ACRA removes companies from the register when they seem inactive, violate compliance rules, or skip annual return filings for two or more years running. Once struck off, a company is no longer a legal entity in Singapore—but reinstatement is possible, and more common than many business owners realise.
What Striking Off Actually Means
When ACRA strikes off a company, it ceases to exist in law. Bank accounts are frozen. Contracts become void. The company name is erased from the public register.
Directors and shareholders lose all power to act for the company. Any assets it held may vest in the government as bona vacantia—property without an owner that the state takes by default.
The process usually begins after missed deadlines, ignored notices, or a registered address with no known officers. ACRA sends a formal warning before the strike-off takes effect. Yet many directors only find out after the damage is done, typically when a bank account stops working or a counterparty flags the issue.
You have six years from the date of striking off to apply for restoration. After that, the process becomes much harder and may not be available at all.
Who May Apply
ACRA allows former directors, shareholders, creditors, or any aggrieved party to seek restoration. Most applications come from directors or shareholders who need the company back to deal with unresolved assets, live contracts, or pending regulatory matters.
A company struck off voluntarily can also be restored. But ACRA will only approve reinstatement once the original reasons for removal are fully resolved.
The Restoration Process
Applications are filed through BizFile+, ACRA’s online portal. Several things must be in order before you submit.
Appoint a Registered Filing Agent or Company Secretary
Since the company no longer appears in the register, individual directors often cannot file directly without a CorpPass account linked to the defunct entity. Most applicants engage professional help at this stage. A qualified company secretary knows what ACRA expects, what documents are needed, and how to avoid common rejection grounds. This is why engaging company secretary services Singapore early makes a significant difference.
Resolve All Outstanding Compliance Failures
ACRA will not restore a company that still carries unresolved breaches. Overdue annual returns must be filed. Outstanding penalties must be paid. Issues with IRAS must be sorted. Financial statements must be brought up to date.
Directors often misjudge this step. They assume ACRA will overlook past failures once the application is in. It will not.
Prepare Supporting Documents
The application requires a written explanation of why the company should be reinstated. It needs evidence of the applicant’s standing. It also requires a declaration of the company’s intended purpose going forward.
If the striking-off was involuntary, documentation showing the company was still active at the time strengthens the case considerably.
File and Pay the Fee
The application fee is S$60 for administrative restoration and S$200 for court-ordered restoration. ACRA processes most straightforward administrative applications within 14 to 30 working days. Court-ordered restorations, which involve a formal court application and a hearing, take much longer.
Administrative Restoration vs Court-Ordered Restoration
Administrative restoration applies when the company was struck off within the last six months. ACRA handles it directly with no court involvement. This is the faster route, and for most applicants who act quickly, it is the only route they need.
Court-ordered restoration applies when more than six months have passed since striking off, or when ACRA rejects an administrative application. You file an originating summons in the High Court, serve it on the Registrar of Companies, and attend a hearing. The strength of your case matters significantly here. Most directors in this position work with a lawyer alongside their provider of company secretary services to build a persuasive argument.
Why Professional Support Matters at Every Stage
A company secretary in Singapore is not an administrative luxury. Under the Companies Act, every Singapore-incorporated company must appoint a qualified company secretary. During restoration, the company technically lacks one because it has ceased to exist. Reappointing a qualified secretary is one of the first actions required after reinstatement.
Before reinstatement, professional secretarial services Singapore handle the preparation work. They review what outstanding filings exist, coordinate with IRAS if needed, structure the application letter, and file on your behalf. Directors who attempt this without help frequently get rejected on procedural grounds—missing documents, incomplete statements, or undiscovered penalties.
After reinstatement, ongoing company secretary services keep the company compliant going forward. This means managing annual return filings, maintaining statutory registers, and making sure AGM deadlines are not missed. In many cases, the compliance failure that led to striking off was preventable with the right support in place from the start.
Moving Forward After Reinstatement
Restoration returns the company to the register as if the striking-off had not occurred. The company regains its legal standing. Bank accounts can be unfrozen. Contracts become enforceable again. Property that vested in the government during the struck-off period can be reclaimed, though this sometimes requires a separate application.
The practical priority after reinstatement is getting all statutory obligations current fast. Annual returns, director updates, registered address confirmations—these need to happen immediately so the company does not slip back into the same position.
A structured handover from your secretarial services Singapore provider, with a compliance calendar going forward, is what makes reinstatement stick.
Restoration is a real option for most struck-off companies, but the window is limited and the paperwork is unforgiving. Acting early, resolving compliance issues before filing, and working with qualified company secretary services throughout the process are what separate successful applications from rejected ones.
