- SSIC code is your company’s 5-digit business activity label used when registering with ACRA
- It affects approvals, licences, taxes, and grant eligibility because ACRA and IRAS rely on it
- Choose the code that reflects your main value-generating activity and add a secondary code if needed
- Choosing the wrong code can cause delays or extra compliance so match it carefully to the official SSIC Singapore categories
You’re midway through your ACRA application when the dropdown hits: hundreds of SSIC codes, and you don’t know which one to choose.
This one code can affect everything from approvals to grant eligibility, so it’s worth getting right. Yet, most founders pick it in a rush, just to get through registration.
The result?
Missed opportunities or unnecessary compliance issues down the line.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through:
- What is an SSIC code in Singapore
- How to check the SSIC code of your company
- Why does an SSIC code matter
- How to select the right SSIC code
- List of SSIC Singapore codes for 2026
What is an SSIC code?
An SSIC code is a five-digit classification number used in Singapore to describe your business activity when registering with ACRA.
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
Each business in Singapore must choose an SSIC code that reflects its principal activity, which is the activity that contributes the most value to the business.
The list of codes is regularly updated by the Department of Statistics to reflect:
- Global classification standards
- Emerging industries like fintech, sustainability, AI, and digital services
- Changes in Singapore’s economic landscape
Looking for the full SSIC Singapore code list?
Jump to the table of common SSIC codes aligned with the official SSIC.
How to check the SSIC code of my company?
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 this quick video walkthrough:
Looking for the full SSIC code Singapore list?
Jump to the table of common SSIC codes aligned with the official SSIC list.
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 (like those related to finance, education, or real estate) may trigger additional referral checks by authorities like MAS or Enterprise Singapore, which can result in longer processing times. While timelines vary, approvals in regulated sectors may take several weeks.
In short: Get your SSIC code Singapore wrong, and you risk delays, compliance issues, or missing out on tax perks. Get it right, and you move forward faster, with fewer surprises.
Skip ahead to the List of SSIC Codes if you already know what you’re looking for.
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. That means 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 to 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. Here’s how to navigate it with clarity.
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, education, etc. This can help you 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.
List of SSIC codes for 2026
Choosing the right SSIC code is critical when registering your business in Singapore. The code you select not only defines your principal business activity but also affects licensing, taxation, and compliance.
Here’s a curated list of common SSIC codes, grouped by industry (in alphabetical order).
SSIC Code | Category and Description |
Accommodation and Food Service Activities | |
47102 | Mini-marts, convenience stores and provision shops |
47219 | Retail sale of food n.e.c. |
56111 | Restaurants |
56112 | Cafes |
56140 | Stalls selling cooked food and prepared drinks |
56200 | Food caterers |
68103 | Letting and operating of self-owned or leased real estate property (except food courts, hawker centres, coffee shops and canteens) |
68104 | Letting and operating of self-owned or leased food courts, hawker centres, coffee shops and canteens (with mainly rental income) |
Administrative and Support Service Activities | |
77101 | Renting and leasing of private cars without 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 |
Arts, Sports and Recreation | |
93203 | Night clubs, discotheques, dance clubs and karaoke lounges |
Construction | |
41001 | General contractors for building construction and major upgrading works |
41009 | Construction of buildings n.e.c. |
43210 | Electrical works |
43220 | Installation of plumbing, heating (non-electric) and air-conditioning systems |
43301 | Renovation contractors |
Education | |
85401 | Polytechnics |
85403 | Teachers͛ training institute |
85507 | Training courses for sports and games |
85508 | Training courses for music, dancing, art, speech and drama |
85509 | Training courses n.e.c. |
85609 | Educational support services n.e.c. |
Financial and Insurance Activities | |
64201 | Holding companies of firms engaged in financial and insurance activities |
64202 | Holding companies of firms engaged in non-financial and insurance activities |
66192 | Corporate finance advisory services |
66301 | Traditional/long-only asset/portfolio management |
66309 | Fund management activities n.e.c. |
Health and Social Services | |
86201 | Clinics and other general medical services (Western) |
86203 | Specialised medical services |
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 | |
28300 | Installation of industrial machinery and equipment, mechanical engineering works |
30110 | Building and repairing of ships, tankers, off-shore structures and other ocean-going vessels |
31001 | Manufacture of furniture and fixtures of wood |
32909 | Other manufacturing industries n.e.c. |
Mining and quarrying | |
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 | |
95301 | Repair and maintenance of motor vehicles |
96021 | Hairdressing salons/shops |
96022 | Beauty salons and spas |
96099 | Other personal service activities n.e.c. |
Professional, Scientific and Technical Activities | |
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 |
Publishing, Broadcasting, and Content Production and Distribution Activities | |
59111 | Movie production |
Real Estate Activities | |
68101 | Real estate developers |
68201 | Real estate agencies and valuation services |
68209 | Real estate activities on a fee or commission basis n.e.c. |
Telecommunications, Computer Programming, Consultancy, Computing Infrastructure, and Other Information Service Activities | |
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 operating on a fee or commission basis for food delivery services |
63209 | Online marketplaces operating on a fee or commission basis for other services provided by third-party |
63901 | Internet search engines |
63909 | Other information service activities n.e.c. |
Transportation and Storage | |
50021 | Shipping companies and chartering of ships/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 | |
46100 | Wholesale on a fee or commission basis |
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) |
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 |
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.
At Sleek, we guide you through every step of the incorporation process, including choosing the right SSIC code that fits your business model and growth plans.
Our expert, local team understands how Singapore’s compliance ecosystem works. So, whether you’re a solo founder, a startup with multiple revenue streams, or expanding from overseas, we’ll help you register smoothly, without confusion or costly mistakes.
A smooth incorporation today sets the stage for everything you’ll build tomorrow.
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FAQs on SSIC codes in Singapore
What is the Singapore Standard Industrial Classification (SSIC)?
Is the SSIC code mandatory when registering a company in Singapore?
Can freelancers or solo founders choose an SSIC code too?
My business does a mix of things. How do I pick one SSIC code?
Focus on your principal activity, the one that contributes the most overall value to your business. You can also list a secondary activity, but your primary SSIC code should reflect your core business function. If in doubt, choose the category that best describes what you primarily offer or produce.
