What is the new Contact Address Regime and do you need to provide an Alternate Address?

New Contact Address Regime

With the enactment of the ACRA (Registry and Regulatory Enhancements) Bill 2024 on 2 July 2024 by Parliament, ACRA will introduce the use of a Contact Address to enhance the protection of residential addresses filed with the Registrar. Currently, the law mandates that residential addresses of company officers be disclosed to the public through ACRA’s registers. By the end of 2024, a Contact Address will be shown in ACRA’s public records instead of the residential address. All company officers will need to provide a Contact Address in addition to their residential address if they do not wish to have their residential address disclosed to the public.

What You Need to Do:

To prepare for the transition to the new Contact Address regime, which will be implemented by the end of 2024, we encourage company officers to consider filing an Alternate Address with ACRA before December 2024. All existing Alternate Addresses filed with ACRA will be automatically converted to Contact Addresses by the end of the year. There is no cost for this, as the current fee of $40 for an Alternate Address has been waived.

If you have previously provided an Alternate Address or would like your residential address to also be reflected as your Contact Address, no action is required from you.

To provide or update your Alternate Address, please log in to ACRA’s BizFile+ system. You can also contact your appointed company secretary at Raffles Corporate Services to assist you with updating your Alternate Address. You can refer to the ACRA website for more detailed information and check out the eServices where you can provide your Alternate address.

FAQs on the Contact Address Regime

Q: Can I provide different Contact Addresses for different entities?

A: No, you can only provide one Contact Address for all associated entities. This is similar to the Alternate Address concept in the current BizFile+ system.

Q: I hold positions in multiple entities. Do I have to file a Contact Address for each entity?

A: You only need to file a Contact Address for one of the entities. The same Contact Address will be updated for all associated entities. This is similar to the Alternate Address concept in the current BizFile+.

Q: Can I provide a Contact Address in Singapore if I am residing overseas currently?

A: No, the Contact Address must be in the same jurisdiction as the residential address. For example, if your residential address is in Malaysia, you cannot provide a Contact Address in Singapore, and vice versa. However, the Contact Address can be your office address within the same jurisdiction. This is similar to the existing Alternate Address concept in BizFile+.

FAQs on Transition to Contact Address

Q: Should I file an Alternate Address or Contact Address in BizFile+?

A: You can only file an Alternate Address in the current BizFile+ system. No action is required if you wish your residential address or existing Alternate Address to become your Contact Address when the new regime commences in the new Bizfile system at the end of 2024. You will be able to update your Contact Address at any time under the new Contact Address regime.

Q: What address will be converted to a Contact Address in the new system?

A: If you have an existing Alternate Address, it will be automatically converted to your Contact Address. If you do not have an Alternate Address, your residential address will be converted to your Contact Address.

If you require assistance with your Alternate Address or other corporate secretarial matters, you may contact the Raffles Corporate Services corporate secretarial team at [email protected].

Yours sincerely,

The editorial team at Raffles Corporate Services