An organisation must first be established as a legal entity before it can apply for registration as a charity with the Office of the COC. To qualify, the applicant must meet the following requirements:

a)     The purposes or objects of the organisation must be exclusively charitable;

b)     The organisation must have at least three governing board members, of whom at least two must be Singapore citizens or permanent residents; and

c)     The purposes or objects of the organisation must be beneficial wholly or substantially to the community in Singapore.