uen

UEN, or Unique Entity Number, is the standard government-issued identifier assigned to entities that transact with the Singapore government. It covers companies, partnerships, societies, charities, and certain other organizations, enabling a single reference across government e-services.

The UEN was introduced to simplify government interactions by providing a unified identifier that replaces multiple previously used numbers. It supports cross-agency data sharing and reduces the need for entities to submit different IDs for different workflows, such as licensing, tax, and procurement.

Issuance and scope: The UEN is issued by the Singapore government. The administering agency varies by entity type; for business entities, the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) typically issues the UEN upon registration, while other regulators may assign UENs for regulated entities or in agency-specific contexts. The UEN remains linked to the entity even if the entity changes name or status, subject to updates when the entity undergoes changes.

Format and usage: UEN formats differ depending on the issuer and entity type; they are alphanumeric and can vary in length. The UEN is used across government platforms for tasks such as tax filing with the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS), company licensing, grant applications, and procurement through the government e-procurement system. It appears on official documents like registration certificates and licensing notices.

Impact and privacy: The UEN facilitates streamlined government interactions but contains sensitive information about a business entity; agencies implement privacy and access controls to limit disclosure and protect against misuse.

Other meanings: In other contexts, UEN can refer to acronyms unrelated to Singapore's Unique Entity Number; this article focuses on the Singaporean UEN.