COMPANY PAPERS READY FOR OVERSEAS USE
Setting up a subsidiary, opening a bank account or bidding for a tender abroad usually means a foreign registry wants proof your Singapore company is real. That is where corporate document legalisation in Singapore comes in, and we run the whole chain for you.
We handle ACRA Business Profiles, constitutions, board resolutions, powers of attorney and certificates of good standing. Before any director signs, we check names, UEN numbers and wording against what the overseas body asked for.
Tell us the documents, the country and the deadline, and we reply with the route and a fixed quote.
WHERE COMPANIES USE IT
Foreign registries, banks and buyers cannot check ACRA records themselves, so they ask for legalised proof. Typical cases include a WFOE in China, which needs an apostille for China on the parent company's papers.
Foreign company registries want the parent's Business Profile and a resolution approving the new entity.
Banks abroad ask for legalised company records to pass KYC and confirm who can sign.
Bid rules often demand a legalised certificate of good standing dated within a set number of months.
Some countries register a local agent only after seeing a legalised appointment letter or power of attorney.
A corporate power of attorney lets someone abroad sign, file or collect on behalf of your company.
Foreign courts may need proof that the person acting for your company has board authority.
Health, trade and import regulators abroad often want legalised company papers with each application.
Buyers in some markets ask for legalised invoices and certificates of origin before customs clearance.
ROUTE BY DOCUMENT
Getting the first step right saves days. ACRA-issued records skip the notary, while documents your company signs itself must be notarised first.
| Company document | First step in Singapore | Hague country | Non-Hague country |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACRA Business Profile | Straight to SAL | e-Apostille or paper apostille | SAL, then the embassy |
| Certificate of incorporation (ACRA) | Straight to SAL | e-Apostille or paper apostille | SAL, then the embassy |
| Certificate of good standing | Checked by us; usually straight to SAL | SAL apostille | SAL, then the embassy |
| Company constitution | Certified true copy by our partner Notary Public | SAL apostille | SAL, then the embassy |
| Board or shareholders' resolution | Director signs before our partner Notary Public | SAL apostille | SAL, then the embassy |
| Corporate power of attorney | Director signs before our partner Notary Public | SAL apostille | SAL, then the embassy |
| Invoice or certificate of origin | Chamber of commerce endorsement | SAL apostille | SAL, then the embassy |
For Gulf use, the embassy stamp is followed by a ministry step in the destination country, as with UAE embassy attestation.
FROM SCAN TO STAMPED SET
In company document legalisation, planning around directors' diaries matters as much as the stamps. We sort the route first, then fit the signing and SAL stages into one schedule.
We read the overseas checklist and confirm the route, wording and signatories for every document in the set.
The authorised director signs the resolution or power of attorney in front of our partner Notary Public.
We use your current Business Profile or certificate, sent for e-Apostille where the country accepts it.
The Singapore Academy of Law adds its apostille certificate to each notarised or ACRA document.
For non-Hague countries we lodge the set with the embassy, then courier or hand the finished papers to you.
COMPANY PAPERS
Corporate document legalisation is one part of our Singapore document legalisation service, and we check every name and UEN across the set before lodging.
Business Profiles, certificates of incorporation and good standing certificates, issued by ACRA and sent straight to SAL.
Resolutions approving a subsidiary, a bank mandate or a new director, signed before our partner Notary Public.
Corporate powers of attorney and letters of appointment that let someone act for your company abroad.
Invoices, certificates of origin and signed agreements that buyers or customs need legalised.
SEND THE OVERSEAS CHECKLIST
Share the email or checklist you received, and we map each company document to the right Singapore route before your directors sign.
PRICES
Prices depend on how each document starts. ACRA records need only the SAL step, while documents your directors sign need our partner Notary Public first.
Quoted separately: embassy fees, certified translation (quoted per page and language), courier and any urgent surcharge (quoted with your deadline). Setting up a distributor in Vietnam? Our apostille for Vietnam service explains the shorter route.
TIMING
Timelines differ by document type. ACRA records move fastest, and signed papers depend on when your director can sit with our partner Notary Public.
Board meeting this week and a foreign deadline next week? Ask about urgent document legalisation.
BEFORE SIGNING
Collecting these early keeps the signing session for your company documents short. We confirm the list for your country once we see the request.
A director abroad can sign where they are, but that document is then legalised in that country, so we help plan which director signs where; see our notes on corporate power of attorney legalisation.
We check that the signing director appears on the Business Profile and that a resolution backs the act, before the notary appointment.
COMMON DELAYS
Small mismatches, rather than missing stamps, are what usually stop corporate documents abroad. Clients ordering certificate of incorporation legalisation often meet the same issues.
✕ Director signs the resolution in advance
✓ We schedule the signing so our partner Notary Public witnesses it in person.
✕ Business Profile older than the bank allows
✓ We confirm the receiving body's age limit and use a fresh profile when needed.
✕ e-Apostille sent to a non-Hague embassy
✓ We use the paper SAL route for embassy countries so the mission can stamp it.
✕ Company name or UEN differs across the set
✓ We cross-check names, numbers and dates on every page before lodging.
FAQ
Directors and company secretaries often raise the points below before ordering corporate document legalisation. Message us if yours is not here.
Ask On WhatsAppYes, if a board resolution gives that person authority to sign for the company, and they bring it with their passport or NRIC to the signing. Some overseas bodies still insist on a director's signature, so we check their checklist first.
No, our partner Notary Public must see the signature made in person, so a video call cannot replace the signing session. If another director is in Singapore, they can usually sign instead.
No, Singapore companies can sign documents without a common seal, and our partner Notary Public certifies the director's signature instead. If the overseas body asks for a stamp, tell us before the signing so we can confirm how to meet that request.
Each country needs its own original set, so the director signs one original per country in a single session with our partner Notary Public. Every document is priced per step at the rates above, and each country follows its own apostille or embassy route.
Yes, we can bill your company by name and UEN for your accounts. Send the billing details when you approve the quote, and any embassy fee shows as a separate at-cost line.
We share your documents only with our partner Notary Public, SAL and, where needed, the embassy that must stamp them. If your company needs a confidentiality agreement, ask and we confirm the terms in writing with your quote.
Tell us straight away, because overseas bodies check the signer against the latest Business Profile. Depending on the stage, we may need a fresh profile or a new signing, and we confirm any extra cost before going ahead.
Usually not, because the e-Apostille is a PDF the bank can verify online. If the bank insists on paper, tell us before we order, as a printout may not count as an original and the paper apostille may suit better.
Yes. We work with a registered corporate service provider who lodges ACRA filings such as an annual return or a change of director, address or shares. Once ACRA shows the update on your Business Profile, we take the fresh papers through our partner Notary Public, SAL and the embassy.
Send a scan of the company document and the overseas request, and we reply with your route, price and timeline. Read what other businesses say in our client reviews.