ACRA's Contact Address Regime: What Business Owners Need to Know to Protect Their Privacy
Many Singapore business owners are surprised to learn that certain personal information associated with their business may be available through public records.
To strengthen privacy protection, the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) introduced the Contact Address regime, which replaces the previous Alternate Address system. Under this regime, an individual's Contact Address can be displayed in ACRA's public records instead of their residential address.
If you are a company director, shareholder, business owner, partner, company secretary, or public accountant, it is important to understand how these changes may affect the information displayed in ACRA records.
Why Did ACRA Introduce the Contact Address Regime?
As Singapore's national business registry, ACRA maintains information about businesses and individuals associated with those businesses. This information supports transparency, regulatory oversight, and enforcement activities.
However, many individuals may not be comfortable having their home address publicly visible.
The Contact Address regime was introduced to enhance the protection of residential addresses while still allowing ACRA to maintain accurate records for regulatory purposes. Under the new framework, a Contact Address will be shown in public records instead of a residential address.
In simple terms:
ACRA still keeps your residential address on record.
The public sees your Contact Address instead.
This provides an additional layer of privacy while maintaining compliance requirements.
Who Is Affected by the Change?
According to ACRA, the Contact Address regime affects a wide range of individuals associated with registered entities, including:
Company directors
Business owners
Partners of partnerships and LLPs
Company secretaries
Public accountants
Other position holders registered with ACRA
For many SME owners who operate from home, this change is particularly relevant because their residential address may also be their personal residence.
What Happened to the Alternate Address System?
Before the Contact Address regime was introduced, individuals could apply for an Alternate Address to be displayed instead of their residential address.
ACRA has now replaced the Alternate Address framework with the Contact Address regime. Existing Alternate Addresses were automatically converted into Contact Addresses as part of the transition.
This means that individuals who previously provided an Alternate Address generally do not need to re-submit the same information.
What If You Never Had an Alternate Address?
This is one of the most important points that many business owners are unaware of.
ACRA has stated that individuals who did not previously provide an Alternate Address may continue to have their residential address reflected as their Contact Address until a different address is provided.
As a result, business owners who are concerned about privacy may wish to review the address currently associated with their ACRA records.
Can You Use Different Addresses for Different Companies?
No.
An individual can only have one Contact Address. If the individual is associated with multiple companies or en ities, they only need to provide the Contact Address once, and it will automatically be applied across all associated entities.
Does ACRA Still Retain Your Residential Address?
Yes.
A common misconception is that the Contact Address completely replaces the residential address.
This is not the case.
The residential address remains on ACRA's records for regulatory and enforcement purposes. The Contact Address only changes the address that appears in public records.
The objective is privacy protection, not the removal of residential information from ACRA's records.
What Should Business Owners Review?
Whether you are a director, shareholder, or business owner, it is a good practice to periodically review your ACRA records.
Consider checking:
Whether the address currently reflected is accurate
Whether you would prefer a different Contact Address to be displayed
Whether your personal circumstances have changed since your last update
Whether your records remain consistent across your associated entities
Keeping your information updated helps ensure both compliance and privacy protection.
Common Questions About the Contact Address Regime
Is my residential address removed from ACRA's records?
No. ACRA continues to maintain residential addresses for regulatory purposes. The Contact Address is the address displayed publicly.
What happened to my previous Alternate Address?
Existing Alternate Addresses were automatically converted into Contact Addresses when the regime was implemented.
Do I need a separate Contact Address for every company?
No. One Contact Address applies across all associated entities linked to the individual.
Should I review my BizFile records?
Yes. ACRA encourages individuals and corporate service providers to review and update preferred addresses where necessary.
Will ACRA send official correspondences to the Contact Address or the residential address?
ACRA will continue sending official correspondences to the residential address, not the Contact Address.
Is it compulsory to provide a Contact Address?
Yes, providing a Contact Address is mandatory for all position holders, public accountants and shareholders.
Not Sure If You Need to Update Your Contact Address?
If you are associated with multiple Singapore entities, reviewing your Contact Address may not be as straightforward as checking a single company record. You may need to verify whether your Contact Address is accurate, whether it complies with ACRA's requirements, and whether it is consistently reflected across all entities where you serve as a director, shareholder, or other position holder.
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