A bank representative office may carry out liaison work, market research or feasibility studies, but is not allowed to transact any business in Singapore.

The registration of a bank representative office does not imply that the applicant will qualify for a banking licence in future.

Before You Apply

Prospective applicants interested in setting up a bank representative office are encouraged to contact the Banking Department of MAS about their plans before submitting a formal application.

Discussing the registration requirements at an early stage helps to identify issues that may affect the proposed application.

For further enquiry or to make an appointment with the Banking Department of MAS, send an email to bd_registry@mas.gov.sg .

How to Apply

To apply, submit the Application to Set Up Representative Office (70.3 KB). Refer to the form for detailed instructions.

All applicants are also required to provide confirmation of payment of application fee (e.g. payment advice, bank statement transaction details) when submitting your application form.

How much is the application fee and how do I make payment?

All applicants are required to pay a non-refundable application fee of S$5,000. Please refer to Making Payments to MAS for available payment methods and the Reference Code to indicate in the reference field when making payment.

Processing Time

All applications will be processed promptly. The processing time typically takes about one to two months, assuming that all information has been submitted to MAS' satisfaction and the application fee has been duly received by MAS. Actual processing time depends on the circumstances of each application.