Charge Search in Singapore: How to Check Whether a Company Has Charges Over Its Assets

Short answer: A charge search in Singapore means checking what security a company has given to lenders over its assets. Start with Bizfile’s free entity search for status and address, then look at ACRA’s paid products and ask the company for its charge numbers and instruments. A register is only as complete as the filings made.

A charge search in Singapore is a due diligence step for anyone buying shares, lending money, taking a seat on the board or extending large credit: before you rely on a company’s assets, you want to know whether a lender already has a claim over them. This guide explains what ACRA’s published guidance says about charges, where the limits of a register check lie, how to confirm that a repaid charge has been recorded as satisfied, and a checklist you can work through.

Raffles Corporate Services works with a panel of experienced Singapore law firms who offer cost-effective and efficient legal service and advice. This article is general information only and is not legal advice.

What is a charge search in Singapore and where do you start?

It is the process of finding out whether a company has registered security over its assets, and how much of that security is still live. There is no single button labelled “charge search” in the ACRA guidance we reviewed, so the practical route combines Bizfile’s search, ACRA’s information products and direct requests to the company.

ACRA explains that a charge is a form of security interest: if the borrower cannot repay, the chargee can use the charge to claim the company’s assets. A fixed charge sits over identifiable assets such as land, buildings, machinery, shares or intellectual property. A floating charge sits over changing categories such as inventory, cash and money owed by customers, and ACRA says it converts to a fixed charge only when the company cannot repay. Our explainer on what a charge is covers the basics.

Start with the free Bizfile entity search. It confirms the entity’s live status and registered address without a login. If the company is struck off or wound up, the charge question changes completely, so settle that first. Our sister site explains how to use Bizfile’s search functions before you sign anything.

What does ACRA record about a charge?

ACRA’s guidance shows that each registered charge carries a charge number, the particulars of the charge, the charge instrument and details of its execution, and a status on the register. These are the fields a company’s own filer sees when satisfying a charge in Bizfile.

When a company files a satisfaction of charge, the Bizfile screens ask the filer to select the charge number, check the details of the charge, the charge instrument and its execution, and state the nature of the satisfaction. A screen also shows the charge’s status in the register, and a charge that secured all moneys owing is handled differently from one that did not. In practice, that means that when you ask a company about its charges, the useful items to request are:

• the charge number for each registered charge;
• a copy of the charge instrument, to see the assets covered;
• the chargee’s name, whether the charge secures all moneys owing, and any variation filed after registration.

For the filing side, see our guides to registering a charge under section 131 and filing a satisfaction of charge.

Which ACRA products can help, and what do they cost?

ACRA sells six information products through Bizfile, and the ones most useful for a charge check are the Business Profile, the Corporate Compliance and Financial Profile and extracts. ACRA’s published descriptions do not name a charges product, so open the sample on the Bizfile product page before you pay.

These figures come from ACRA’s page on types of ACRA information products, last updated by ACRA on 4 February 2026, so check the Bizfile checkout price on the day. A Business Profile can be bought as a guest, even for struck-off companies, though ceased entities show limited information. Our sister-site guide on buying business information from ACRA explains what is free and what is not.

Extracts are described as copies of past filings, which is the category a charge filing would fall into, but ACRA does not say so expressly. If you need the primary document, ask ACRA through Bizfile or ask the company to supply its own copies and then cross-check them against what you can buy.

Which charges must be registered, and which may not appear?

ACRA lists the charges a company must register, and a charge outside that list may never appear on the register. Even a registrable charge may be missing if it was created recently or if the company filed late.

The charges ACRA says must be registered are:

• charges on debenture issues;
• charges on uncalled share capital;
• charges on subsidiary company shares;
• charges needing bill of sale registration;
• charges on land or property;
• charges on book debts;
• floating charges on company assets;
• charges on unpaid share calls;
• charges on ships, aircraft or their shares; and
• charges on goodwill, patents, trademarks or copyrights.

Three limits follow from this. First, timing: the company has 30 days to register a charge created in Singapore and 37 days for one created outside Singapore, so a charge made last week may not be on the register yet. Second, scope: security that is not in ACRA’s list is not something this register is designed to show, so ask the company directly about other arrangements. Third, accuracy: ACRA says it is a criminal offence to fail to register a charge, that company officers such as directors and secretaries may be fined up to S$1,000 for late registration, and that a late-registered charge may become void against the liquidator or other secured creditors. A lender who skipped registration is therefore exposed, but a buyer should not assume that no charge exists simply because none appears.

The Act sets out the regime in Part 4, Division 8 (sections 131 to 141), which you can read on Singapore Statutes Online. If a charge was missed, our guides explain the section 137 extension of time and the court route when time is missed. ACRA also notes that, for charges created in Singapore, a company cannot ask ACRA for an extension and needs a court order under section 137, whereas for charges created overseas it can apply to ACRA under section 139 for a 30-day extension.

How do you confirm that a charge has been satisfied?

Ask for the satisfaction filing confirmation, because ACRA says a satisfaction of charge releases the charge and removes it from the register. A repaid loan alone does not clear the entry until the statement is filed.

ACRA’s guidance on filing satisfaction of charges sets out the position:

• The chargor (the company that owes the debt) or its appointed corporate service provider files the satisfaction.
• A satisfaction can be filed only for a charge registered under the company’s UEN and not yet removed, and it covers full or partial payment.
• The filer needs the original charge number and details such as the date of satisfaction and supporting documents.
• Filing is free and processing is immediate, and the filer receives a Bizfile notification confirming the satisfaction.
• A chargee who wants to file on the chargor’s behalf must first engage a corporate service provider, which must add the chargor as its client.

So, when a seller says a loan was repaid years ago, ask for the Bizfile confirmation of satisfaction and the lender’s release letter, and compare the charge number on both. If nothing was filed, the company (or its corporate service provider) can file it once the lender agrees the debt is cleared.

How should a buyer or lender run the check?

Work through a fixed sequence so that nothing depends on a single source. The steps below suit a share purchase, a loan or an investment, and you should record the date of each search.

1. Run the Bizfile entity search and note live status and registered address.
2. Buy the product that answers your question (usually a Business Profile, and a Corporate Compliance and Financial Profile where solvency matters), after checking its sample.
3. Ask the company for a list of every charge, with charge numbers, chargees, instruments and any variations.
4. Ask for the lender’s confirmation of the debts each charge secures and the amounts outstanding.
5. For each charge said to be repaid, obtain the satisfaction confirmation and release letter.
6. Ask the company to confirm in writing any other security, retention arrangements or guarantees outside the registrable categories.
7. Repeat the search shortly before completion, because a charge created in the gap may still be inside its 30 or 37 day filing window.

If the answers show a floating charge over inventory or receivables, or a fixed charge over the shares you are buying, take legal advice on its effect. The corporate secretary’s role in due diligence requests is explained in our guide, and our sister site covers why registration decides priority. The team at Raffles Corporate Services can run the searches with you.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a free way to check whether a company has charges?

Bizfile’s free search shows live status and registered address, but the ACRA guidance we reviewed does not say it lists charges. Treat the free search as the first filter, then buy or request the documents that show security.

How much does an ACRA information product cost?

ACRA lists a Business Profile at S$5.50, a People Profile at S$33 and a Corporate Compliance and Financial Profile at S$50, with extracts, certificates and registers from S$11. Confirm the price at Bizfile checkout.

Does a company have to register every charge?

No, only the categories in section 131 that ACRA lists, such as charges on land, book debts, floating charges and charges on intellectual property. Security outside those categories may not be on the register.

What happens if a charge was registered late?

ACRA says officers may be fined up to S$1,000 and the charge may become void against the liquidator or other secured creditors. A company cannot ask ACRA for more time for a Singapore charge and needs a court order under section 137.

How do I remove a charge after the loan is repaid?

File a satisfaction of charge in Bizfile using the original charge number. The chargor or its corporate service provider files it, it is free and it is processed immediately, and ACRA says it removes the charge from the register.

Last reviewed: 7 November 2026. The Editorial Team, Raffles Corporate Services.