Singapore Certificate of Incorporation (COI) & Business Profile Notarization and Apostille: Complete Guide
When a Singapore-registered company conducts overseas business, issues a power of attorney, initiates legal proceedings, or registers a subsidiary abroad, it will often need to provide a notarized and apostilled Certificate of Incorporation (COI) and/or ACRA Business Profile to prove its legal registration status and company details. This guide explains the certification options for both documents, how combined processing works, and the most common situations where these certifications are required.
1. COI Only or Combined with Business Profile?
Both the COI and Business Profile issued by ACRA are official electronic documents with QR codes that can be scanned to verify authenticity. There is one important difference in how each can be certified:
COI Only (standalone)
The COI is a government-issued document. Submitted on its own, it can proceed directly to apostille without notarization. Suitable for situations where only proof of incorporation is needed.
Simplest processLowest costCOI + Business Profile Combined (most common)
Binding both the COI and Business Profile into a single notarization booklet requires notarization before apostille. Most foreign institutions require both documents together, making combined processing the more practical choice.
Most commonMore completeWhy do most situations require both documents together? The COI only confirms that the company is incorporated — it does not contain current company information such as directors, shareholders, or registered address. The Business Profile contains the company's complete current details. Foreign institutions typically need both documents to fully verify the company's status, which is why combined processing is the standard approach in practice.
2. COI and Business Profile as Supporting Documents
In addition to being certified on their own or together, the COI and Business Profile are also frequently used as supporting documents within a larger document package — bound together with other company documents requiring certification (such as the company constitution, board resolutions, or powers of attorney) in a single notarization booklet and apostilled together.
In this scenario, any documents requiring a signature (such as a power of attorney or board resolution) can have their signed originals submitted by courier — no director or authorized signatory needs to appear in person.
Singapore COI apostille — complete document package (example)
3. Step-by-Step Process
Submit COI and Business Profile PDFs
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Lervice reviews your documents
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Notarization by lawyer (if combined)
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Apostille
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Translation (if required)
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Collect or courier delivery
4. Documents Required
Case A: COI only — Direct Apostille
- COI PDF (official ACRA electronic document with QR code)
Case B: COI + Business Profile — Combined Notarization and Apostille
- COI PDF
- Business Profile PDF (downloaded from ACRA Bizfile)
Case C: COI / Business Profile as supporting documents within a larger package
- COI and/or Business Profile PDFs
- Other documents to be included (e.g. company constitution, board resolution, power of attorney)
- For documents requiring signatures (e.g. power of attorney): signed originals can be submitted by courier — no in-person attendance required
About translation: If the receiving institution requires a translation, the standard approach is to translate the entire notarization booklet into the target language. For Chinese-English translation, Lervice provides a complete one-stop service. For other languages, we recommend taking the completed certified booklet to a qualified translation agency in the destination country.
5. Timeline
COI direct apostille
2
business days
Combined notarization + apostille
2–3
business days
With CN-EN translation
+3–5
additional business days
Lervice offers standardized, transparent pricing. Contact us directly for a quote.
6. Frequently Asked Questions
1. Does the Business Profile need to be specially applied for?
No. The Business Profile can be downloaded directly from the ACRA Bizfile website — simply log in and select your company profile to obtain the official PDF with QR code. Please ensure you download the latest version so that the company information reflects the current state of the business.
2. Does a director need to appear in person or sign anything?
No. The COI and Business Profile are company documents — no signatures are required from anyone. Simply provide the PDFs and we will handle the rest. If the notarization package also includes documents requiring a signature (such as a power of attorney or board resolution), signed originals can be submitted by courier and no director needs to attend in person.
3. The COI and Business Profile have different dates — will this be a problem?
No. The COI date is the company's date of incorporation and never changes. The Business Profile date is the date of download and updates each time it is downloaded. Having different dates on the two documents is completely normal and does not affect the validity of the notarization. We recommend downloading a fresh Business Profile just before submission to ensure the company information is current.
4. Can I get copies of the notarized document?
No. Singapore notarizations are issued as originals only — no certified copies are produced. If you need multiple sets (for example, to submit to more than one foreign institution), each must be ordered and paid for separately. We recommend confirming the number of sets needed before placing your order.
5. How long is the certification valid? Will foreign institutions require a "recent" document?
The notarization itself has no expiry date, but many foreign institutions require documents issued within a certain period — typically 3 to 12 months. We recommend confirming the time requirement with the receiving institution before placing your order to avoid having to redo the process.
6. The document is for use in a country that has not joined the Hague Convention — do we need embassy legalization?
Yes. If the document needs to be used in a country that is not a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, the apostille will not be recognized there and additional consular legalization at the relevant country's embassy will be required. Please contact us with the destination country and we will advise whether embassy legalization is needed and how to arrange it.
7. When Is Company Document Certification Required?
Here are the most common situations that require a notarized and apostilled COI and/or Business Profile:
Not sure which documents your situation requires, or need to process multiple company documents at once?
Contact our team, describe your business purpose and destination country, and we'll confirm the right approach for you.
