Singapore UEN (Unique Entity Number) Regex for PHP
/^(?:[0-9]{8}[A-Z]|[0-9]{9}[A-Z]|[RT][0-9]{2}[A-Z]{2}[0-9]{4}[A-Z]|S[0-9]{2}[A-Z]{2}[0-9]{4}[A-Z])$/What this pattern does
This page provides a comprehensive, battle-tested regular expression for matching singapore uen (unique entity number), ported and verified for PHP. Financial data validation has zero tolerance for false negatives — a missed invalid entry can corrupt downstream calculations. The snippet below is ready to drop into your PHP project — whether you're validating in a Laravel validator, a WordPress plugin, or a standalone PHP script.
Php Implementation
<?php
// Singapore UEN (Unique Entity Number)
// ReDoS-safe | RegexVault — Finance > Tax & Registration
define('SINGAPORE_UEN_UNIQUE_ENTITY_NUMBER_PATTERN', '/^(?:[0-9]{8}[A-Z]|[0-9]{9}[A-Z]|[RT][0-9]{2}[A-Z]{2}[0-9]{4}[A-Z]|S[0-9]{2}[A-Z]{2}[0-9]{4}[A-Z])$/');
function validate_singapore_uen_unique_entity_number(string $input): bool {
return (bool) preg_match(SINGAPORE_UEN_UNIQUE_ENTITY_NUMBER_PATTERN, $input);
}
// Example
var_dump(validate_singapore_uen_unique_entity_number("200312345A")); // bool(true)Test Cases
Matches (Valid) | Rejects (Invalid) |
|---|---|
200312345A | 200312345 |
T01FC1234A | 200312345AB |
S62FC0001A | T01FC12345A |
R12AB1234A | t01FC1234A |
12345678A | — |
When to use this pattern
This pattern is drawn from the Finance > Tax & Registration category and carries a ReDoS-safe certification. That matters for PHP developers because especially relevant in PHP where PCRE backtracking limits can trigger silent failures on malicious input. RegexVault audits patterns against known backtracking attack vectors, ensuring you have the necessary context before using this regex in a high-stakes production environment.
Common Pitfalls
ACRA (Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority) is the authoritative source for UEN validation in Singapore. Format validation does not confirm active registration status.
Technical Notes
Business types: 9-char (8 digits + check letter) for older entities, 10-char for newer. T/R/S prefixes indicate specific registration types (GST, foreign entity, societies).
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