There are two parts to the answer.
If you are looking to be the local resident director of a Singapore company then the answer is no as dependant pass holders are not allowed to work in Singapore. Being a local director is a form of employment. To be allowed to work in Singapore, you will need to apply for a Letter of Consent or an Employment Pass with the Ministry of Manpower (MOM). In the application, you will need to state your position in the company and the terms of the offer. It is up to MOM’s discretion to approve your application for the relevant pass.
There are cases whereby the applicant was already a director of a Singapore company before he or she obtained the dependant pass. He or she could have been a foreign director and the company would already have a local director in place. In this case, you could choose to highlight this to MOM to see if there are any breaches in the terms of the Dependant Pass.
It would be wise to note that ACRA and MOM are two separate bodies and the appointment of an individual as a director of a Singapore through ACRA’s systems does not mean that MOM has approved that person to be able to take that appointment. The terms of employment have to fall within the scope of the pass which MOM has granted to that individual. Our company cannot be responsible for ensuring that a person’s directorship falls within the scope of his Letter of Consent or Employment Pass.
Please also note that you can apply for a Letter of Consent or Employment Pass on your own. You do not need to engage an employment agency to process your application. Here are the relevant links on the MOM website.
You may apply for a Letter of Consent here
You may apply for an Employment Pass here
When in doubt, seek legal advice or consult an experienced ACRA Filing Agent.
Yours Sincerely,
The editorial team at Acra Filing Agent
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Can a foreigner start a company in Singapore?
Can an S Pass or Work Permit holder be a director of a Singapore Company?
