Fulfill Singapore Companies Act requirements with a trusted resident director and full-service compliance team. Get a Nominee Director, Corporate Secretary, and Registered Address in one seamless bundle with digital mail storage and a year-end book review.
Ramp Intelligence
Trusted by 1,000+ founders
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Registered ACRA filing agent
Trusted by 1,000+ Founders
4.7 stars on Google
“Fast. Professional. And super reliable.”
Johannes Krueger
Striver Technologies
Establishing a local presence in Singapore shouldn’t be daunting. We demystify the resident director’s roles, responsibilities, and statutory requirements to help you navigate local compliance with total confidence.
Under Section 145 of the Companies Act, Singapore companies must appoint a locally resident director.
Foreign owners without local partners require a Nominee Director to satisfy this statutory residency mandate.
A Nominee Director is a Singapore Citizen or PR appointed to satisfy legal residency mandates.
They serve in a non-executive capacity, providing a local presence while you maintain 100% management authority.
While fulfilling Section 157 fiduciary duties, your local director has zero operational involvement.
They hold no bank signing authority or shares, acting solely as a compliance liaison to ensure you maintain total control.
Counto provides vetted directors through our All-in-One Compliance Bundle, managing every statutory ACRA filing digitally.
Our package includes a professional year-end book review to ensure your business remains in good standing
Why juggle multiple invoices? Our all-inclusive annual package covers every statutory pillar required to maintain your company’s good standing.
A vetted, locally local director to satisfy Section 145 of the Companies Act. Strictly non-executive with zero access to your bank accounts or business decisions.
Full-service maintenance of statutory registers, AGM preparation, and all mandatory ACRA filings handled by experts ensuring seamless year-round business compliance.
A professional registered office address in Singapore’s central business district. We scan your physical mail and upload it to your smart document storage instantly.
We perform a professional review of your accounting records before the financial year-end to ensure your statements are error-free and tax-ready.
We’re the last compliance partner you’ll ever need to hire.
From “stealth-mode” startups to global enterprises, our all-in-one bundle ensures your business remains bank-ready and penalty-free as you grow.
✨ Looking for a complete financial solution? Pair your All-in-One Compliance Bundle with our accounting for small business and corporate tax services from just $850/year. It’s the easiest way to manage your books, filings, and financial oversight in one place.
“Counto has consistently gone above and beyond to help us resolve issues, no matter how big or small.”
Saurabh Agarwal
Renovo Sourcing SG Pte Ltd
There’s a reason why we have a 95% client renewal rate.
95% Client renewal
We’ve replaced the “black box” of traditional corporate services with a frictionless experience driven by these four core advantages:
Our powerful AI feature provides instant answers, proactive recommendations, and workflow automation to help manage your business smarter.
Our all-inclusive packages are crystal clear. What you see is precisely what you get, ensuring predictable costs and absolute peace of mind.
No call queues, no runaround. Reach your dedicated Customer Success Manager directly for prompt, personalised support.
Beyond setup, senior partners offer expert advice for your growth challenges, helping you confidently reach your business goals.
You’ve read the promise of an all-in-one service. Now, see it in action.
This guided tour takes you inside the Counto platform, showing exactly how our intelligent automation and expert team transform your back office into a single, effortless system.
Don’t get caught by teaser rates. We’ve done the math to show you exactly how Counto saves you more compared to typical corporate secretarial providers in Singapore.
| Feature Comparison | Counto All-in-One | Typical Digital Providers |
|---|---|---|
| Total Annual Cost | $2,725 (Incl. GST) |
S$3,200 – S$3,500+ |
| Nominee Director | ✓ Included | S$2,000 / year |
| Mandatory Accounting | ✓ Optional Add-on | Required (S$900+) |
| Corp Sec & Address | ✓ Included | S$300 – S$600 Extra |
| Support Model | ✓ Direct Phone/WhatsApp/Chat | Email Ticket Queues |
| Year-end Book Review | ✓ Included | ✕ Not Included |
Don’t get caught by teaser rates. We’ve done the math to show you exactly how Counto saves you more compared to typical corporate secretarial providers in Singapore.
| Feature Comparison | Counto All-in-One | Typical Digital Providers |
|---|---|---|
| Total Annual Cost |
$2,725
(Price incl. 9% GST)
|
S$3,200 – S$3,500+ |
| Nominee Director | Included | S$2,000 / year |
| Mandatory Accounting | Optional Add-on | Required (S$900+) |
| Corp Sec & Address | Included | S$300 – S$600 Extra |
| Support Model | Direct WhatsApp/Chat | Email Ticket Queues |
| Year-end Book Review | Included | Not Included |
If you are currently paying too much or receiving slow support from another company secretarial provider, we will manage the transition for you.
We review your company profile.
We coordinate the resignation of your old director and secretary.
We notify ACRA of the change—all within 24–48 hours.
All-in-one statutory compliance backed by human expertise and AI-powered oversight.
Opening a corporate bank account as a foreigner can be complex. Learn how a strictly non-executive resident director affects your application and why Counto’s "Zero-Access" policy is the gold standard for protecting your company’s capital.
How to Open a Singapore Bank Account with a Nominee Director →Manage your business from anywhere in the world with total peace of mind. Discover how Counto's tech-enabled platform, digital board governance, and professional nominee services provide the local foundation you need to operate a successful international entity with 100% remote control.
The Guide to Remote Company Management →Any company where all directors reside outside of Singapore is legally required to appoint at least one locally resident director.
If you are an international founder or an offshore entity without a local partner, you must hire a nominee director to fulfill residency mandates and maintain your ACRA compliance.
To satisfy Section 145 of the Companies Act, every Singapore company must appoint at least one locally resident director. There are three common ways to find a suitable candidate:
Professional Nominee Director Service: This is the most reliable route for foreign founders. By engaging a registered Corporate Service Provider like Counto, you are paired with a vetted professional who fulfills the legal residency requirement without interfering in your business operations.
Personal Network: You can appoint a trusted friend or business associate who is a Singapore Citizen, Permanent Resident, or an eligible EntrePass/Employment Pass holder. However, ensure they understand their fiduciary duties and the personal liability involved.
Local Hiring: If you are scale-up ready, you can hire a local senior executive to sit on your board.
To ensure you maintain 100% operational control, a professional nominee director acts in a strictly non-executive capacity. At Counto, our resident directors are prohibited from:
Having signing authority over business bank accounts.
Executing commercial contracts or tenancy agreements.
Influencing daily management or business strategy.
Their primary function is to serve as the statutory link between your business and authorities like ACRA and IRAS.
You need a local director for as long as your company lacks an “ordinarily resident” director on the board.
Many founders use our nominee director service as a temporary bridge while waiting for Employment Pass (EP) approval.
Once you or a teammate relocates to Singapore, the nominee service can be terminated, and you can act as the sole resident director.
While the nominee director has no operational power, they bear fiduciary duties for the company’s regulatory filings. If the company fails to file taxes or annual returns, the nominee director is held liable by ACRA.
This is why Counto uses only vetted professionals and requires a standard indemnity agreement, ensuring a secure and transparent relationship for both parties.
The Year-end Book Review is a comprehensive compliance check performed by our Chartered Accountants and Corporate Secretaries before your financial year-end.
While not a single statutory document, it is a professional standard designed to ensure your company remains in good standing by verifying two critical areas:
Statutory Book Review: We ensure your mandatory registers (Register of Members, Directors, and Registrable Controllers) are 100% accurate and up to date as per the Singapore Companies Act.
Financial Readiness Check: We perform a high-level sanity check of your accounting records to ensure your financial statements are error-free and ready for Annual Return (AR) and Corporate Tax (Form C-S) filings.
By performing this review, Counto identifies potential compliance gaps early, saving you from the heavy fines and legal complications associated with inaccurate ACRA and IRAS submissions.
A local nominee director should be:
An EntrePass or Employment Pass holder with a Letter of Consent (LOC) from Ministry of Manpower (MOM) before registering as a director
Absolutely not. Our local directors are strictly non-executive and have no signing authority.
While essential for compliance, an unqualified resident director can pose risks if they fail to meet fiduciary duties under Section 157 of the Companies Act. Potential risks include:
As an ACRA-registered Corporate Service Provider (CSP), Counto eliminates these risks by providing vetted, high-integrity professional directors. We protect your business with a legally binding Indemnity Agreement and use our proprietary smart platform to track filings, ensuring your operations remain 100% compliant.
Understanding these roles is vital for corporate governance. While one person can hold both roles, their legal functions are distinct:
Nominee Director: Fulfills the residency requirement on the Board of Directors. They represent the company’s legal standing with ACRA but hold zero equity and zero operational power.
Nominee Shareholder: Holds the company’s equity (shares) on behalf of the beneficial owner. They have no management authority and are used solely for privacy or administrative convenience.
Counto specialises in nominee director services where you maintain 100% ownership of your shares and 100% control of your business decisions.
Appointing a professional nominee director is a streamlined digital process when handled by an ACRA-registered filing agent. The steps include:
Due Diligence (KYC): We perform standard KYC checks on the company’s beneficial owners.
Agreement Execution: Sign a Nominee Director Service Agreement and an Indemnity Form to protect both parties.
Board Resolution: We prepare the director’s consent (Form 45) and the board resolution for the appointment.
ACRA Notification: We file the appointment on BizFile+ to update your company profile instantly.
Absolutely. We can customize any package, including the company secretary plan, for your needs. Just begin a chat with us or Whatsapp us at +65 3129 5622 to learn more.
Yes. A Singapore company can change its local director at any time, provided it always maintains at least one resident director.
If you are switching from another company secretarial provider or have recently obtained an Employment Pass (EP), Counto manages the entire handover.
The registered office address provided by Counto serves two main purposes: it is used for business registration and is designed to accommodate the receipt of envelope mail, including letters and documents. It cannot be used as your operating business office for applications requiring a physical operating location. Additionally, this address is not for personal use or personal correspondence; it is strictly for business-related purposes.
Yes! Your plan includes live support. You may initiate a chat with us using the chat bot on our website anytime. Alternatively, you may reach us through email service or our customer service hotline. Your call will be automatically routed to your dedicated Customer Success Manager, who is readily available to help you out. Outside of normal business hours, our team typically responds in a few hours or less.
Absolutely. We understand that moving your corporate secretarial and nominee director services is a significant decision. We want you to feel 100% confident in the Counto experience before you make the transition.
We offer a 15-minute, no-obligation consultation to walk you through our seamless handover process and show you how our tech-forward platform manages your compliance in real-time.
Book a meeting, or send us a message here.
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