Certificate of insurance in Singapore: what it shows, how to check it

Stage 1: what a certificate is and is not

In Singapore the document goes by several names: certificate of insurance, certificate of currency, or a letter of confirmation. There is no single local standard form like the ACORD 25 used in the United States. Each insurer or broker issues its own layout.

A certificate does three jobs:

1. It shows a counterparty that cover was in force on the issue date.
2. It records the limits and cover types a contract or tender asked for.
3. It may record the counterparty as an interested party or additional insured, where the policy has been endorsed to do so.

A certificate does not do three things:

1. It does not extend cover. A certificate naming a principal adds nothing unless the policy carries a matching endorsement.
2. It does not stay current. A policy cancelled the following week leaves the certificate unchanged.
3. It does not override the policy's exclusions, excesses or conditions.

Where a contract names a principal as a beneficiary of an insurance term, the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 2001 may let that principal enforce the term directly. The certificate is evidence of what the parties arranged; the contract and the policy remain the operative documents.

Stage 2: what the contract asks for

Read the contract or tender before requesting a certificate. Government construction work is usually let on the Public Sector Standard Conditions of Contract (PSSCOC). The current construction works edition is the 8th, dated July 2020, with a PSSCOC-lite edition issued in March 2025. Both carry insurance obligations for the works, third-party liability and work injury compensation.

Private contracts vary. Extract each requirement into a list before contacting the broker:

1. Cover types required, such as public liability, contractors' all risks or professional indemnity.
2. Minimum limit for each, and whether it is per occurrence or in the aggregate.
3. Whether the counterparty must be named as an additional insured or joint insured.
4. Whether a waiver of subrogation or a cross-liability clause is required.
5. Notice of cancellation the insurer must give the counterparty.
6. How long cover must run after completion.

A certificate request that states these 6 points produces a certificate that matches the contract on the first issue.

Stage 3: reading the certificate

A principal receiving a certificate should read 10 fields:

1. Insured name. It must match the contracting entity exactly, including "Pte Ltd" and the UEN where shown.
2. Insurer name. A licensed insurer, not the broker.
3. Policy number. Required to verify the policy with the insurer.
4. Period of insurance. Start and expiry dates covering the contract period.
5. Cover type. Named correctly, for example public liability rather than "general insurance".
6. Limit of indemnity. Per occurrence and aggregate, compared with the contract minimum.
7. Excess. A high excess may leave the counterparty unable to pay its share of a claim.
8. Territory and location. The site or premises must fall within the policy territory.
9. Interested parties. The principal's name, if the contract requires it to be recorded.
10. Issue date and issuer. Signed or issued by the insurer or a registered broker.

Treat a certificate missing fields 2, 3 or 4 as incomplete. Ask for a reissue rather than accepting a partial document.

Stage 4: verifying the certificate

Three checks confirm that the certificate is genuine and the cover is valid.

1. Check the broker. Insurance brokers in Singapore must be registered by the Monetary Authority of Singapore under the Insurance Act 1966. Registration requires minimum paid-up capital, professional indemnity cover and net assets under the Insurance (Intermediaries) Regulations. The MAS Financial Institutions Directory lists every registered broker.
2. Check the insurer. The same directory lists licensed insurers. For work injury compensation, policies issued from 1 January 2021 must come from an MOM-designated insurer. MOM publishes the list of designated insurers.
3. Check with the insurer directly. Use the policy number and contact the insurer, not the number printed on the certificate. Ask whether the policy is in force and whether the principal is recorded as an interested party.

For high-value contracts, request a copy of the policy schedule and the endorsement that names the principal. The schedule is the document the insurer relies on at claim time.

Stage 5: keeping certificates current

A certificate is a snapshot. Cover can change after issue through cancellation, non-payment or a mid-term reduction in limit. Principals manage this risk with dates and conditions:

1. Record every certificate's expiry date in one register.
2. Request a renewed certificate 14 days before each expiry.
3. Require in the contract that the counterparty notify any cancellation or material change.
4. Require the insurer to give notice of cancellation to the principal, where the insurer will endorse this.
5. Re-check limits whenever the contract value or scope increases.

For the insured business, the broker should issue certificates within one to two working days for standard requests. Requests needing a policy endorsement take longer, because the insurer must agree the wording first. The difference between a broker and an agent in handling these requests is set out in insurance broker vs agent in Singapore.

Checklist

1. List the cover types, limits and endorsements the contract requires.
2. Send that list to the broker with the counterparty's full legal name.
3. Confirm the policy carries any required additional insured or interested party endorsement.
4. On receipt, compare the insured name with the contracting entity.
5. Confirm the insurer is licensed in the MAS Financial Institutions Directory.
6. For work injury compensation, confirm the insurer is MOM-designated.
7. Confirm the broker is registered in the same directory.
8. Check the period covers the contract term and any post-completion period.
9. Check each limit against the contract minimum, per occurrence and aggregate.
10. Check the excess and the territory.
11. Call the insurer on its published number to confirm the policy is in force.
12. Record the expiry date and request the renewal certificate 14 days ahead.

Frequently asked questions

Is a certificate the same as the policy?

No. The certificate summarises the policy on the date it was issued. The policy wording, schedule and endorsements decide what the insurer pays. Where the two conflict, the policy prevails.

What should a principal check on a contractor's certificate?

The insured name, insurer, policy number, period, limits and interested-party wording. Then confirm the insurer and broker in the MAS Financial Institutions Directory. For work injury compensation, confirm the insurer is on MOM's designated list.

Can the insurer cancel the policy after issuing the certificate?

Yes, under the cancellation condition in the policy. The certificate does not change when that happens. A principal who needs warning should require notice of cancellation in the contract and, where possible, by endorsement on the policy.

How fast can a broker issue one?

A standard certificate for an existing policy usually takes one to two working days. A certificate that needs a new endorsement, such as naming a principal as additional insured, depends on the insurer agreeing the wording. Allow more time for those requests.

Sources

• Monetary Authority of Singapore: insurance broker registration and approval
• Monetary Authority of Singapore: Financial Institutions Directory
• Ministry of Manpower: work injury compensation insurance
• Building and Construction Authority: Public Sector Standard Conditions of Contract
• Singapore Statutes Online: Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 2001