seem almost interchangeable. If you are working out how to choose SSIC code options that all look similar, these five steps help.
1. Start with relevant keywords
Use clear, commonly understood terms that describe what your business actually does. Think about how someone outside your industry might describe your work. For example:
- Instead of UX design, try web design or creative services
- Instead of fintech SaaS, try financial software or IT services
Keep it simple and aligned with your main offering.
2. Explore similar or broader terms
The SSIC list doesn’t always reflect modern or hybrid business models. If your exact activity isn’t listed, look for:
- Broader categories (e.g., training instead of leadership coaching)
- Upstream or downstream services (e.g., wholesale if you manufacture, consulting if you advise)
Don’t aim for perfection, aim for the best functional fit that reflects your core operations.
3. Cross-check with the full SSIC list
Conduct a manual search on the latest Singapore Standard Industrial Classification. It groups codes by industry, which helps if you’re browsing manually. Take your time reviewing sections that align with your sector, such as tech, retail, logistics or education, to spot codes that aren’t obvious in a keyword search.
4. Write a custom business activity description
During company registration, ACRA allows you to add a short custom description to clarify your business activity. But this must closely match the selected SSIC code. Mismatches may result in referral checks or approval delays.
5. Check for licensing or referral implications
As mentioned earlier, some SSIC codes can trigger reviews by referral authorities like MAS or Enterprise Singapore. This may result in longer processing times, often several weeks, depending on the referral authority. If you’re in a regulated industry, be extra careful when selecting your code and ensure you’re prepared for additional steps.
How do you choose your SSIC code during incorporation?
When you incorporate, you declare one primary SSIC code for your main revenue-generating activity and, if needed, one secondary code, so a company holds up to two codes. That is how to choose SSIC code pairs in practice: the activity that earns more goes first. Codes in regulated sectors can send your application to a referral agency, so check the business licences and permits you may need before you file.
| Your situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| One main activity | Choose the single five-digit code that best describes how you earn revenue |
| Two significant activities | Declare the larger one as primary and the other as secondary |
| Holding company | Use the holding-company code covered in the FAQs below, and confirm it with your filing agent |
| Regulated activity needing a licence | Check licensing and referral requirements first, as approval can take longer |
If your activities change later, the steps to change SSIC code ACRA holds on file are in our guide to updating company details on Bizfile. The SSIC code for holding company set-ups is the one founders ask us about most, so it has its own answer in the FAQs.
Sleek handles your SSIC selection, ACRA filing, constitution and company secretary in one go, and our advisors confirm the code with you before anything is filed. If you are registering from overseas, the same team chooses and files your code as part of your incorporation.
How do you change your SSIC code with ACRA?
If your company’s registered business activities change, review the principal and secondary activities recorded with ACRA and update them through Bizfile where required. ACRA generally requires companies to file changes to business activities within 14 days of the change.
Before submitting the update, identify the code that best describes the revised activity and check its official SSIC 2025 definition. If you need to add additional business activities beyond the available principal and secondary fields, check ACRA’s requirements for filing the additional activities.
Which SSIC codes do Singapore businesses use most?
Choosing the right SSIC code is critical when registering your business in Singapore. This SSIC code list reflects the SSIC 2025 framework (effective 9 May 2026), which replaced SSIC 2020. Always verify your chosen code on ACRA’s Bizfile portal before registering, as some descriptions and codes were updated in the transition.
Accommodation and Food Service Activities
| SSIC Code | Description |
|---|---|
| 47102 | Mini-marts, convenience stores and provision shops |
| 47219 | Retail sale of food n.e.c. |
| 56111 | Restaurants |
| 56112 | Cafes |
| 56122 | Food courts, coffee shops and canteens (with mainly food and beverage income) |
| 56140 | Stalls selling cooked food and prepared drinks (including stalls at food courts and mobile food hawkers) |
| 56200 | Food caterers |
Administrative and Support Service Activities
| SSIC Code | Description |
|---|---|
| 77101 | Renting and leasing of private cars without a driver |
| 78104 | Employment agencies (except domestic worker employment placement agencies) |
| 79102 | Travel agencies and tour operators (mainly outbound) |
| 81211 | General cleaning services (except household cleaning) |
| 82303 | Event organisers (except concerts, sports/fitness event organisers and wedding planners) |
| 82999 | Other business support service activities n.e.c. |
Arts, Sports and Recreation
| SSIC Code | Description |
|---|---|
| 93203 | Night clubs, discotheques, dance clubs and karaoke lounges |
Construction
| SSIC Code | Description |
|---|---|
| 41001 | General contractors (building construction, including major upgrading works) |
| 41009 | Building construction n.e.c. |
| 43210 | Electrical works |
| 43220 | Installation of plumbing, heating (non-electric) and air-conditioning systems |
| 43301 | Renovation contractors |
Education
| SSIC Code | Description |
|---|---|
| 85405 | Training courses for information and communications, finance and professional services |
| 85407 | Training courses for sports and games |
| 85408 | Training courses for music, dancing, art, speech and drama |
| 85409 | Training courses n.e.c. |
| 85509 | Educational support services n.e.c. (excluding online marketplaces) |
Financial and Insurance Activities
| SSIC Code | Description |
|---|---|
| 64201 | Bank and financial holding companies (including insurance holding companies) |
| 64202 | Other holding companies |
| 66192 | Corporate finance advisory services |
| 66301 | Traditional/long-only asset/portfolio management |
| 66309 | Fund management activities n.e.c. |
Health and Social Services
| SSIC Code | Description |
|---|---|
| 86201 | Clinics and other general medical services (Western) |
| 86203 | Specialised medical services (including day surgical centres) |
| 86204 | Dental services |
| 86901 | Medical laboratories |
| 87029 | Other residential care services n.e.c. |
| 88911 | Infant care services; child minding services for pre-school children |
Manufacturing
| SSIC Code | Description |
|---|---|
| 28300 | Installation of industrial machinery and equipment, mechanical engineering works |
| 30110 | Building and repairing of ships, tankers and other ocean-going vessels (including conversion of ships into offshore structures) |
| 31001 | Manufacture of furniture and fixtures of wood |
| 32909 | Other manufacturing industries n.e.c. |
Mining and Quarrying
| SSIC Code | Description |
|---|---|
| 09002 | Service activities incidental to oil and gas extraction (except surveying and engineering design and consultancy services supporting mining, oil and gas extraction and offshore exploration activities) |
Other Service Activities
| SSIC Code | Description |
|---|---|
| 95301 | Repair and maintenance of motor vehicles |
| 96021 | Hairdressing salons/shops |
| 96022 | Beauty salons and spas (including slimming, skin care and hair care centres) |
| 96099 | Other personal service activities n.e.c. |
Professional, Scientific and Technical Activities
| SSIC Code | Description |
|---|---|
| 69201 | Accounting, auditing and tax consultancy services |
| 69202 | Book-keeping services |
| 70201 | Management consultancy services |
| 70209 | Management consultancy services n.e.c. |
| 71121 | General building engineering design and consultancy services |
| 71122 | Process and industrial plant engineering design and consultancy services |
| 71129 | Engineering design and consultancy activities n.e.c. |
| 73100 | Advertising activities |
| 74191 | Interior design services |
| 74192 | Art and graphic design services |
Publishing, Broadcasting, and Content Production and Distribution Activities
| SSIC Code | Description |
|---|---|
| 59111 | Movie production |
| 59119 | Movie, video, television and other programme production activities n.e.c. |
| 59120 | Movie, video, television and other programme post-production activities |
Real Estate Activities
| SSIC Code | Description |
|---|---|
| 68101 | Real estate developers |
| 68103 | Letting of self-owned or leased real estate property except food courts, coffee shops and canteens (e.g. office/exhibition space, shopping mall, self-storage facilities) |
| 68104 | Letting and operating self-owned or leased food courts, coffee shops and canteens (with mainly rental income) |
| 68201 | Real estate agencies and valuation services |
| 68209 | Real estate activities on a fee or commission basis n.e.c. (excluding online marketplaces) |
Telecommunications, Computer Programming, Consultancy, Computing Infrastructure, and Other Information Service Activities
| SSIC Code | Description |
|---|---|
| 61090 | Other telecommunications services |
| 62011 | Development of software and applications (except games and cybersecurity) |
| 62013 | Development of software for cybersecurity |
| 62021 | Information technology consultancy (except cybersecurity) |
| 62022 | Information technology cybersecurity consultancy |
| 62090 | Other information technology and computer service activities |
| 63201 | Online marketplaces operating on a fee or commission basis for goods and food sold by third-party; online marketplaces for food delivery services |
| 63203 | Online marketplaces for education services |
| 63209 | Online marketplaces operating on a fee or commission basis for other services provided by third-party providers |
| 63909 | Other information service activities n.e.c. |
Transportation and Storage
| SSIC Code | Description |
|---|---|
| 50021 | Shipping companies, including chartering of ships and boats with crew (freight) |
| 50022 | Operators and charterers of barges, tugboats and bumboats (freight) |
| 52222 | Shipping agencies (freight) |
| 52226 | Ship management services |
| 52227 | Ship brokering services |
| 52291 | Cargo surveying services |
| 52292 | Freight transport arrangement |
Wholesale and Retail Trade
| SSIC Code | Description |
|---|---|
| 46100 | Wholesale on a fee or commission basis (excluding online marketplaces) |
| 46309 | Wholesale of food, beverages and tobacco n.e.c. |
| 46424 | Wholesale of personal care products |
| 46511 | Wholesale of computer hardware and peripheral equipment (except cybersecurity-related hardware and peripheral equipment) |
| 46512 | Wholesale of computer software (except games and cybersecurity software) |
| 46522 | Wholesale of electronic components |
| 46541 | Wholesale of industrial machinery and equipment |
| 46551 | Wholesale of marine equipment and accessories |
| 46592 | Wholesale of medical, professional, scientific and precision equipment |
| 46599 | Wholesale of other machinery and equipment n.e.c. |
| 46639 | Wholesale of construction materials, hardware, plumbing and heating equipment and supplies n.e.c. |
| 46900 | Wholesale trade of a variety of goods without a dominant product |
| 47101 | Supermarkets and hypermarkets |
| 47311 | Retail sale of motor vehicles (except motorcycles and scooters) |
| 47412 | Retail sale of computer hardware and peripheral equipment, and computer software (except games and cybersecurity hardware and software) |
| 47711 | Retail sale of clothing for adults |
| 47719 | Retail sale of clothing, footwear and leather articles n.e.c. |
| 47721 | Retail sale of personal care products |
Source: Singapore Department of Statistics, Singapore Standard Industrial Classification 2025. The codes and descriptions in this table are selected examples. Confirm the current code, definition and exclusions in the official classification before filing with ACRA.
Why is your SSIC code important?
Your SSIC code tells the Singapore government what your business does, and that one choice can impact everything from how fast you get approved to what licences you need and what tax benefits you qualify for.
Why it matters:
- ACRA uses it to check if your business needs regulatory approval or licences
- IRAS uses it to determine tax treatments, exemptions, and GST requirements
- It becomes part of your official business profile, used by multiple agencies
You’ll need to declare your principal activity. If you offer other services, you can include a secondary activity too.
Some SSIC codes (such as those related to finance, education, or real estate) may trigger additional referral checks by authorities such as MAS or Enterprise Singapore, resulting in longer processing times. While timelines vary, approvals in regulated sectors typically take 14 to 60 days, depending on the referral authority.
In short: Get your SSIC code wrong, and you risk delays, compliance issues, or missing out on tax perks. Get it right, and you move forward faster, with fewer surprises.
Penalties for wrong or outdated SSIC codes
Under the Companies Act, all registered entities must notify ACRA of any change in business activities within 14 days, via Bizfile. If you need to change SSIC code ACRA records after a pivot, that 14-day window is the one to watch, because getting this wrong carries real consequences.
Penalties can apply for late updates. Beyond penalties, an incorrect or outdated SSIC code can cause your corporate bank account application to be rejected.
Singapore banks use your SSIC code as part of their KYC review, and a mismatch between your declared code, your website, and your actual business is one of the most common reasons for account rejection or delay. It can also mean automatic disqualification from sector-specific government grants, which are often credited directly to companies carrying the right SSIC code.
Insight: How do authorities decide your main activity?
They use a top-down method, starting from your overall business operations. The focus is on the activity that adds the most value, the one that contributes most to your business’s operations, output, and long-term growth. It is not always the activity you spend the most time on, but the one that makes the biggest impact.
How Sleek helps you choose the right SSIC code (and get incorporated faster)
SSIC Singapore codes may seem like a small detail, but getting them wrong can lead to big delays, missed tax benefits, or unexpected licence requirements. Sleek guides you through every step of the incorporation process, including choosing the right SSIC code that fits your business model and growth plans.
Still deciding on a structure? Compare sole proprietorship vs Pte Ltd first, read how to register a business in Singapore, and check the company registration cost before you file.
Sleek’s local incorporation starts from S$600, including S$315 in ACRA incorporation fees, and more guides for new founders sit in the Sleek resources hub.
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FAQs on ssic code singapore
Can Sleek help me choose my SSIC code?
Yes. When you incorporate with Sleek, an advisor reviews how your business will earn revenue and proposes a primary code, plus a secondary code if you need one. We confirm the code with you before we file, so nothing goes to ACRA until you have agreed it.
Which SSIC code should a holding company use?
The usual SSIC code for holding company structures is 64202, which covers holding companies whose subsidiaries operate outside finance and insurance. Financial and insurance holding companies use 64201 instead. Confirm the final code with your filing agent, because the right choice depends on what your subsidiaries actually do.
Do solo founders and one-person companies need an SSIC code?
Yes. Even if you are a one-person business, like a freelancer or solo consultant, you must still select an SSIC code when registering your company. This ensures your entity is officially classified and eligible for appropriate tax treatments, grants, and regulatory assessments.
Can I look up another company's SSIC code?
Yes. Bizfile’s free industry search lets you browse live businesses by SSIC code, and a company’s full ACRA business profile, which lists its registered activities, costs S$5.50 to download. Checking how similar businesses are classified is a useful sense-check, but choose your own code based on what your company actually does.
