Why Company Name Search in Singapore Is Important

Before you kickstart your company incorporation in Singapore, you must find a name that is both original and appropriate for your business, which can often be a challenging but a fun endeavour. Conducting a company name search in Singapore is critical to ensure that it is approved by ACRA and is compliant with the various regulations. 

While you consider a name that best matches your business, you must make it unique! An excellent business name is more than just a mere identity- it often speaks volume about what your company is, your vision and what you stand for. Therefore, doing a company  search on the name is important to speed up your company incorporation process and avoid any regulatory issues that may arise in Singapore.

Related Read: How Long Does It Take to Register a Company in Singapore? »

Why Do Company Name Search?

You are strongly encouraged to utilize the various tools and resources available to do a proper Singapore corporation name search. By doing so, this allows you to determine whether your selected company name is available in a timely manner. Moreover, you can avoid copyright difficulties by comparing other businesses with similar names.

Ensuring Validity During Company Name Search

ACRA is the approving authority in Singapore that determines whether the business name of your choice is accepted or not. To get your proposed company name approved, you must ensure that:

1. It is not the same as the name of a corporation that is registered.
2. There is no one else who has reserved the business name currently.
3. It is neither indecent or offensive (avoid including religious or obscene names).
4. It excludes gazetted names (for e.g. ‘Temasek is not allowed).
5. It excludes words that are associated with terms like “Institution’, “National”, and “Singapore”.

When you are doing a company search on your business name in Singapore, ensure that it does not have any trademarks attached to it.

Improving Company Name Search Process

Is your selected company name rejected by ACRA? Not to worry, as we have provided some suggestions on how you can improve your Singapore corporation name search and better differentiate it.

Things To Consider:

1. To your main business name, add distinctive words or qualities
2. Add your business’s breadth of services to the name (for e.g. “hospitality” or “hotel”)
3. Make use of symbols (for e.g. substitute the word “plus” with “+”)

Things To Avoid: 

1. Inserting “The” to the beginning of selected name
2. Including your type of business entity at the end of selected name e.g. “Ltd” or “Pte Ltd” 
3. Adding country or region names to the end of selected name
4. Using the name in its plural form

Related Read: Certificate of Residence for Singapore Companies »

Minimizing Complaints Against Your Company

It is important to do a Singapore corporation name search to avoid any issues with possessing an identical name as a corporation out there. When another entity does a Singapore corporation name search and discovers that your business name is similar to theirs, a complaint can be filed with ACRA. If the complaint is valid, ACRA has the authority to order a name change. Such complaints are filed within 12 months of company registration.

Registering Reserved Name After Company Name Search

Reserved business names are those that have been previously approved by ACRA but have not yet been registered. This could be due to the company with that reserved name not yet established.

When you are doing a company name search in Singapore and find that your desired business name is identical to a reserved name, don’t worry! Reserved names can only be retained for 120 days, and if they stay unregistered after that time, they can actually be utilized by other companies.

Furthermore, ACRA may also grant companies permission to use the name of a company that has already closed down or ceased to exist after a specified period of time in Singapore. You can do a Singapore corporation search on ACRA to check the company status. 

What’s Next

You are strongly advised to do company search on your business name in Singapore so that you can ensure a smooth company incorporation experience. After you have taken the appropriate steps to get your business name approved, you can incorporate your company smoothly and without any hassle. 

At SCI, we offer various company incorporation packages tailored to your business needs. So what are you waiting for? Engage our company incorporation services to kickstart your business venture!

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What To Look Out For When Doing a Singapore Business Search How To Avoid Failure As A Contractor For Singapore Company Incorporation, Appointing the Right Company Secretary and Resident Director is Most Important How Long Does It Take to Register a Company in Singapore?