Register a Company

The Ultimate Guide to Company Registration in Asia's Top 5 Hubs: Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Japan, & South Korea

Register a Company

How to Register a Company in Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Japan, & South Korea: A Comparative Guide for Foreigners

Asia Company Registration Guide

Asia's Business Landscape: A Strategic Overview

Setting up a business in Asia offers unparalleled access to global supply chains, massive consumer markets, and dynamic innovation ecosystems. But which of the continent's top financial and commercial hubs—Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Japan, or South Korea—is the right launchpad for your enterprise?

This comprehensive guide breaks down the core legal and procedural requirements for company registration in these five jurisdictions, helping you navigate the complexities of foreign ownership, local director rules, and tax regimes.

Quick Comparison: Company Registration Requirements at a Glance

Requirement	🇸🇬 Singapore (Pte Ltd)	🇭🇰 Hong Kong (Pte Ltd)	🇲🇾 Malaysia (Sdn Bhd)	🇯🇵 Japan (Kabushiki Kaisha - KK)	🇰🇷 South Korea (Chusik Hoesa)
Foreign Ownership	100% Permitted	100% Permitted	100% Permitted (Slight sectoral limits)	100% Permitted	100% Permitted
Mandatory Local Director	YES (Minimum 1 Resident Director)	NO (Director can be non-resident)	YES (Minimum 1 Resident Director)	NO (Director can be non-resident)	NO (Director can be non-resident)
Mandatory Secretary	YES (Must be a Singapore resident)	YES (Must be a HK resident/corp)	YES (Must be a Malaysian resident)	NO	NO
Minimum Capital	S$1	HK$1	RM1	¥1 (No legal minimum)	KRW 100 (No effective minimum)
Registration Body	ACRA (Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority)	Companies Registry	SSM (Suruhanjaya Syarikat Malaysia)	Legal Affairs Bureau	Commercial Registry
Approx. Timeframe	1 - 3 Days	1 - 3 Days	3 - 5 Days	2 - 4 Weeks	1 - 3 Weeks

🇸🇬 Singapore: The Gold Standard for Global Business

Singapore consistently ranks among the easiest places in the world to start a business, but foreigners must be aware of specific, non-negotiable requirements.

Entity Type: Private Limited Company (Pte Ltd)

This is the most common and recommended structure, offering limited liability and a separate legal entity status.

Key Requirements for Foreigners:

• Local Director: You must appoint at least one Local Resident Director. This director must be an ordinarily resident Singapore Citizen, Permanent Resident (PR), or an Employment Pass (EP) holder. Foreigners who wish to manage the company remotely must engage a corporate service provider to act as a Nominee Director.

  
  

• Company Secretary: A qualified, resident Company Secretary must be appointed within six months of incorporation.

  
  

• Filing Agent: Foreigners are not permitted to self-register on the ACRA BizFile+ portal and must engage a registered filing agent (Corporate Service Provider or Law Firm).

Tax & Incentives

Singapore’s tax regime is highly attractive, featuring a flat 17% Corporate Tax Rate with substantial tax exemptions for the first three years for qualifying start-ups, often resulting in an effective tax rate of near zero on the first S$100,000 of taxable income.

🇭🇰 Hong Kong: The Low-Tax, Zero-Residency Gateway

Hong Kong is often favored by international trade and investment firms due to its simple tax system and flexibility regarding management residency.

Entity Type: Private Company Limited by Shares

This structure provides the greatest legal clarity and investor confidence.

Key Requirements for Foreigners:

• Director Residency: Unlike Singapore and Malaysia, Hong Kong does not require directors to be local residents. You need a minimum of one director, who can be a non-resident of any nationality.

  
  

• Company Secretary: A resident Company Secretary (either an individual residing in Hong Kong or a corporate body based there) is mandatory.

  
  

• Tax System: Hong Kong operates a pure Territorial Tax System. Companies only pay tax on profits sourced within Hong Kong, meaning income derived from overseas is often exempt from the profits tax (standard rate is 16.5%, tiered down to 8.25% for the first HKD 2 million).

🇲🇾 Malaysia: ASEAN Market Access with Strict Local Rules

Malaysia offers access to a large domestic market and is a major player in the ASEAN trade bloc, but its corporate governance rules require mandatory local presence.

Entity Type: Sendirian Berhad (Sdn Bhd) - Private Limited Company

This is the standard legal structure for commercial businesses.

Key Requirements for Foreigners:

• Local Director: Like Singapore, you must have at least one Resident Director who is "ordinarily resident" in Malaysia. The local director must reside in the country and usually requires a local bank account.

  
  

• Share Capital: The legal minimum is RM1, though a higher paid-up capital (e.g., RM500,000) may be required if the company applies for specific business licenses or work visas (Employment Passes).

  
  

• Filing: All registration and compliance must be filed through the SSM (Companies Commission of Malaysia).

Note on Visas

Foreign investors often need to apply for an Employment Pass (EP) linked to their company to legally reside and work as a director.

🇯🇵 Japan: Stability and Credibility via Kabushiki Kaisha

Incorporating in Japan grants significant credibility and access to a highly stable, mature economy, though the process is the most formal among the five.

Entity Type: Kabushiki Kaisha (KK) or Godo Kaisha (GK)

The Kabushiki Kaisha (KK) is the standard, most prestigious structure (equivalent to a US corporation). The Godo Kaisha (GK) is a more flexible, faster, and lower-cost LLC-style option popular with smaller foreign firms.

Key Requirements for Foreigners:

• Director Residency: Japan has removed the mandatory residency requirement for the representative director, making remote incorporation much easier than in the past.

  
  

• Registered Seal (Hanko/Inkan): The official Company Seal is a mandatory and legally critical requirement for all documents, bank accounts, and filings.

  
  

• Process: The process requires formal notarization of the Articles of Incorporation and registration with the Legal Affairs Bureau, often leading to a 2-4 week timeline.

🇰🇷 South Korea: Entry to the Tech Frontier

South Korea is the home of global tech giants and offers a rapid path to market for innovative and R&D-focused companies.

Entity Type: Chusik Hoesa (Stock Company)

The Chusik Hoesa is the preferred structure for limited liability, capital raising, and international recognition.

Key Requirements for Foreigners:

• Investment Reporting: Companies backed by foreign investment must report their plans to a designated Foreign Exchange Bank and the KOTRA (Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency).

  
  

• Registered Address: A physical office space must be secured before registration.

  
  

• Simplified Process: While the documentation is primarily in Korean, the government has streamlined the process, allowing for incorporation within 1-3 weeks.

Investor Visa (D-8)

Foreign entrepreneurs aiming to live and work in the country must navigate the D-8 Investor Visa system, which is capital-based (requires a minimum investment, often ₩100 million).

Strategic Decision: Which Hub is Right for You?

The best jurisdiction depends entirely on your business goals:

Goal	Best Hub	Why?
Lowest Tax & Easiest Remote Management	🇭🇰 Hong Kong	Territorial tax system; no resident director required.
Best Global Reputation & Financial Stability	🇸🇬 Singapore	Easiest-to-do-business ranking; strong legal framework.
Access to ASEAN Manufacturing/Consumer Base	🇲🇾 Malaysia	Lower operating costs than SG/HK; central location in Southeast Asia.
B2B Credibility in a Mature Market	🇯🇵 Japan	Unmatched stability and legal predictability.
Tech/R&D Focus & High-Speed Market Adoption	🇰🇷 South Korea	Strong government support and highly digitized economy.

Ready to Launch? Your Next Step

Navigating the unique legal systems, language requirements, and local director mandates across five countries is complex. For a seamless, compliant, and fast incorporation process, engaging a registered Corporate Service Provider (CSP) is essential in all five markets.

Bestar Asia: Your Specialist for Seamless Compliance Across Asia

Personalized Compliance Consultation: Register Your Company in Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Japan, & South Korea

From Comparison to Compliance: The Strategic Next Step

Reading a comparative guide is the first step; ensuring your business remains compliant is the next. Given the complexity of local regulations—especially mandatory requirements like the Resident Director in Singapore and Malaysia, the Company Secretary in Hong Kong and Singapore, and specific notarization rules in Japan—a specialized corporate service provider is not merely an option, but a necessity for foreign entities.

Bestar Asia offers personalized consultation and end-to-end corporate services, ensuring your expansion into Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Japan, and South Korea is executed with precision, compliance, and minimal risk.

Why Choose Bestar Asia for Multi-Jurisdictional Compliance?

Bestar Asia's core value proposition lies in its holistic, integrated approach to establishing and maintaining corporate entities in multiple, diverse Asian markets.

• Customized Compliance Plans: Instead of a generic checklist, Bestar provides a detailed, tailored compliance roadmap based on your industry, operational scale, and target market. This is crucial for navigating differences in tax reporting (e.g., Singapore's full taxation vs. Hong Kong's territorial system).

  
  

• One-Stop Regional Support: They offer a full suite of services that goes beyond simple registration, including:

  
  

  • Nominee Services: Providing the mandatory Resident Director (Singapore/Malaysia) and Company Secretary (Singapore/Hong Kong) to fulfill local legal mandates.

  • Tax Advisory & Compliance: Expertise in local tax filing (e.g., IRAS in Singapore, IRD in Hong Kong, IRB in Malaysia) and identifying available tax incentives.

  • Accounting & Bookkeeping: Ensuring financial records adhere to local accounting standards (SFRS in Singapore, HKFRS in Hong Kong).

  • Visa & Immigration: Assisting with work pass applications (e.g., Employment Pass in Singapore, D-8 Investor Visa in South Korea).

    
    

• Registered Filing Agents: As a Registered Filing Agent with ACRA (Singapore), Bestar is legally authorized to handle the entire incorporation and compliance process for foreign clients, offering professional assurance and expertise.

Personalized Consultation Focus: Addressing Your Critical Needs

A consultation with Bestar Asia will focus immediately on the most challenging regulatory hurdle for your specific entry point:

Jurisdiction	Critical Compliance Focus Area	Bestar Asia Solution
🇸🇬 Singapore	Mandatory Local Director and Annual Filing with ACRA	Nominee Director service and timely Annual Return (AR) submission.
🇭🇰 Hong Kong	Territorial Tax Claim and Resident Company Secretary	Tax advisory to structure business for territorial exemption; provision of local Company Secretary.
🇲🇾 Malaysia	Resident Director and paid-up capital requirements for visas	Nominee Director service and guidance on SSM registration and EP application capital.
🇯🇵 Japan	Notarization of Articles of Association and Registered Seal	Coordination with local notaries and legal bureaus to expedite the complex KK/GK setup.
🇰🇷 South Korea	Investment Reporting and Foreign Exchange regulations	Guidance on KOTRA reporting and setting up foreign investment accounts.

Take the Next Step: Request Your Compliance Roadmap

Don't let complex local laws delay your Asian expansion. A personalized consultation provides the clear, actionable compliance roadmap you need to launch and operate successfully in any of the five key markets.

Click here to secure your consultation with a Bestar Asia specialist and start your risk-free incorporation process today.

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