What is a UEN number?
Unique Entity Number (UEN), is a 9 or 10 digit unique identification number that is issued by the government in Singapore primarily via the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) to all entities operating within the country.
It is an important number that is used to uniquely identify each registered entity so that they can conveniently interact with different government agencies under a single identification number, from filing corporate tax returns to applying for import and export permits.
Is UEN same as ACRA number?
Yes, businesses and local companies registered with ACRA had earlier been issued what was known as the ACRA Registration Number – which is now known as UEN.
Is UEN same as GST number?
For ACRA registered businesses and local companies, the GST registration number will be the same. For all other cases such as foreign companies or partnerships, the GST registration number will be different.
How do I apply for a UEN?
For local companies and businesses registering with ACRA, it will be provided automatically upon going through the standard incorporation or registration process. For other types of entities, it can be issued by a number of other government agencies as listed below.
How do I change my UEN number?
Your UEN is a permanent and unique number that cannot be changed if your business name changes. This unique number will also not be given to any other entity.
Can anyone get a UEN?
UEN can be issued to entities such as businesses, local companies, LLPs, societies and representative offices that have multiple interactions with Singapore government agencies.
UEN are not issued to individuals, entities that have no or only one-off interactions with government agencies or sub-entities such as branches or divisions of an entity. However, some government agencies may choose to add sub-entity codes in their systems to identify branches and divisions.
How do I perform a UEN Search?
In order to find your company’s or another company’s UEN, you can look it up online using the Singapore government directory search. The search result will display the UEN, company name, status, issuance agency, entity type and partial address. Thus, it also helps you to know if a company is active or not.
The same search directory works regardless of whether the entity is registered with ACRA or with one of the other government agencies.
What is PayNow UEN?
PayNow Corporate enables entities to pay and receive Singapore Dollar funds instantaneously by linking their Singapore UEN to their respective Singapore bank accounts. They do not need to know the bank and account number of other entities when transferring funds.
The retail customers of participating banks can now transfer funds to entities and vice versa. To receive funds, entities need to register for the service with their respective bank’s banking platform.
What is UEN suffix?
The suffix is the last letter and is used as a check alphabet. For example, for a limited liability partnership (LLP) formed on 1 January 2009 with UEN ‘T09LL0001B’, the suffix is B.
| Issued To | Format |
| Businesses registered with ACRA | nnnnnnnnX (9 digits) |
| Local companies registered with ACRA | yyyynnnnnX (10 digits) |
| All other entities which will be issued new UEN | TyyPQnnnnX (10 digits) |
‘n’ = a number
‘P’= an alphabetical letter
‘Q’ = an alpha-numeric digit
‘PQ’ = Entity-type
‘Tyy’ / ‘Syy’ / ‘yyyy’= year of issuance
‘X’ = a check alphabet
Which agencies can issue UEN?
Apart from ACRA, the following agencies can also issue UEN depending on the type of entity.
- International Enterprise Singapore
- Islamic Religious Council of Singapore
- Ministry of Communications and Information
- Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth
- Ministry of Defense
- Ministry of Education
- Ministry of Finance
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Ministry of Health
- Ministry of Law
- Ministry of Manpower
- Ministry of National Development
- Monetary Authority
- People’s Association
- Registry of Societies
- Singapore Land Authority
- Smart Nation and Digital Government Office
Where should UEN be displayed?
The law requires the UEN to be displayed on a number of documents, including:
- Letterheads
- Emails
- Invoices
- Receipts
- Order forms
- Brochures
- Leaflets
- Other types of printed marketing material
- Websites and other online materials
