ACRA UEN and Bizfile Singapore
What the UEN is, where to look it up and how it links to invoices and the InvoiceNow network.
The Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) keeps Singapore's register of companies and businesses. Every registered entity has a Unique Entity Number (UEN), the single identifier used across government agencies. ACRA's Bizfile portal is where companies are registered and filings are made, and where the public can look up entity information. A GST-registered business must show its GST registration number on its tax invoices, and the UEN is commonly used as the business identifier in day-to-day trade. On the Peppol network, Singapore participants are identified through a scheme based on the UEN.
- UEN: the unique identifier of a registered entity in Singapore.
- ACRA and Bizfile: the register and the portal for filings and searches.
- GST number: separate from the UEN even when the two look alike.
- Peppol: Singapore participants are addressed through a UEN-based identifier.
How it works
Find your customer's UEN and registered name on Bizfile, or ask the customer to confirm them, before you issue the first invoice. A wrong name or number causes queries later.
Put your own business name, address and, if you are GST-registered, your GST registration number on every tax invoice. Add your UEN as well if you use it in your commercial documents.
Do not assume the GST registration number equals the UEN. Check the number on your IRAS GST registration notice and use exactly that.
Keep your ACRA filings up to date, such as annual returns. Your entity details in the register should match what appears on your invoices.
Legal framework
- Companies Act 1967.
- Business Names Registration Act 2014.
- Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority Act 2004.
- IRAS: tax invoice requirements for GST-registered businesses.
Frequently asked questions
What is a UEN?
The Unique Entity Number is the identifier given to a business or other entity registered in Singapore. It is used across government agencies, so the same number appears in dealings with ACRA and IRAS.
Is the UEN the same as the GST registration number?
Not necessarily. A GST registration number is issued by IRAS only to GST-registered businesses. Use the number shown on your IRAS GST registration notice on tax invoices.
Where can I check a company's UEN?
On ACRA's Bizfile portal, which offers public searches of registered entities. You can also ask the customer for their registration documents.
Does 4invoices verify UENs or connect to ACRA?
No. 4invoices does not connect to ACRA or Bizfile and does not verify UENs or GST numbers. You type the customer's details and your own on the invoice, and 4invoices produces the PDF with them.