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Singapore trust law and key features
Singapore trust law combines the common law with the Trustees Act 1967 and the Trust Companies Act 2005, which restricts who may carry on trust business. Below are the governing law, who may act as trustee, and the features and limits, each with its source; take them to your lawyer before the deed is drafted.
Reviewed by a senior trust administrator, updated
The legal frame at a glance
What the law provides, with the source number for each item.
Key facts
- Perpetuity period
- 100 years, or a shorter period set in the instrument (Civil Law Act, section 32)[2]
- Foreign law rules
- Foreign forced heirship rules do not defeat certain trusts (section 90)[5]
- Reserved settlor powers
- Settlor may keep investment powers without the trust failing (section 90)[5]
- Trustee requirement
- Trust business is restricted (section 3); exempt persons are listed (section 15)[3]
Numbers in brackets point to the Sources list at the end of this page.
Swipe sideways to see the whole diagram.
- SettlorSets up the structure and transfers assets into it
- transfers assetsPrivate trust companyActs as trustee, owned and run for one family or group
- holds and distributesBeneficiariesPeople who benefit from the trust under its terms
- Board of the private trust company makes its decisionsBoard of the private trust companyDirectors who take the decisions of the company in the structure
- Private trust company holds legal titleTrust assetsThe property held in the structure
Roles and notes
| Part of the structure | What it does |
|---|---|
| Settlor | Sets up the structure and transfers assets into it |
| Private trust company | Acts as trustee, owned and run for one family or group |
| Board of the private trust company | Directors who take the decisions of the company in the structure |
| Beneficiaries | People who benefit from the trust under its terms |
| Trust assets | The property held in the structure |
- A family can set up its own private trust company to act as trustee, with family members or advisers on its board.
- The PTC holds legal title to the trust assets; the trust deed still governs every decision it takes.
- A trust company can support the PTC's board with papers, minutes and records.
- Shares in the PTC are often held by a separate holding arrangement so that no single family member owns the trustee.
- A Singapore lawyer confirms the rules that apply to a PTC in each case before it is formed.
The governing law
Trust law in Singapore starts from the common law of trusts, which Singapore shares with England and other common law places. Statute then fills in the detail.
The main statute is the Trustees Act of 1967, which sets out the trustee’s statutory duty of care, its investment powers and its general powers (source: Singapore Statutes Online, Trustees Act 1967).
The Civil Law Act 1909 fixes the perpetuity period at 100 years, or a shorter period the instrument specifies (source: Singapore Statutes Online, Civil Law Act 1909, section 32).
The Trustees Act sets default rules, and a trust deed can adjust many of them. Where the deed is silent, the trustee follows the Act.
So the deed decides much of how a Singapore trust runs: whether the settlor keeps reserved powers under section 90, and whether the perpetuity period is shortened. A lawyer usually drafts or reviews it before any asset moves.
When a decision is needed, such as a distribution or a change of investment, the trustee reads the deed alongside the Act and applies the Part 1A duty of care.
Tax reporting goes to the tax authority. Singapore has exchanged financial account information under the Common Reporting Standard since September 2018 (source: Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore, CRS overview and latest developments).
Who may act as trustee
An individual or a company can hold the role in principle. A professional trustee is a business that acts as trustee for clients and keeps the records that the deed and the law require.
Carrying on trust business in Singapore is restricted, and the Trust Companies Act 2005 lists exempt persons (source: Singapore Statutes Online, Trust Companies Act 2005, sections 3 and 15).
In our service a trust company takes the trustee role, and we coordinate the case around it. The plain answer to who can be a trustee is on the FAQ page.
A family can also set up a private trust company, or PTC, to act as trustee of its own trust. Whether a PTC falls within an exemption depends on how it is set up and what it does.
A Singapore lawyer confirms those rules before the PTC is formed. The step-by-step guide shows the structure design stage, where that check usually happens.
Choosing between an individual and a professional trustee is a practical decision. Think about continuity if the person dies or moves away, how records are kept, and how much time the role takes.
Features the law allows
Singapore law allows several features that families comparing places tend to ask about.
- A long but fixed period. The perpetuity period is 100 years, or a shorter period set in the instrument. Places such as Labuan take a different approach; see the Labuan trust law page for the rule there.
- Reserved powers. Section 90 of the Trustees Act lets a settlor keep certain powers, such as investment powers, without the trust failing (a point your lawyer confirms for your case). The deed’s wording decides how far it works.
- Foreign forced heirship rules. Section 90 also addresses forced heirship rules of other countries for certain trusts. Your lawyer confirms how it applies; how a court elsewhere treats assets held there is a separate question.
- Protectors and letters of wishes. These come from the deed rather than from statute. The law leaves room for them, and the deed defines them.
Each feature is a tool, not a result. Whether it works for your family depends on your residence, your assets and the law of the places where they sit.
Limits and requirements
The law also sets limits, and they serve the beneficiaries as much as the settlor.
The trustee’s statutory duty of care applies to investment and to other powers set out in the Trustees Act (source: Singapore Statutes Online, Trustees Act 1967, Part 1A).
The 100-year perpetuity period means a trust under Singapore law does not run indefinitely. Plan for what happens at the end, and ask your lawyer how the period applies to your instrument.
Before accepting a trust, we identify and verify the settlor, any protector and the other people connected with it, and keep records of that work.
The trustee also has reporting duties, including the collection of tax residence self-certifications for exchange under the Common Reporting Standard.
The cost guide lists who charges for that work.
Sources and review dates
Every fact on this page carries its source and the date 2026-11-05. Your lawyer reads the full statute text behind each fact for your case.
We review the page when the law or the official guidance changes.
The overview of Singapore trusts puts them in context, and the common questions page answers the practical ones.
Frequently asked questions
Which law governs a trust in Singapore?
A trust set up under Singapore law is governed by the common law and by statute, mainly the Trustees Act of 1967, with a separate 1909 statute setting the perpetuity period. A well-drafted deed names its governing law expressly, and your lawyer confirms the choice.
How long can a Singapore trust last?
The Civil Law Act sets a perpetuity period of 100 years, or a shorter period if the instrument says so (section 32). The deed normally states the period it chooses. Your lawyer confirms how the rule applies to your trust and to any property held in another country.
Can a trust in Singapore have a protector?
Yes, if the deed creates one. A protector comes from the deed rather than from statute: the deed says who the protector is, which decisions need consent and when the protector can be replaced. Your lawyer drafts the role to fit the family.
Sources
- Singapore Statutes Online: Trustees Act 1967, read 2026-11-05.
- Singapore Statutes Online: Civil Law Act 1909, read 2026-11-05.
- Singapore Statutes Online: Trust Companies Act 2005, read 2026-11-05.
- Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore: CRS overview and latest developments, read 2026-11-05.
- Singapore Statutes Online: Trustees Act 1967, section 90, read 2026-11-05.