FAQ On Society Registration

1) Does our society need to seek registration with the Registry of Societies (ROS)?

Any club, company, partnership or association of 10 or more persons, whatever its nature or object should seek registration with ROS, unless you are any of the following:

• a) Any company registered under any written law relating to companies for the time being in force in Singapore
• b) Any company or association constituted under any written law.
• c) Any trade union registered or required to be registered under any written law relating to trade unions for the time being in Singapore.
• d) Any co-operative society registered as such under any written law.
• e) Any mutual benefit organizations registered as such under any written law relating to mutual benefit organizations for the time being in force in Singapore.
• f) Any company, association or partnership, consisting of not more than 20 persons formed for the sole purpose of carrying on any lawful business that has for its object the acquisition of gain by the company, association or partnership, or the individual members thereof.
• g) Any class, society or association of foreign insurers carrying on insurance business in Singapore under any foreign insurer scheme established under Part IIA of the Insurance Act (Cap. 142).
• h) Any school or management committee of a school constituted under any law regulating schools for the time being in force in Singapore.

The income and property of the Society whensoever derived shall be applied towards the promotion of the objects of the Society as set forth in its Constitution and no portion thereof shall be paid or transferred directly or indirectly by way of dividend or bonus or otherwise howsoever by way of profit to the persons who at any time are or have been members of the Society or to any of them or to any person claiming through any of them.

2) How many people should there be in our society to register with the ROS?

• There should be 10 or more persons in your society before it is liable for registration.

3) How many types of registration processes are there and what are the differences?

There are two types of registration processes – Normal and Automatic.

a) Normal Registration process:

• The types of societies that are listed in the Schedule of the Societies Act shall seek registration under the normal registration process.
• Once ROS has given in-principle approval to the registration and notified the applicant, the society will be registered when ROS receives the registration fee.
• The society can commence its activities after its registration has been published in the Gazette.

b) Automatic Registration process:

• The types of societies that are not listed in the Schedule of the Societies Act are eligible to seek registration under the automatic registration process.
• A society has to submit its registration application together with a declaration and payment of the registration fee. Once it is registered, the society can start its activities.
• Under the Societies Act, the Registrar of Societies is empowered to order an automatically registered society to, after its registration, change its name or its rules, if he is of the opinion that the rules of the society if unchanged, would be contrary to national interest or prejudicial to the public peace, welfare or good order in Singapore.

4) How do I know if my society is eligible for Automatic Registration?

If your society does not fall under any of the types of societies listed in the Schedule of the Societies Act, you are eligible to seek registration under the automatic registration process. Societies that wish to register under Automatic Registration will need to declare that they are eligible for Automatic Registration. Do note that under the Societies Act, the Registrar of Societies is empowered to order an automatically registered society to, after its registration, change its name or its rules, if he is of the opinion that the rules of the society if unchanged, would be contrary to national interest or prejudicial to the public peace, welfare or good order in Singapore.

5) Can I still register my society if it does not qualify for Automatic Registration?

Societies that do not qualify for Automatic Registration shall submit their registration under the Normal Registration process.

6) Should all Committee Members be Singaporeans? / Can non-Singaporeans be Committee Members?

For the categories of societies listed below, the majority of the Committee Members must be Singapore Citizens. In addition, the President, Secretary, Treasurer and their deputies shall be Singapore Citizens or Singapore Permanent Residents. Foreign Diplomats shall not serve as Committee Members.

• a) Religious societies.
• b) Societies which identify themselves publicly as or whose membership is confined exclusively to members of a single race.
• c) Any society whose object, purpose or activity, whether primary or otherwise, is to represent; promote any cause or interest of; or discuss any issue relating to a class of persons defined by reference to their gender or sexual orientation.
• d) Any society whose object, purpose or activity, whether primary or otherwise, is to promote or discuss the use or status of any language.
• e) Any arts groups except those promoting classical music/works.

For societies categorized as below, the majority of the Committee Members must be Singapore Citizens. In addition, the President, Secretary, Treasurer and their deputies shall be Singapore Citizens. Foreign Diplomats shall not serve as Committee Members.

• a) Any society whose object, purpose or activity, whether primary or otherwise, is to represent persons who advocate; promote; or discuss any issue relating to any civil or political right (including human rights, environmental rights and animal rights).

7) What is the processing time for registering a society?

If your society falls under any of the types of societies listed in the Schedule of the Societies Act, you should seek registration under the normal registration process. The average processing time under the normal registration process is about two months.

If your society does not fall under any of the types of societies listed in the Schedule of the Societies Act, you are eligible to seek registration under the automatic registration process. Societies that wish to register under Automatic Registration will need to declare that they are eligible for Automatic Registration. Registration is immediate for those who qualify under the Automatic Registration process. Do note that under the Societies Act, the Registrar of Societies is empowered to order an automatically registered society to, after its registration, change its name or its rules, if he is of the opinion that the rules of the society if unchanged, would be contrary to national interest or prejudicial to the public peace, welfare or good order in Singapore.

8) What information or documents do I have to prepare before applying for registration?

Click this link to learn more about documents required to be prepared before applying for registration.

9) How do I submit an application for registration?

• Societies can submit their applications via the Integrated Registry of Societies Electronic System (iROSES).
• The 3 key office bearers of the society, i.e. President, Secretary and Treasurer will be required to verify and submit the application online using their SingPasses.
• The constitution of the proposed society shall be in Microsoft Word format while other supporting documents should preferably be in pdf or tif format.
• All documents submitted to ROS shall be in English only.

Applicants are strongly advised to verify that the information furnished is complete and accurate. The registration of any society procured by fraud or misrepresentation at the point of application can be basis for dissolution of the society by the Minister. For furnishing false information to any public servant, a person may be charged under section 182 of the Penal Code, the penalty of which is imprisonment up to 6 months or fine up to $1,000.

10) When can my society conduct our activities?

A society that is registered under normal registration can conduct its activities after its registration has been published in the Gazette.

A society that is registered under the automatic registration process can carry out its activities upon registration. Do note that under the Societies Act, the Registrar of Societies is empowered to order an automatically registered society to, after its registration, change its name or its rules, if he is of the opinion that the rules of the society if unchanged, would be contrary to national interest or prejudicial to the public peace, welfare or good order in Singapore.

11) Is there any penalty if we proceed to conduct activities after we have submitted our application to ROS for consideration but before it is approved?

It is an offence for a society to conduct its activities before its registration is approved by ROS. Under Regulation 3 of the Societies Regulations, you would be guilty of an offence and would be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $500 and, where the breach is a continuing one, to a further fine not exceeding $50 for every day after the first day during which the breach continues.

12) What is the fee for the registration of a society?

Please refer to the fees as prescribed in the Societies Regulations.