Nominee director.Why you need one and when you can stop.
Every Singapore company needs a director who lives here. If nobody on your team does, you rent one. This page says what that costs in 2026, what the nominee does and does not do, which providers are allowed to supply one, and the day you can stop paying.
- Resident directors required
- At least one
- Nominee fee, per year
- S$1,500 to 5,000
- Refundable deposit
- S$2,000 to 5,000
- Provider must be
- ACRA-registered CSP
- Typical duration
- 3 to 12 months
- Ends when
- Your pass is approved
Rule from the Companies Act. Fees are public list prices from the self-serve platforms and managed firms we compare, checked September 2026.
Five things to know before you sign a nominee agreement.
The rule
Section 145 of the Companies Act: every company must have at least one director who is ordinarily resident in Singapore. A citizen, a permanent resident, or a holder of an Employment Pass, EntrePass or Dependant's Pass with a letter of consent all qualify. A foreigner living abroad does not, however much of the company they own.
What a nominee director is
A Singapore resident, supplied by a corporate service provider, who is appointed as a director to satisfy the rule. They hold no shares, take no part in running the business, and sign nothing without a resolution from you. In return they carry the legal duties of a director, which is why they check who you are, ask what the company does, and take a deposit.
- Since June 2025 only a corporate service provider registered with ACRA can supply one, and the person must pass a fit-and-proper test
- Someone offering to be your director on LinkedIn for S$500 is not a legal nominee
- The provider will refuse businesses it cannot understand, which is the sign of a good one
What it costs
S$1,500 to 5,000 a year in 2026, plus a refundable deposit of S$2,000 to 5,000 at most firms. Self-serve platforms sit at the bottom of the range and bill monthly, so you can stop after three months. Managed firms sit higher and usually bundle the nominee with the secretary and the pass application.
When it ends
The day your own Employment Pass is approved and you have arrived, you are ordinarily resident and the nominee resigns. The change is filed with ACRA within 14 days and the deposit comes back. If nobody on your team is ever moving to Singapore, the nominee is a permanent yearly cost, and you should budget for it as one.
Getting your own passWhat a nominee does not do
Open the bank account for you (they may attend, you sign), act as a shareholder, sign contracts, or take decisions. Providers that offer a nominee shareholder are selling something you do not need: foreign ownership is legal and there is nothing to hide.
The nominee, and what sits around it.
The nominee is rarely bought alone. The secretary is mandatory and the pass is what ends the nominee.
| Item | Typical range | What moves it |
|---|---|---|
| Setting up | ||
| Employment Pass application | S$400 to 2,500 + S$330 | Professional fee depends on how much COMPASS work the case needs. S$330 is the government fee. |
| Foreign founder, year one | S$2,300 to 7,500 | Self-serve with three months of nominee director at the low end. Managed provider with director, secretary, accounting and immigration at the top. |
| Ongoing | ||
| Nominee director, per year | S$1,500 to 5,000 | Some providers add a refundable deposit. Falls away once a resident director is in place. |
| Corporate secretary and address, per year | S$500 to 1,500 | Mandatory. The cheapest tier is fine for a simple company. |
Setting up
- Employment Pass applicationS$400 to 2,500 + S$330
Professional fee depends on how much COMPASS work the case needs. S$330 is the government fee.
- Foreign founder, year oneS$2,300 to 7,500
Self-serve with three months of nominee director at the low end. Managed provider with director, secretary, accounting and immigration at the top.
Ongoing
- Nominee director, per yearS$1,500 to 5,000
Some providers add a refundable deposit. Falls away once a resident director is in place.
- Corporate secretary and address, per yearS$500 to 1,500
Mandatory. The cheapest tier is fine for a simple company.
Public list prices, checked September 2026. Deposits vary by provider and are refundable.
Get your exact numberWho should supply the nominee.
It has to be a registered corporate service provider. Beyond that, it depends on whether the nominee is a three-month bridge or a permanent seat.
A managed corporate services firm
When the nominee is a bridge to your own Employment Pass. The same firm holds the seat, runs the pass application and files the resignation the day the pass is issued. Bundled with the secretary and the incorporation.
A self-serve platform
When you want the cheapest compliant seat, billed monthly, and you are assembling the rest yourself. About S$1,800 a year plus a deposit. Fine for a founder who is staying abroad and does not need a pass.
A nominee at all
If someone on your team already lives in Singapore on a citizen, PR or pass basis and is willing to be a director. Appoint them and save the fee.
How we are paid. The provider you go ahead with pays us a referral fee out of their normal price, so you pay what you would pay going direct. We name the provider and the fee in your assessment reply, once we know your situation.
What we tell founders about the nominee.
Treat the nominee as a timer. Every month you pay for one is a month your own pass is not yet approved. File the pass application the week the company exists.
If nobody is moving, say so to yourself and budget S$2,000 a year forever. Founders who expect the nominee to be temporary and then never relocate are the ones who resent the fee.
A provider that asks hard questions before appointing the nominee is protecting you as well as themselves. The ones that do not ask are the ones that resign without notice when a bank flags a transaction.
What people ask us
Is a nominee director legal in Singapore?
Yes, when supplied by an ACRA-registered corporate service provider. The Corporate Service Providers Act, in force since June 2025, requires the nominee to be registered and fit and proper, and the provider to know who its client is.
Can the nominee director take control of my company?
No. Directors act on shareholder resolutions, and you hold the shares. The nominee agreement also limits what they may do. The practical risk runs the other way: they can resign if they think the company is being misused, which leaves you without a resident director and in breach.
Why do they take a deposit?
Because a director is personally liable for some failures, such as unpaid CPF or missed filings, even a nominee one. The deposit covers the provider if you disappear. It is refundable when the nominee resigns cleanly.
Can a friend who lives in Singapore be my director instead?
Yes, if they are willing to carry the duties and the liability. Many are not, once they read what a director signs up for. If they are, there is no fee and no deposit, and you should still have a secretary handle the filings.
Do I still need a nominee after I get my Employment Pass?
No. Once your pass is issued and you are living here you qualify as the resident director. Most founders replace the nominee within a year of incorporation.
Tell us whether anyone is moving here. We'll tell you how long you need a nominee.
Two minutes on the form. One reply from a person within a business day with the cost, the duration, and the provider we would use.