Key Takeaways
- File your new registered address with ACRA on Bizfile within 14 days of the change; late filing can attract a penalty.
- IRAS updates its records automatically from ACRA by the Friday of the week after your filing, so you do not need to notify IRAS separately.
- Banks, MOM work pass records, licensing agencies, insurers, customers and your own invoices and website still need updating by hand.
- Since 20 October 2026, registered offices no longer need fixed public opening hours, but statutory records must still be available for inspection on reasonable notice.
- A change of principal activity does not flow from ACRA to IRAS, so report it to IRAS separately if it changes at the same time.
Moving office is busy enough without wondering which government agency needs to know. For a Singapore company, the legal filing is quick: one update on Bizfile. The real work is everything that follows, because only one agency updates itself automatically and dozens of documents still carry your old address.
This guide explains what a registered address is, how to change it with the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA), what happens at the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS), and the full list of organisations to notify.
What Is a Registered Address?
A registered address, or registered office, is the official Singapore address ACRA holds for your company. Government agencies, courts and IRAS send formal notices there, and the company keeps its statutory records available for inspection at that address. It must be a physical Singapore address; a PO box does not qualify. It can differ from the place you actually operate.
Many companies use a professional address rather than their operating premises. We explain how that works, and what to look for in a provider, in Registered Address Service Singapore: The Complete 2026 Guide.
How to Change Your Registered Address with ACRA
1. Approve the change. The directors approve the new registered office, usually by written resolution, and record the effective date. Our guide What is a Board Resolution? shows how.
2. Log in to Bizfile with Corppass. A director, company secretary or authorised filing agent can file the change. If your Corppass access is not set up, see our Corppass Singapore guide.
3. Update the entity’s office address. Enter the new postal code, retrieve the address, add the unit number and set the effective date of change.
4. Submit within 14 days. ACRA requires notice within 14 days of the change and can impose a penalty for late filing; see ACRA Late Filing Penalty 2026.
5. Download the updated business profile. You will need it for banks and other organisations.
Our guide to ACRA Bizfile Singapore covers the portal in more detail.
What Do You Need Before You File the Change?
The Bizfile filing takes minutes when you have everything ready. Prepare these before you log in:
- The directors’ approval. A signed written resolution or board minutes approving the new registered office and its effective date.
- The full new address. The postal code, block or building number, street name and unit number, exactly as the Singapore Land Authority records it.
- Permission to use the address. A tenancy agreement, landlord consent or a registered address service agreement confirming you can use the premises as your registered office.
- Corppass access. The filer needs the Bizfile e-service assigned in Corppass, or an authorised registered filing agent must file for you.
- A plan for your statutory records. Decide where registers and minutes will be kept for inspection once the change takes effect.
ACRA does not charge a fee for updating a registered office address, so the only cost of filing on time is a few minutes of preparation.
What Changed for Registered Offices in 2026?
Since 20 October 2026, companies no longer need to keep the registered office open to the public for a minimum number of hours each business day. This gives companies using shared or serviced offices more flexibility. You must still make statutory records available for inspection for at least two hours on each relevant business day after a person gives reasonable notice, and the 14-day rule for address changes still applies.
Registered Address vs Operating Address: What Is the Difference?
Your registered address and your operating address are not always the same, and confusing the two causes unnecessary filings or, worse, missed ones.
| Registered address | Operating address | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | The official address ACRA holds for legal notices | Where your team actually works or trades |
| Shown on | ACRA business profile and public register | Your website, invoices and marketing, if you choose |
| Change requires an ACRA filing? | Yes, within 14 days | No, unless it is also your registered address |
| Who sends mail there | ACRA, IRAS, courts and other agencies | Customers, suppliers and visitors |
If you move your operations but keep your registered address with a registered address service, you do not need to file anything with ACRA. You still need to update customers, licences tied to your premises and your own materials. If your operating office is also your registered address, the move triggers the ACRA filing as well.
Do You Need to Tell IRAS About a Change of Company Address?
No, not separately. IRAS updates its records from ACRA filings automatically by the Friday of the week following your Bizfile submission. For example, a change filed with ACRA on Sunday 5 April 2026 reached IRAS records by Friday 17 April 2026.
If you expect a tax refund or urgent IRAS correspondence before then, send IRAS your updated business profile through myTax Mail on myTax Portal. IRAS sends forms and notices only to the registered address held by ACRA, not to a separate correspondence address.
One trap catches many companies: if you change your principal business activity at the same time, IRAS does not receive that change from ACRA. You must inform IRAS separately. Our guide How to Choose the Right ACRA SSIC Code explains activity codes.
Who Else Should You Notify When You Change Your Registered Address?
| Organisation | Updates automatically? | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| ACRA | No | File on Bizfile within 14 days |
| IRAS (corporate tax and GST) | Yes, from ACRA | Use myTax Mail only for urgent matters |
| Banks and payment providers | No | Send the updated business profile |
| Ministry of Manpower (work pass records) | No | Update company details for work pass holders |
| Licensing agencies (SFA, MOE and others) | No | Update each licence under that agency’s rules |
| Insurers and landlords | No | Notify in writing |
| Customers and suppliers | No | Update contracts, invoicing and Peppol details |
| Your own materials | No | Update invoices, letterheads, website, email signatures and Google Business Profile |
In practice, what we see with most SMEs is that the ACRA filing takes minutes, while the downstream updates drag on for weeks. Invoices showing the old address are the most common loose end, and they confuse customers and auditors. If you run a licensed business such as food or travel, check the relevant licence first; our guides to the SFA food licence and setting up a travel agency cover those regimes.
A Sample Timeline for a Registered Address Change
This example shows how the steps fit together for a company whose new registered address takes effect on Monday 1 March.
| When | Action |
|---|---|
| Before 1 March | Directors sign the resolution; confirm landlord or provider consent |
| 1 March | New registered address takes effect |
| By 15 March | File the change on Bizfile (within 14 days) |
| Friday of the following week | IRAS records update automatically from ACRA |
| Within 2 weeks of filing | Send the updated business profile to banks, MOM, licensing agencies and insurers |
| Within 1 month | Update invoices, contracts, website, email signatures and Peppol details |
| Ongoing | Forward mail from the old address until all senders have switched |
Building this timeline into a simple checklist, with one person responsible for each line, is the most reliable way to stop the follow-through from drifting.
Using Your Home as the Registered Address
You can use your home as the registered address if you own or rent the property and the use is permitted, such as under HDB’s Home Office Scheme or URA’s rules for private homes. Your home address will then appear in ACRA records, which some founders prefer to avoid. A registered address service keeps your residential address off the public register and handles mail when you are travelling or working remotely.
Registered Address Options Compared
| Option | Pros | Watch-outs |
|---|---|---|
| Your operating office | Mail arrives where you work | Must update every time you move |
| Your home | No extra cost | Address becomes public; check HDB or URA rules |
| Registered address service | Privacy, mail handling, stable address | Choose a provider that scans mail promptly |
What Happens If You Miss the 14-Day Deadline?
You can still file the change after 14 days, but ACRA may impose a late lodgement penalty, and the later you file, the greater the risk. The bigger cost usually lies elsewhere. Until ACRA holds the correct address, every formal notice still goes to the old one.
That creates three practical risks:
- Missed IRAS notices. Estimated Notices of Assessment, reminders and penalty letters can sit unread at a former office, and objection windows close while nobody sees them.
- Missed ACRA reminders. Annual return and AGM reminders go to the old address, which makes late filing more likely. Our Complete AGM Guide for Singapore Companies in 2026 explains those deadlines.
- Legal documents served at the wrong place. Courts and counterparties can validly serve documents at the registered address on record, even if the company no longer receives mail there.
If you discover you have missed the deadline, file the change immediately, then arrange mail forwarding from the old premises and check myTax Portal for any notices issued in the meantime.
What Businesses Get Wrong About Changing Their Registered Address
Filing late. Missing the 14-day window risks an ACRA penalty.
Using an address you cannot use. Your landlord or address provider must allow registered office use, and you must be able to receive mail there.
Forgetting the records. Statutory registers and minutes must be available for inspection at the new address or another notified location.
Assuming every agency updates itself. Only IRAS receives the change automatically from ACRA.
Changing the principal activity without telling IRAS. That change does not transfer from ACRA.
How Grof helps you change your registered address without the hassle
Changing your registered address is a follow-through question before it is a filing question. The Bizfile update is quick; remembering every bank, licence, contract and invoice template that still shows the old address is where companies slip. Grof handles the filing and the follow-through, so nothing important goes to the wrong place.
In practice, that looks like:
- Filing with ACRA on time. We prepare the directors’ resolution and lodge the change within 14 days.
- Updating your statutory records. Registers and minutes move with the address and stay available for inspection.
- Flagging what else needs updating. You get a tailored list covering banks, MOM records, licences and customers.
- Catching the IRAS exceptions. If your principal activity changed, we report it to IRAS separately.
- Offering a stable registered address. Our registered address service keeps your home address private and scans your mail promptly.
If you are moving or want a registered address that never needs changing, talk to Grof’s corporate secretary team.
