Insurance Act 1966 · 2020 Revised Edition · Part 2 · Conduct of Insurance Business
4. No person to carry on insurance business unless licensed or authorised by Authority
Feedback & supportLast amended by an amending law of 2013. 2 amendments in all.
Subject to the provisions of this Act, a person must not carry on any class of insurance business in Singapore as an insurer unless the person is licensed by the Authority under this Act in respect of that class of business.
insurance business in Singapore
“insurance business in Singapore” means the business of assuming risk or undertaking liability in Singapore under policies, and of —(a)receiving proposals for policies in Singapore;(b)issuing policies in Singapore; or(c)collecting or receiving premiums on policies in Singapore,but does not include such businesses or activities, such class of businesses or activities, or such businesses or activities carried on by such persons or class of persons, as the Authority may prescribe;
Except for a licensed insurer or a foreign insurer carrying on insurance business in Singapore under a foreign insurer scheme, a person carrying on reinsurance business outside Singapore must not carry on the business of providing the reinsurance of liabilities under insurance policies, as a principal and as an insurer, to persons in Singapore unless —
licensed insurer
“licensed insurer” means an insurer which is for the time being licensed under section 11;
the person is authorised by the Authority under section 42 to do so; or
the person is providing the reinsurance of liabilities under insurance policies pursuant to an arrangement which was not solicited by the person but was initiated by —
a licensed insurer;
a registered insurance broker; or
a person exempt from registration as an insurance broker under section 92(1)(a), (b), (c), (d), (e) or (f) who has notified the Authority, in such manner as may be prescribed under section 154(1), of its commencement of insurance broking business.
Any person licensed by the Authority under this Act to carry on insurance business as an insurer in respect of life business may carry on general business relating to short-term accident and health policies while being so licensed, and —
the person need not be licensed as an insurer in respect of general business in order to carry on general business relating to short-term accident and health policies; and
the general insurance business relating to short-term accident and health policies carried on by the person is treated as part of the person’s life business.
An insurer licensed to carry on both life business and general business may treat its short-term accident and health policies as part of its life business or its general business.
Any person who contravenes subsection (1) or (2) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction —
in the case of an individual, to a fine not exceeding $125,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 years or to both and, in the case of a continuing offence, to a further fine not exceeding $12,500 for every day or part of a day during which the offence continues after conviction; or
in any other case, to a fine not exceeding $250,000 and, in the case of a continuing offence, to a further fine not exceeding $25,000 for every day or part of a day during which the offence continues after conviction.[3