Nominee director service — incorporate from anywhere in the world

Section 145 of the Singapore Companies Act requires every company to have at least one director who is ordinarily resident in Singapore — a Singapore Citizen, Permanent Resident, or holder of an EntrePass or Employment Pass. If you are a foreign national based overseas and do not yet hold any of these statuses, you cannot personally satisfy this requirement. A nominee director — a qualified Singapore resident who serves on ACRA's register on your behalf — fulfils the legal requirement while you build your Singapore presence, apply for your Employment Pass, or find a local co-founder.

Yes — nominee director arrangements are legal, widely used, and ACRA-compliant in Singapore. They are a well-established mechanism that allows foreign entrepreneurs to incorporate and operate Singapore companies while satisfying the residency requirement of the Companies Act. The critical element is that the arrangement must be properly documented and transparent. Karman provides a full legal documentation package — Nominee Director Agreement, Deed of Indemnity, and escrow resignation letter — that meets all regulatory requirements and protects both parties.

No. The Nominee Director Agreement explicitly and contractually restricts the nominee's authority. They cannot sign contracts, access bank accounts, commit the company to any financial obligation, hire or dismiss staff, make any operational decision, or take any action affecting the company without your prior written consent. Beyond the contractual restriction, a signed and undated resignation letter held in escrow gives you the ability to trigger the nominee's removal instantly at any time, without requiring their co-operation. Karman's nominees serve in a purely administrative capacity — they are on ACRA's register to satisfy the law, nothing more.

You can remove the nominee director as soon as there is another Singapore-resident director in place to replace them. The most common trigger is obtaining your own Employment Pass (EP), which allows you to serve as a resident director in your own right. It can also happen if you appoint a Singapore Citizen, PR, or EP-holding director from another source — such as a local co-founder or senior hire. Karman facilitates the entire removal at no additional charge: we prepare the board resolution and lodge the ACRA change promptly, so your company's compliance status is never interrupted.

Three core documents protect your interests. The Nominee Director Agreement defines the nominee's strictly limited role, prohibits any action without your written consent, and records your status as the beneficial owner. The Deed of Indemnity allocates liability clearly — the nominee is indemnified for actions taken on your authorised instructions, and you are protected from any unauthorised actions they might attempt. Finally, the signed, undated resignation letter held in escrow gives you a unilateral right of removal at any moment. Together, these three documents create a legally secure structure that gives you full operational control while satisfying ACRA's residency requirement.