Free business email in Singapore: set up name@yourbusiness.com.sg

Singapore SMEs are ACRA-registered, invoice through PayNow and increasingly sell to corporates that vet suppliers carefully. A .com.sg address does more for credibility than a new website, and the mailboxes on it can be free. This guide covers registration, DNS and connecting your devices.

Quick answer

Register yourbusiness.com.sg (with your ACRA UEN) or a .sg through an SGNIC-accredited registrar, create a free OquMail workspace, add the domain, paste four DNS records, create mailboxes. The email is free with no card and no per-user fee.

Domain choice: .com.sg, .sg or .com

Singapore domains are administered by SGNIC. A .com.sg requires a Singapore-registered business entity (your ACRA UEN), and a direct .sg requires a local presence as well. Registrars include Vodien, Exabytes, Usonyx and international resellers. Because every .com.sg is tied to a UEN, it is a strong signal to local buyers. A .com is common among startups and regional businesses.

• .com.sg: requires an ACRA UEN; the standard for Singapore companies
• .sg: shorter, also requires local presence; good for brands
• .org.sg and .edu.sg: for organisations and schools
• .com: fine for regional and tech businesses; Singapore customers accept it

Why Singapore buyers trust a domain address

Corporate procurement, GeBIZ tenders, banks and the many MNC regional offices in Singapore all deal with vendors by email and expect a company address matching the registered entity. An invoice from accounts@yourbusiness.com.sg passes the first check; a Gmail invoice triggers a query. For F&B suppliers, consultants, agencies and e-commerce brands, that difference decides whether a purchase order gets raised.

Step by step

1. Register yourbusiness.com.sg with an SGNIC-accredited registrar, entering your UEN when asked.
2. Create a free OquMail workspace at oqumail.com. No card.
3. Add the domain in the dashboard and copy the four DNS records.
4. In the registrar’s DNS panel add the MX, SPF, DKIM and DMARC records.
5. Click Verify. The live DNS check shows anything still missing.
6. Create mailboxes: info@, accounts@, and one per person, up to 15.
7. Send a test from webmail and add the account to Outlook, Apple Mail or the phone mail app with the settings below.

The four DNS records OquMail needs

Singapore hosts often bundle email and pre-set an MX. Delete it before adding OquMail's, and keep MX and TXT records unproxied if Cloudflare handles your DNS.

• MX — host @, value mail.oqumail.com, priority 10
• SPF (TXT at @) — v=spf1 MX (Mail Exchanger — where incoming email is delivered) a:mail.oqumail.com ~all
• DKIM (TXT at your selector ._domainkey) — v=DKIM1; k=rsa; p=… (the exact key is shown in your OquMail dashboard)
• DMARC (TXT at _dmarc) — v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:dmarc@yourdomain.com

OquMail connection settings

• Incoming (IMAP): mail.oqumail.com, port 993, SSL/TLS
• Outgoing (SMTP): mail.oqumail.com, port 587, STARTTLS
• Username: your full email address (you@yourdomain.com)
• Password: the same password you use for OquMail webmail

What it costs

The domain is a yearly fee at the registrar. The email is free: OquMail's free plan has no card step and includes 15 mailboxes, 3 domains, 5 GB per mailbox, webmail, IMAP/SMTP, delivery logs and a send API. Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 charge per user per month, which is hard to justify for a three-person Pte Ltd that only needs mailboxes.

Pitfalls common in Singapore

• Bundled hosting email with no DKIM: invoices land in junk at corporate clients using Microsoft 365.
• Choosing SSL on port 587 in Outlook. It must be STARTTLS.
• Home fibre and mobile connections block outbound port 25. Port 587 is all you need.
• Leaving a Gmail on the ACRA-facing website contact page and your Google Business Profile after the domain is live.
• Skipping DMARC. Spoofed invoices from Singapore company domains are a well-known scam pattern; publish at least p=none.

Common questions

Can a sole proprietor register .com.sg?

Yes. A sole proprietorship registered with ACRA has a UEN and qualifies. Register the domain in the business name shown on ACRA so it transfers cleanly if you later convert to a Pte Ltd.

Does it work with Outlook and my phone?

Yes. Add an IMAP account with the settings above in Outlook, Apple Mail or the Gmail app. Use your full address as the username and your webmail password; the same mailbox then stays in sync across the office desktop, your laptop and your phone.

What are the limits?

15 mailboxes, 3 domains, 5 GB per mailbox, no expiry. Upgrading later does not change your DNS or mailboxes, so there is no migration when the team grows past fifteen.