Can a foreigner register a .sg domain?

The rules below are drawn from SGNIC's registration policies and acceptable use policy, and the identity-verification requirements (VerifiedID@SG / Singpass and Corppass) SGNIC applies to contacts.

Who can hold a .sg domain

The open .sg second level

A .sg (registered directly at the second level) is open to any individual or organisation, local or foreign, provided the registration names a local administrative contact with a Singapore address and a verifiable identity.

.com.sg and the other restricted second levels

.com.sg is for entities registered with the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA), identified by a Unique Entity Number (UEN), or entities with a local presence or agent. .org.sg, .edu.sg, .gov.sg and .net.sg each have their own eligibility rules. .per.sg is for Singapore citizens and residents as individuals.

The numbers that bound it

The local administrative contact

This is the mechanism that lets a foreign party hold a .sg. The admin contact:

• must have a Singapore address and be contactable there;
• must complete identity verification through SGNIC's process (Singpass for individuals, Corppass for businesses) within 21 days of registration;
• is the person SGNIC deals with on the domain, and in practice controls it.

What the SGNIC rules imply about trustees

SGNIC does not use the word trustee. It defines the registrant and the admin contact, and makes the admin contact the operative party for a foreign registration.

Two models

• You as registrant, provider as admin contact. Your name is on the record; the provider supplies and verifies the Singapore contact. You stay closer to control.
• Provider as registrant. Common for .com.sg, where the provider's ACRA entity is the eligible party. Your rights are contractual.

Responsibility follows the record and the AUP

The registrant and admin contact are responsible for compliance with SGNIC's acceptable use policy. A provider that is the registrant or admin contact carries that exposure, which is why some are selective about the domains they will hold.

Transfer and exit

A .sg domain changes registrant through the registrar with the current registrant's authorisation. The incoming registrant must meet the eligibility rules for that second level, and a new administrative contact must be named and verified.

1. Line up an eligible incoming registrant and a verifiable Singapore admin contact.
2. The current registrant, the provider, must authorise the change.
3. The domain must be active and unlocked.

How registration works

You apply through an SGNIC-accredited registrar

Registration is registrar-only, first come first served, with the eligibility declaration for the chosen second level and the admin contact details.

Verification

SGNIC verifies the admin contact's identity after registration. For .com.sg the UEN is checked against ACRA. Unverified contacts and failed checks lead to suspension.

Name format

A .sg label is 3 to 63 characters using letters, digits and hyphens. Internationalised domain names are offered in a limited set. Some names are reserved.

What the public lookup shows

SGNIC's Whois shows the registrant and administrative contact, with some personal fields redacted for individuals. Under a local-presence arrangement the provider's details appear as registrant or admin contact, a consequence of their role rather than a privacy product.

If you have no Singapore presence: two routes

Incorporate in Singapore

Singapore incorporation is quick, but it requires a resident director and a corporate secretary, which is its own local-presence cost. It makes sense if you are setting up operations there anyway.

Use a local-presence service

Faster and lighter. The provider supplies the Singapore admin contact, and for .com.sg the ACRA entity. Compare providers that cover .sg.

Frequently asked questions

Last updated September 2026. Registry policies change. If you spot something out of date, email [email protected].