General Information

Q: What is the purpose of the Registers of Nominee Directors and Nominee Shareholders (ROND/RONS)?

A: The Registers of Nominee Directors and Nominee Shareholders (ROND/RONS) aims to enhance transparency in ownership and control. By maintaining these registers, companies disclose the identities of nominee directors, shareholders, and their nominators. This helps mitigate money-laundering risks and ensures compliance with international standards on misuse of nominee arrangements.

Q: Who is considered a nominee director or nominee shareholder?

A: A nominee director is an individual who acts as a director on behalf of another person or entity, known as the nominator. Similarly, a nominee shareholder holds shares in a company on behalf of another person or entity. The nominee's status must be disclosed to ACRA, along with the nominator's identity.

Q: What is the new requirement that ACRA is implementing?

A: The Registrar (ACRA) will maintain the Central Registers of Nominee Directors and Nominee Shareholders. Unless exempted, companies and foreign companies must file information in their Registers of Nominee Directors and Nominee Shareholders to ACRA. Upon disclosure to ACRA, the nominee status of the director and shareholder will be made publicly available, including reflecting the nominee status in the company’s Business Profile.

 

Lodging Registers of Nominee Directors and Nominee Shareholders (ROND/RONS) Information with ACRA

 Filing Process

Q: How do I lodge Registers of Nominee Directors and Nominee Shareholders (ROND/RONS) information with ACRA?

A: To lodge ROND/RONS information with ACRA, use the “Update Registers of Nominee Directors and Nominee Shareholders” eService on Bizfile. You will be required to provide details of nominators of nominee directors and/or shareholders.

Q: What information must companies and foreign companies disclose to ACRA regarding nominee directors and nominee shareholders?

A: Companies and foreign companies must disclose the nominee status of their directors and shareholders, along with the identities and particulars of their nominators, to ACRA.

Q: What documents are required for lodging ROND/RONS information?

A: You will need to provide information about the nominators of nominee directors and shareholders, including their full names, identification numbers. Ensure that all details are correctly entered in the “Update Registers of Nominee Directors and Nominee Shareholders” eService. Supporting documents must be kept as part of the Registers of Nominee Directors and Nominee Shareholders maintained by companies and need not be uploaded as attachments.

Q: Which companies must lodge information in their Registers of Nominee Directors and Nominee Shareholders (ROND/RONS) with ACRA?

A: Companies and foreign companies with nominee directors and nominee shareholders should lodge information on their existing nominee arrangements, providing the particulars of the nominators with ACRA via the “Update Registers of Nominee Directors and Nominee Shareholders” eService.

Q: Who can lodge ROND/RONS information on behalf of companies?

A: Only authorised position holders of companies and foreign companies, as well as registered Corporate Service Providers, Group secretaries and Group of Companies, can lodge the “Update Registers of Nominee Directors and Nominee Shareholders” eService.

Q: Do companies or foreign companies still need to maintain their private Registers of Nominee Directors and Nominee Shareholders after lodging information with ACRA?

A: Yes, companies or foreign companies must continue to keep and maintain their private Registers at their registered office address or the address of their registered Corporate Service Provider. Any changes to the nominee arrangement or nominators’ particulars must be updated in the companies’ private Registers first and then lodged with ACRA within 2 business days of updating their Registers.

Q: Must I lodge the information in one transaction?

A: As foreign companies must maintain a Register of Nominee Directors starting from 16 Jun 2025, foreign companies can submit information on their nominee shareholders first and submit information on their nominee directors in a subsequent lodgement. The timeline for submitting information for existing foreign companies is 31 Dec 2025.

Q: The company has multiple nominee arrangements, is there a cap on the number of arrangements that can be lodged in one transaction?

A: You can submit up to 100 nominee arrangements across both nominee directors and nominee shareholders in one transaction. Beyond 100, please submit another transaction for the company.

Q: A nominee has multiple nominators. How can I submit this information?

A: You will need to create separate records - one for each nomination. You can select the same nominee multiple times when entering these records. All the nomination records can be submitted together in a single transaction. You may choose to submit all the nomination records together in a single transaction or in separate transactions.

Q: A nominator has multiple nominees. How can I submit this information?

A: You will need to create separate records - one for each nomination. You can select the same nominee multiple times when entering these records. All the nomination records can be submitted together in a single transaction. You may choose to submit all the nomination records together in a single transaction or in separate transactions.

 

Timelines and Updates

Q: What is the timeline for lodging ROND/RONS information with ACRA?

A: Existing companies and foreign companies with nominees must lodge ROND/RONS information by 31 Dec 2025, and subsequently within 2 business days of updating their registers of any changes.

For newly incorporated companies or foreign companies registered on or after the 16 Jun 2025 who have nominee directors or shareholders, information on the nominees and their nominators must be lodged on the date of company incorporation or foreign company registration.

Q: How often must companies or foreign companies update the information lodged with ACRA?

A: Companies or foreign companies do not need to update the information annually if there are no changes. If there are changes, updates must be filed with ACRA within 2 business days of updating their Registers.


Practical Filing Circumstances

Q: Companies have been maintaining ROND since 2017 and RONS since 2022, some nominee arrangements have since ceased. Must I file information on ceased arrangements with ACRA.?

A: Companies and foreign companies must lodge information on existing nominee arrangements.

Q: Why is “inactive” indicated beside the name of the nominator in the “Update Registers of Nominee Directors and Nominee Shareholders eService?

A: If there was a nominee arrangement for a nominee director or a nominee shareholder and the nomination has ceased, the record will indicate “inactive” beside the name of the nominator.

Q: How do I lodge nominee shareholder information for foreign companies?

A: As information on members of foreign companies are not lodged with ACRA, foreign companies would have to provide the name of the shareholder when providing information on the shareholder’s nominators when lodging the “Update Registers of Nominee Directors and Nominee Shareholders” eService.

Q: What should I do if my company has multiple nominee directors or shareholders?

A: If your company has multiple nominee directors or shareholders, ensure that details of their nominators are accurately recorded in your registers. You can lodge the information with ACRA via the “Update Registers of Nominee Directors and Nominee Shareholders” eService in the same transaction or in multiple transactions.

Q: The nominee has a foreign corporate nominator, but the foreign corporate nominator has no registration number. How can I lodge this information with ACRA?

A: You can still lodge ROND/RONS information on the foreign corporate nominator which has not been issued a registration number in its jurisdiction, by indicating ‘not applicable’ in the relevant field in the “Update Registers of Nominee Directors and Nominee Shareholders” eService.

Q: I have updated the particulars of the nominator in the “Update Registers of Nominee Directors and Nominee Shareholders” eService. Do I need to update their particulars separately if they hold other positions in companies?

A: Yes, ROND/RONS information is stored separately from other business information in Bizfile.

If the nominator:

You must make these updates in addition to the “Update Registers of Nominee Directors and Nominee Shareholders” eService.

Q: The nominee director has ceased his position as a director of a company or foreign company. Do I still need to lodge the “Update Registers of Nominee Directors and Nominee Shareholders” eService to cease the nominee arrangement? What about nominee shareholders?

A: Yes, after the company has lodged the “Appoint/Withdraw Position Holder” eService to cease the director’s appointment, please lodge the date on which the nomination ceased via the “Update Registers of Nominee Directors and Nominee Shareholders” eService. The same applies for nominee shareholders.

Q: What should I do if I make a mistake in submitting ROND/RONS information?

A: You can amend any incorrect information using the same “Update Registers of Nominee Directors and Nominee Shareholders” eService. There is no need to lodge a Notice of Error (NOE).

Q: Can I purchase ROND/RONS information extracts lodged with ACRA?

A: No, the ROND/RONS information lodged with ACRA is not available for purchase.

Q: How can I verify that I have correctly submitted the ROND/RONS information?

A: The “Update Registers of Nominee Directors and Nominee Shareholders” eService allows lodgers to verify the ROND/RONS information before submission. Upon submission, you may review the information lodged using the same eService.

 

Exemptions

Q: My company is exempted from the ROND/RONS requirements. Do I still need to lodge with ACRA?

A: You may inform ACRA that you are an exempted company via the “Update Registers of Nominee Directors and Nominee Shareholders” eService in Bizfile. Select “Yes” to the question “Is the entity exempted from the register of nominee directors and register of nominee shareholders requirements?”, followed by selecting the category of exemption the company falls under. Refer here for more information on exemption categories.

 

Q: I have declared that my company is exempted from the ROND/RONS requirements in the Annual Return. What should I lodge in the “Update Registers of Nominee Directors and Nominee Shareholders eService?

A: You may inform ACRA that you are an exempted company via the “Update Registers of Nominee Directors and Nominee Shareholders” eService in Bizfile. Select “Yes” to the question “Is the entity exempted from the register of nominee directors and register of nominee shareholders requirements?”, followed by selecting the category of exemption the company falls under.

Public disclosure of Nominee Status and Information Products

Q: How will the nominee status be disclosed publicly?

A: The status will be disclosed as a superscript “ND” for nominee directors and “NS” for nominee shareholders, along with a legend explaining the status, in the company’s Business Profile.

Q: Will the nominee status appear on the People Profile?

A: No, the nominee status will only be displayed on the company’s Business Profile.

Q: Which other information product reflects the nominee status of the directors and shareholders?

A: Only the Business Profile will reflect the nominee status.

Q: How will the nominee status be displayed on Business Profiles?

A: The nominee status will be indicated with a superscript “ND” for nominee directors and “NS” for nominee shareholders, along with a legend explaining the status. The status will not display if companies lodge updates that the nominee arrangement has ceased, the director has ceased his appointment, or the shareholder is no longer a member. The nominee statuses and legend will not display if the company has no nominee director or nominee shareholder.

Q: Will the date of nomination be displayed on Business Profiles?

A: No, the date of nomination will not be displayed on Business Profiles.

Q: Can I find the name of the nominee director or shareholder in People Search?

A: Yes, you will be able to find the individual in the People Search. However, his or her nominee status is only visible in the company’s Business Profile. To verify if someone is a nominee director or shareholder, you must purchase the company’s Business Profile.

Q: Can I find the entity or individual who nominated the nominee director or nominee shareholder in People Search?

A: Nominators will not be searchable in People Search. However, search results will display if the nominator exists in our records in a non-nominator capacity, for example, if they are a director or shareholder of a company.

Q: How can I find out if someone was previously a nominee director or nominee shareholder?

A: Historical nominee information is not available in any of our information products. The Business Profile only shows active nominee directors and nominee shareholders for a company.

Q: I submitted nominee directors and shareholders information through the “Update Registers of Nominee Directors and Nominee Shareholders” eService, why isn't the nominee status showing in the Business Profile?

A: The nominee status will not be reflected in the company’s Business Profile if the company is exempted from the requirement to maintain Registers of Nominee Directors and Nominee Shareholders or if the nominee director or shareholder and nominator arrangement has ceased.

Q: Can I purchase the extract for the filing made through the “Update Registers of Nominee Directors and Nominee Shareholders” eService?

A: The extract is not available for purchase as it contains confidential nominator information.

Q: Why is the nominee status being publicly displayed?

A: Public disclosure of nominee statuses enhances transparency and helps mitigate money-laundering risks by triggering additional scrutiny and customer due diligence.

Q: If only the nominee status is made public, who can access the complete information on nominators?

A: Only public agencies may access the complete information maintained by ACRA to administer or enforce any written law, e.g., investigate suspected money laundering offences.

Penalties and Fees 

Q: Are there any fees for lodging ROND/RONS information with ACRA?

A: No, there are no fees for lodging this information.

Q: Are there late filing fees?

A: There are no late filing fees.

Q: Can I apply for an extension of time?

A: There is no application for an extension of time to lodge ROND/RONS information.

Maintaining Registers

Q: When must a company start keeping a Registers of Nominee Directors and Nominee Shareholders (ROND/RONS)?

A: Companies have been required to maintain a ROND since 31 Mar 2017. Both companies and foreign companies have been maintaining a RONS since 2022. Additionally, foreign companies must maintain a ROND from 16 Jun 2025.

Q: Which companies must file information in their Registers of Nominee Directors and Nominee Shareholders (ROND/RONS) with ACRA?

A: Unless exempted, companies incorporated, and foreign companies registered in Singapore are required to file information in their Registers of Nominee Directors and Nominee Shareholders with ACRA. This requirement also applies to companies which are dormant or undergoing winding up, striking off, in receivership, or under judicial management.

Q: My company is dormant. Can I be exempted from maintaining the ROND/RONS?

A: Dormant companies are still required to keep and maintain the ROND/RONS unless it falls under an exemption category. Refer here for information on exemption.

Q: My company does not have any nominee directors or nominee shareholders. Does my company need to maintain a ROND/RONS?

A: Unless exempted, the company or foreign company must maintain the ROND and RONS. The company or foreign company may indicate a statement that “the company have not received any information on nominee directors/shareholders of the company” in the ROND or RONS.

Q: What are the obligations on maintaining the Registers of Nominee Directors and Nominee Shareholders (ROND/RONS)?

A: Your company must update its Register of Nominee Directors (ROND) or Register of Nominee Shareholders (RONS) within 7 days when:

  • a director becomes a nominee
  • a director ceases to be a nominee
  • a shareholder becomes a nominee
  • a shareholder ceases to be a nominee
  • a nominator changes their particulars.

Directors and shareholders who are nominees must inform the company that they are nominees on the date of incorporation, or if becoming a nominee after the incorporation of the company, within 30 days of becoming a nominee.

Find out more about setting up and maintaining your ROND and RONS.

Q: Can a registered Corporate Service Provider maintain ROND/RONS on behalf of a company or foreign company?

A: You may appoint your registered Corporate Service Provider to keep your company’s ROND/RONS at its registered office address. 

Q: I have appointed a registered Corporate Service Provider to maintain my company’s ROND/RONS and to lodge the information with ACRA. Does this mean it is no longer my company’s responsibility to update my ROND/RONS information?

A: While a company or foreign company may appoint a registered Corporate Service Provider to set up and maintain its ROND/RONS and lodge the ROND/RONS information with ACRA, the legal obligation resides with the company or foreign company. The company or foreign company will be liable for any enforcement actions ACRA takes for breach of the ROND/RONS requirements.

 

 
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