KYC-READY COPIES FROM SINGAPORE
Your BVI, Cayman or Seychelles company's bank or registered agent has asked for certified papers, and you are in Singapore. Our offshore company certification Singapore service gets passports, proof of address and company records certified by our partner Notary Public, without you flying anywhere.
We read the bank's or registered agent's KYC checklist first, then arrange certified true copies of passports and company records, notarised director signatures on resolutions and mandates, and a SAL apostille when the receiver asks for one. Where a certificate of incumbency or good standing can only be apostilled in the country that issued it, we tell you before you pay.
Tell us what the bank or registered agent asked for and where the company is registered, and we reply with the right certification, route and price.
WHO ASKS FOR THIS
Directors and owners based in Singapore are often asked by overseas banks, registered agents and auditors to prove who they are, who runs the company and which natural persons sit at the end of the ownership chain. Offshore company document certification answers those requests, much like a certificate of incorporation legalisation does for a Singapore company going abroad.
Directors of a BVI, Cayman or Seychelles company who live here need their passport and address proof certified for the registered agent's records.
Banks in Hong Kong, Labuan or elsewhere usually want notarised KYC copies before they open an account for an offshore company.
Registered agents and banks re-check directors and owners every few years and often set a short deadline for new certified copies.
A director in Singapore can sign board resolutions, bank mandates or agent forms in front of our partner Notary Public so the signature is verified.
Singapore companies that own offshore subsidiaries are asked for certified copies of their own records to show the ownership chain.
Where another company sits on the board or in the ownership chain, banks want its certificate of incorporation, incumbency certificate and M&AA certified as well.
Buyers, lenders and auditors of an offshore entity often accept a notary-certified set of company documents as evidence.
When only one director is in Singapore, we certify that person's papers here while the others use a notary where they live.
KNOW THE LIMITS FIRST
Some offshore papers can be fully handled here and some cannot. The table below shows where certification in Singapore works and when the issuing registry must act instead; for papers issued here, see our Singapore document legalisation for companies.
| Document | Certified in Singapore? | What banks or agents usually ask for | Next step if more is needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passport of a director, shareholder or UBO | Yes — certified copy from the original passport | Notarised copy, often with the certifier's details and date | SAL apostille on the notary's certificate, if requested |
| Proof of address (utility bill, bank statement) | Yes — certified copy from the original bill or statement | Recent document, often within 3 months | SAL apostille on the notary's certificate, if requested |
| M&AA, registers of directors or members | Yes — certified copy if you hold the original or agent-certified set | Certified copy, sometimes certified by the registered agent itself | SAL apostille, or ask the registered agent to certify and apostille |
| Certificate of incumbency or good standing | Copy only — Singapore cannot apostille the registry's own document | Recent original — good standing often within 3 months, incumbency within 3–12 months | Apostille in the issuing jurisdiction, e.g. BVI, Cayman or Hong Kong |
| Board resolution or registered-agent form signed in Singapore | Yes — director signs before our partner Notary Public | Notarised signature, sometimes with proof of authority | SAL apostille on the notarial certificate |
| ACRA Business Profile of a Singapore corporate shareholder | Yes — it is Singapore-issued, so the full route is available here | Recent Bizfile printout showing the ownership link | Notarised copy plus SAL apostille, or embassy legalisation for non-Hague receivers |
| Bank mandate or account opening form | Yes — signature witnessed and notarised | Signature verified by a notary or the bank's own officer | Usually none; some banks ask for an apostille |
| Labuan company documents | Copy only for registry-issued papers | Certified copies or Labuan-issued certified extracts | Malaysia is not a Hague member, so official papers follow the Malaysian route |
BVI and Cayman Islands documents are apostilled locally under the UK's extension of the Apostille Convention, Hong Kong issues its own apostilles, and Seychelles is a Convention member too; Labuan papers follow the Malaysia document legalisation rules.
FROM KYC LIST TO CERTIFIED SET
Send us the exact wording from the bank or agent, because certification blocks differ and some ask for set phrases. Signed papers such as a board resolution for overseas use are executed in the same visit as your KYC copies.
We check who the receiver wants to certify, the wording they require, any date limits and whether an apostille is needed.
You bring your passport, original address proof and company records, and we prepare clean copies of the pages required.
Our partner Notary Public checks your ID, compares copies with originals and witnesses any signatures on resolutions or bank forms.
Where the bank or agent wants an apostille, the sealed papers go to SAL so it can confirm the notary's signature.
We return your originals and courier the certified set to you, the registered agent or the bank, wherever they are.
WHAT WE CERTIFY
Requests from offshore banks and agents tend to mix personal ID with company records and signed forms. For company document certification of this kind, we keep the whole set together so nothing arrives at the agent incomplete.
Notarised certified copies of passports and recent address proof for directors, shareholders, UBOs and signatories.
Certified copies of the M&AA or constitution, certificate of incorporation and registers of directors and members, made from the originals or agent-certified sets you hold.
Certificate of incumbency and good standing certification as a copy here, with the original apostilled by the issuing registry or registered agent when the bank wants it.
Director signatures on resolutions, bank mandates and registered-agent forms are witnessed and notarised by our partner Notary Public.
UNSURE WHAT THE AGENT MEANS?
Paste the registered agent's or bank's instructions, and we tell you which papers can be certified in Singapore and which must come from the offshore registry.
WHAT YOU PAY
Charges are per document and per notarial act, so a KYC set for one director costs far less than a full corporate file. The same SAL fee applies whether the papers go to a Hong Kong bank or to an apostille for China filing.
Charged separately: courier to the bank or agent, apostilles or certificates issued by the offshore registry, registered-agent fees, urgent handling quoted with your deadline, and any route not shown here, which is quoted with your route.
TURNAROUND
Agents and banks often give only a few weeks to refresh KYC, so the Singapore steps are kept short and any offshore registry step is planned in parallel.
Tell us the agent's or bank's cut-off date when you first write, and if the same director also needs papers for a Gulf free zone, we can plan UAE embassy attestation alongside.
BEFORE THE NOTARY APPOINTMENT
Coming prepared means the whole set is done in one visit. Anyone signing for the company may also need to show proof of their authority, such as a register of directors or a signed resolution.
Many banks want a set "certified true copy" block with the certifier's full name, capacity, licence number, country of practice, signature and date, so send us their template.
If your incumbency or good standing certificate sits with the registered agent, ask them to issue and apostille it locally (unpaid registry fees or a late annual return can delay it) while we handle the Singapore papers.
AVOID A RETURNED FILE
Returned KYC files usually trace back to small details in who certified and how. Clients who have been through this tell us about it in their client reviews.
✕ A fellow director or the company secretary certifies the copies
✓ We use one of our partner Notary Publics, who is independent of the company, because banks often reject copies certified by connected parties.
✕ Address proof older than the bank allows
✓ We check the date on your bill or statement against the bank's limit before the notary certifies it.
✕ Expecting a Singapore apostille on a BVI certificate
✓ We tell you at the start when a registry document must be apostilled in its issuing jurisdiction instead.
✕ Address proof in a language the bank cannot read
✓ We flag non-English bills or statements early so a certified translation can travel with the certified copy.
FAQ
Doubts directors raise just before they book certification for an offshore entity. Message us on WhatsApp if yours is not covered.
Ask On WhatsAppUsually yes, because many banks accept copies certified by a notary in a FATF member country, and Singapore is one. Some banks name a specific certifier or require an apostille, so we check their wording before anything is signed.
We can certify a copy of the certificate here, but the original must be apostilled in the BVI, as Singapore cannot apostille another registry's document. Your registered agent can usually order both, and we handle the Singapore papers meanwhile.
No, the SAL apostille only confirms our partner Notary Public's signature and seal on the certification. If the receiver wants the registry's own document apostilled, that has to happen in the issuing jurisdiction.
Yes, our partner Notary Public can certify a copy of a foreign passport or a non-English bill, but many banks also want an English translation of address proof. We can arrange a certified translation, quoted per page and language, so the copy and translation go out together.
Often yes, if the bank accepts a printed e-statement and our partner Notary Public can confirm it with you, but some banks only accept a posted original. Send us the bank's rules and the statement first so we can confirm.
Yes, the UAE is not in the Apostille Convention, so Singapore-notarised copies go to SAL for authentication and then to the UAE embassy instead of getting an apostille. Embassy fees are passed on at cost and quoted per country.
Yes, for papers where you hold the original or an agent-certified set, and a Singapore corporate shareholder's ACRA Business Profile can be notarised and apostilled here. A foreign corporate director's registry certificates still need an apostille from their own jurisdiction.
No, we are not a registered agent or corporate service provider, and we do not file anything with offshore registries. We arrange certification in Singapore, plus corporate document legalisation for Singapore-issued company papers.
That depends on the receiver, but address proof is often limited to 3 months, good standing certificates to about 3 months and incumbency certificates to anywhere from 3 to 12 months. Book the certification close to when you will send the set so nothing goes out of date.
Send the bank's or registered agent's request and tell us where the company is registered. We confirm what can be certified here, what must come from the offshore registry, and your price before any work starts.