How to set up a private clinic in Singapore, from licence to first patient

To open a private clinic in Singapore you need an Outpatient Medical Service licence under the Healthcare Services Act, applied for on MOH's HALP portal with a named Principal Officer and Clinical Governance Officer, and the premises inspected before you see the first patient. MOH asks for applications at least two months ahead and works towards approving complete applications within 30 working days.

A clinic that opens now also has to plan for the Health Information Act, which requires GP clinics to contribute to the National Electronic Health Record and meet cybersecurity and data security measures by September 2027, and private specialist clinics by September 2028.¹ Choosing a compliant clinic system before opening avoids a migration in the first year.

Confirm the premises can be a clinic

An Outpatient Medical Service licence is needed if you examine, assess, diagnose or treat outpatients.² For an outpatient medical service on permanent premises, MOH asks you to obtain its clearance under the medical use quantum guidelines for converting commercial space into a clinic before you apply for the licence. The request is made with MOH's Check GFA form.³ Do this before you sign the lease.

Appoint the key office holders

Under the Healthcare Services Act, every licensee must ensure that its key appointment holders, its Principal Officer and its Clinical Governance Officer are suitable people for those roles.⁴

For an outpatient medical service, the Clinical Governance Officer must live in Singapore during the appointment and be fully registered with the Singapore Medical Council with a valid practising certificate. They must also be on the Register of Family Physicians, be registered as a specialist, or have at least five years of full-time practice in specified settings.²

Apply on HALP

Log in to the Healthcare Application and Licensing Portal with Singpass or Corppass.
Select the licensable healthcare service, any specified services and each mode of service delivery.
Enter the licensing details and attach the supporting documents.
Pay the licence fee and complete the self-assessment checklist.
Prepare for the inspection on the date MOH confirms, with documents such as registrations for regulated equipment ready.
Receive the e-licence on HALP once every requirement is met.

The licence fee for an outpatient medical service is S$360 for each stand-alone mode of service delivery, and a bundle fee can apply where a clinic uses several modes, such as permanent premises and remote consultations.² MOH works towards approval within 30 working days when all documents are submitted with the application, the inspection is not delayed by the applicant, and any follow-up after inspection is complete.³

Documents to prepare for inspection

MOH asks applicants to have documents ready for the inspection, and gives as examples the Ministry of Manpower's registration for pressure vessels and the National Environment Agency's licence for irradiating equipment, where those apply.³ Keep the floor plan, equipment list, clinical policies and the key office holders' details in one folder so inspectors' follow-up questions can be answered the same day.

Choose systems before opening

Synapxe lists the clinic systems that are compliant with the Health Information Act. Each is certified for NEHR connectivity, holds Cyber Essentials certification from the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore and commits to data portability.¹ A clinic that has not received earlier NEHR funding can apply for the one-off NEHR Connect Grant.¹

The PDPA requires the clinic to designate a person responsible for its compliance and to publish their business contact details.⁵ Personal data can leave Singapore only where it is protected to a standard comparable to the Act, so ask every vendor that will hold patient data for its hosting location in writing.⁵ wai hosts your clinic's records in Singapore, under Singapore's rules. We set this up with your clinic.

Plan how patients will find and pay you

Before the website goes live, read MOH's guidance on the Healthcare Services (Advertisement) Regulations. Advertisements must be factually accurate and must not use laudatory terms such as best or leading, even when true. They must not show before-and-after photographs, and prices must be listed as exact figures without prefixes.⁶

Some marketing sits outside the regulations. Pure directory listings that contain only factual contact details are exempt, and a referral programme may offer incentives as long as it is not advertised and patients hear about it only at the point of payment.⁶

Set up booking, payment at booking and reminders before opening day, and test each with staff acting as patients. Write the standard replies for the questions the first patients will ask, such as fees, hours, parking and what to bring.

Keep the licence current

A renewal can be submitted up to six months before the licence expires, and a late fee applies if it is submitted two months or less before expiry.³ A move to new permanent premises needs a request for change at least two months before services start there, and the new premises may be inspected.³

A timeline that works

Four to six months before opening, confirm the premises with MOH and appoint the key office holders.
Three months before, choose a compliant clinic system and the tools for the front desk and doctors.
Two months before, submit the HALP application.
One month before, finish the inspection follow-up, the website and the booking flow.
Opening week, run every booking, payment and reminder end to end.

What wai does for a new clinic

wai gives a new clinic its front desk, its doctors' notes and its patients' app from the first day. wai Admin answers enquiries in English and Mandarin and takes the fee at booking, wai Clinicians writes the note while the doctor talks, and wai Profile lets patients book, pay and check in. The change is a clinic that opens with every enquiry answered and each day's notes finished before the doctor leaves.

Questions

How long does it take to get a clinic licence in Singapore?

MOH asks for applications at least two months in advance and works towards approval within 30 working days when the application is complete.³ Delays in scheduling the inspection or in follow-up actions can extend that.

How much is the clinic licence fee in Singapore?

The Outpatient Medical Service licence fee is S$360 for each stand-alone mode of service delivery.² A bundle fee can apply when a clinic provides services through more than one mode.

Who can be the Clinical Governance Officer of a clinic in Singapore?

A doctor who lives in Singapore, is fully registered with the Singapore Medical Council and holds a valid practising certificate. They must also be a registered family physician, a registered specialist, or have at least five years of full-time practice in specified settings.²

Can a clinic open in any commercial unit in Singapore?

Not automatically. For permanent premises, MOH clearance under the medical use quantum guidelines is needed before applying for the licence.³

Sources

Written and reviewed by the clinical team at wai. Last reviewed 22 September 2026.