A person or company in Singapore can handle most Indian legal work remotely. Documents are signed before a Singapore notary public and apostilled by the Singapore Academy of Law, then sent to India for stamping. Singapore companies invest in India under FEMA's automatic route in most sectors, and Indian courts enforce Singapore-seated arbitral awards under the New York Convention. Singapore is a reciprocating territory, so money decrees of its superior courts can be executed in India under section 44A.
- Document route
- Singapore notary public, then apostille from the Singapore Academy of Law
- Time difference
- Singapore is 2h30 ahead of IST all year
- Foreign judgments in India
- Reciprocating territory: section 44A
- Apostille with India
- In force (Singapore joined in 2021)
Singapore, Indian business and the Indian community
Singapore's ties with India run through two channels. The first is the community: Tamil Singaporeans whose families have lived there for generations, alongside newer Indian professionals in banking, technology, shipping and medicine, many of them permanent residents. The second is capital. Singapore has consistently been one of the largest sources of foreign direct investment into India, partly because regional headquarters, private equity funds and venture capital managers are based there.
That shapes the work we do. Companies set up an Indian subsidiary under a Singapore holding company, funds invest in Indian startups, and commercial parties choose Singapore-seated arbitration and then need the award enforced in India. Individuals bring the usual family matters: wills covering assets in both places, property sales in India and the tax that the buyer withholds.
Signing and legalising documents in Singapore
Singapore joined the Hague Apostille Convention with effect from September 2021, so documents for India now carry an apostille instead of going through the earlier chain of authentication. The usual route is:
- Sign before a Singapore notary public, who is a senior lawyer appointed under the Notaries Public Act. Corporate documents, such as board resolutions, are signed by authorised officers and notarised.
- Obtain the apostille from the Singapore Academy of Law, which issues apostilles on notarised documents and many public documents through its legalisation service.
- Courier the original to India, or send it with the transaction bundle, for stamping within three months of arrival and filing with the registrar, bank or court.
Indian nationals may also use the consular services of the High Commission of India in Singapore. For company work, we prepare execution packs so that resolutions, powers of attorney and declarations for the Registrar of Companies are signed in one sitting.
Most requested services from Singapore
These are the six services clients in Singapore ask us for most. Each page explains how the work runs from Singapore, from the notary and Singapore Academy of Law apostille to the Indian regulator, registry or court.
Indian Subsidiary Setup
Singapore holding companies commonly own Indian operating subsidiaries for technology, services and distribution businesses.
Investing in Indian Startups
Singapore-based funds, family offices and angels are active investors in Indian startups and need FEMA-compliant documents.
International Arbitration
Contracts with Indian parties often choose Singapore-seated arbitration, and the award has to be enforced or resisted in India.
Enforcing Foreign Judgments
Because Singapore is a reciprocating territory, a money decree from a notified Singapore court can be executed directly in India.
TDS on Property Sale
Singapore residents selling Indian property face tax deducted by the buyer that can far exceed the actual tax due without a lower deduction certificate.
Wills & Probate
Families with assets in Singapore and India need wills that work in both places and a plan for Indian probate or administration.
The India-Singapore tax treaty and investment flows
India and Singapore have a comprehensive double taxation avoidance agreement, revised by a 2016 protocol. Since 1 April 2017, capital gains on shares of an Indian company acquired on or after that date are taxable in India, which ended the earlier exemption for Singapore investors. Treaty benefits require a Singapore tax residency certificate and Form 10F, and the treaty contains limitation of benefits rules aimed at shell companies.
Investment into India is governed by FEMA, the Non-Debt Instruments Rules 2019 and the consolidated FDI Policy. Most sectors are open under the automatic route, but sector caps, pricing guidelines and reporting on the FIRMS portal apply. Investments that have beneficial owners in a country sharing a land border with India need government approval under Press Note 3 (2020), which can catch Singapore vehicles with Chinese investors. Individual Singapore residents selling Indian property face tax deducted at source by the buyer, explained on our TDS on NRI property sale page.
Arbitration, judgments and family matters
Singapore is the seat most often chosen by Indian parties for international arbitration, and Singapore-seated awards are foreign awards under Part II of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act. India has notified Singapore as a New York Convention country, so an award can be enforced in India once the High Court with jurisdiction rejects any objection under section 48. Since the Supreme Court's decision in BALCO (2012), Indian courts cannot set aside a foreign-seated award, and their supervisory role is limited.
Singapore is also a reciprocating territory under section 44A of the Code of Civil Procedure, so a money decree of a notified Singapore superior court can be executed in India without a new suit. On the family side, Singapore divorces granted on irretrievable breakdown raise the same recognition questions as other foreign decrees, and since India is not a Hague Child Abduction Convention party, custody disputes involving a child taken to India are decided on welfare grounds by Indian courts.
Working with us from Singapore
Singapore is two and a half hours ahead of India all year, which makes it one of the easiest places to work from. A 9 am Indian meeting is 11.30 am in Singapore, and Indian business hours overlap with most of your day. We schedule board calls, negotiations and document reviews within that overlap.
Indian High Courts and commercial courts allow virtual hearings in many matters, and evidence can be recorded by video. Courier between Singapore and India usually takes two to four working days. For regional comparisons, clients with operations in Kuala Lumpur can see our Malaysia page, where the document route differs because Malaysia is not an apostille country.
More services for clients in Singapore
Each of these has its own page written for clients in Singapore, covering how documents are signed there and what happens in India.
- Property Disputes
- Buying & Selling Property
- Title Search & Due Diligence
- Mutation & Transfer
- Partition of Family Property
- Encroachment & Illegal Possession
- Builder Delay & RERA
- Tenant Eviction
- Repatriation of Funds
- NRI Income Tax & DTAA
- Legal Advisory for NRI Investors
- Shareholder Disputes & NCLT
- Accident Compensation Claims
- Criminal Defence & Look Out Circulars
- Succession Certificate
- Power of Attorney
- Divorce for NRIs
All services for clients in Singapore
NRI Property Law
- Property Disputes
- Encroachment & Illegal Possession
- Partition of Family Property
- Buying & Selling Property
- Title Search & Due Diligence
- Tenant Eviction
- Builder Delay & RERA
Inheritance & Documents
Cross-Border Family Law
- Divorce for NRIs
- International Child Custody
- Maintenance & Alimony
- Marriage Registration
- 498A & Dowry Case Defence
- OCI Card Issues
Doing Business in India
- Company Setup for Foreigners
- Indian Subsidiary Setup
- Branch & Liaison Office
- FDI & FEMA Compliance
- Trademark Protection in India
- Commercial Contracts
- Employment Law for Foreign Employers
- GST for Foreign Businesses
- Investing in Indian Startups
- Legal Advisory for NRI Investors
Disputes & Enforcement
- International Arbitration
- Enforcing Foreign Judgments
- Money Recovery from India
- Shareholder Disputes & NCLT
- Accident Compensation Claims
- Cyber & Investment Fraud
- Criminal Defence & Look Out Circulars
Cross-Border Tax & Money
Indian mission in Singapore
The High Commission of India in Singapore provides passport, OCI, visa and consular services, with some applications handled through an outsourced service centre.
- High Commission of India, Singapore
Frequently asked questions
Who issues apostilles in Singapore?
The Singapore Academy of Law issues apostilles on documents notarised by Singapore notaries and on many public documents. Singapore joined the Apostille Convention in 2021.
Can a Singapore court judgment be enforced in India?
Yes, if it is a money decree of a notified Singapore superior court. It is executed through the Indian district court under section 44A, subject to the debtor's section 13 objections.
Does the India-Singapore treaty still exempt capital gains on Indian shares?
Not for shares acquired on or after 1 April 2017. Gains on those shares are taxable in India under the amended treaty, subject to Indian domestic rates.
Can a Singapore company own 100 percent of an Indian company?
In most sectors, yes, under the automatic route. Some sectors have caps or need approval, and Press Note 3 applies if beneficial owners are in a country sharing a land border with India.
Is a Singapore-seated arbitral award enforceable in India?
Yes. India treats Singapore as a New York Convention country, so the award is enforced under Part II of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, with limited grounds for refusal.
Do I need an Indian resident director for my subsidiary?
Yes. Every Indian company must have at least one director who has stayed in India for 182 days or more in the relevant year, along with the minimum number of directors for a private company.
I am a Singapore PR selling a flat in India. How is tax handled?
The buyer deducts tax at source at non-resident rates. You can apply for a lower deduction certificate and claim any excess back by filing an Indian return.
Can I attend Indian court hearings from Singapore?
Many hearings can be attended by video, and your lawyer appears on ordinary dates. Some stages, such as evidence, may need special permission for video recording.