Shanghai launches fully online business registration service for Singaporean firms via interoperable digital identity service

SHANGHAI, Dec. 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On November 25, at the main forum of the Global Data Ecosystem Conference 2025, the fully online business registration service which is based on the Shanghai-Singapore cross-border digital trust framework was officially launched. This service will help reduce the time and cost associated with mailing and processing paper-based notarised documents. Once fully implemented, Singaporean enterprises investing in and establishing businesses in Shanghai will benefit from faster, simpler and more secure cross-border service procedures, thereby promoting two-way investment flows between Shanghai and Singapore.

Previously, under the lead of the Shanghai Data Bureau, the Shanghai Electronic Certification Authority (SHECA) established a cross-border digital trust service platform and explored pathways for cross-border digital identity interoperability. The initiative aims to enhance the efficiency, security and reliability of cross-border identity and document authentication, break down barriers to cross-border trust, and foster international cooperation and exchange.

Since the beginning of this year, the Shanghai Data Bureau, together with the Shanghai Administration for Market Regulation, has collaborated with Singapore's Infocomm Media Development Authority and the Singapore Academy of Law to develop the first application scenario for digital identity interoperability. Through the launch of a pilot project based on Decentralized Identifiers (DID) and Verifiable Credentials (VC) techniques, the programme tested the process of Singaporean corporate investors registering foreign-invested enterprises in Shanghai via an entirely online process.

For the first time, the authorisation relationships of duly empowered signatories from Singaporean companies were clearly defined, effectively resolving the long-standing challenge of verifying the authenticity and validity of notarised documents. As a result, eligible Singaporean enterprises can now complete business registration in Shanghai without submitting paper-based notarised documents.

Going forward, Shanghai and Singapore will promote services that help Chinese enterprises "Go Global," applying the model in scenarios of business establishment in Singapore to provide Chinese companies with convenient online registration services when expanding in Singapore. At the same time, the two sides will gradually broaden areas of cooperation, advancing the adoption of cross-border digital identity and electronic document interoperability in more fields. Shanghai will also continue to enhance its cross-border digital identity interoperability platform, explore the development of a blockchain-based model, and extend its application to Belt and Road countries and neighbouring regions. This will strengthen the city's identity authentication capabilities in relation to overseas individuals and enterprises, while continuously improving Shanghai's overall digital identity service capacity.

Source: Shanghai Data Bureau

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