Which residents can be a local director of a Singapore company?

Singapore citizens, permanent residents and work pass holders who meet ACRA's local residency requirement can be local resident directors. Work pass holders should first check the type of pass and the MOM conditions.

• Citizens and permanent residents: Can be local resident directors.
• Employment Pass, PEP and ONE Pass holders: These are passes that ACRA treats as local residents. An Employment Pass holder who wants to be a director of a company other than the employing company needs a Letter of Consent (LOC) from MOM.
• EntrePass and DP (Dependant's Pass) holders: These are not separately listed as local residents by ACRA, so you should check with MOM whether it is possible before taking office as a director. A DP holder needs an LOC to run a business.

MOM rules may change and the assessment depends on individual circumstances, so we recommend checking before the appointment.

Lee Kim Alliance provides a nominee director serviceand Employment Pass application support.

As of November 2026, source: ACRA, MOM