Quick answer
If your company secretary resigned, the clock is running: ACRA says the position cannot be empty for more than six months. If it is, the director may face a fine of up to $1,000.[1]
Separately, any appointment or withdrawal of a company secretary must be filed with ACRA on Bizfile within 14 days of the change.[2] Treat six months as the outer limit, not a grace period. Start this week.
Maybe your company secretary resigned by email. Or they’ve simply stopped answering, and you’re not sure whether anyone is looking after your filings. Either way, the company is not in trouble yet, but two clocks may now be running. This guide explains both deadlines using ACRA’s own rules, then gives you a day-by-day plan for the first week.
Two deadlines: six months and 14 days
People often mix these up. They measure different things:
| Deadline | What it covers | If you miss it |
|---|---|---|
| 6 months | The longest the secretary position can be empty[1] | The director may face a fine of up to $1,000[1] |
| 14 days | Telling ACRA about the change: the old secretary’s withdrawal and the new secretary’s appointment[2] | ACRA’s record is out of date, and from 20 October 2026 you must fix it before your next annual return[5] |
Your directors stay responsible for the company’s compliance while the seat is empty. A missed annual return or AGM during the gap is still the directors’ problem, whether or not anyone is there to remind them. (Our ACRA filing deadlines guide lists the dates to watch.)
Who can replace them
ACRA’s rules for a company secretary are short. The person must:[1]
- be a real person, not a company
- be a Singapore citizen, a Singapore permanent resident, or someone who meets local residency rules
- not be the same person as the sole director
That last rule catches many one-person companies: if you are the only director, you can’t appoint yourself as secretary. (See our guide to a Singapore company’s minimum requirements.)
Company secretary resigned? Your week-one plan
Day 1–2: Check what ACRA’s record says
- Log in to Bizfile with CorpPass and check who is listed as secretary today. (If you can’t log in, start with our CorpPass setup guide.)
- Find out whether the resignation is real and recorded. Look for a resignation letter or email, and check whether the secretary has already been withdrawn on ACRA’s record.
- Note what’s due next: your next AGM (or whether your company is exempt from holding one) and your next annual return.
Day 2–4: Get your company records back
Your secretary usually keeps the company’s paperwork. Ask, in writing, for:
- the registers, including the register of members, register of directors and register of registrable controllers
- minutes of meetings and signed resolutions
- the company’s constitution
- share certificates and any share transfer records
If nothing comes back, don’t wait. Your new secretary can rebuild much of this from ACRA’s records and your own copies. Getting records in order matters more from 20 October 2026: once a person gives notice, companies must make records available for inspection for at least two hours on each relevant business day.[5]
Day 3–7: Engage a new secretary and let them take it from there
Your job as director is to pick the new secretary and sign off. The paperwork and the ACRA filing are the new secretary’s job.
- Choose a secretary who meets ACRA’s rules (see above). A corporate secretarial firm saves you finding an individual yourself.
- Sign the appointment documents. The new secretary prepares the directors’ resolution appointing them, and gives their consent to act.
- The new secretary files with ACRA. They lodge their own appointment and the old secretary’s withdrawal on Bizfile, within 14 days of the change. ACRA allows corporate service providers to file these changes for the company.[2]
- The new secretary checks what’s due next and rebuilds any missing registers, so the gap doesn’t turn into a missed AGM or annual return.
If your secretary has gone silent
A secretary who has stopped replying is harder than one who has resigned cleanly. There are three points from ACRA that can help:
- You don’t need them to file anything. Your directors can act to remove them as secretary, as long as effort to contact them has been made and can be proven.
- Watch the endorsement step. When changes are filed by the company’s own officers, ACRA says most need endorsement from the affected position holder within 14 days, or the update may be rejected. Transactions filed by a corporate service provider don’t need endorsement.[2] If your old secretary won’t respond, filing through a different corporate service provider avoids waiting on them.
- A secretary who resigned can notify ACRA themselves if they have reasonable cause to believe the company won’t act on the resignation. They need the resignation letter, proof the company received it and evidence they tried to contact the company’s officers. Applications needing further review take up to 20 working days.[3] So don’t be surprised if the record changes before you act.
What happens if you leave it
- After six months without a secretary, the director may face a fine of up to $1,000.[1]
- Filings still fall due. AGM and annual return deadlines don’t pause because the secretary has gone, and late annual returns attract ACRA’s late penalties.[4]
- An out-of-date record catches up with you. From 20 October 2026, every annual return asks the company to confirm that ACRA’s particulars for its directors, chief executive officers, secretaries, auditors and relevant members are accurate.[5] A secretary who left months ago but is still listed has to be fixed first.
What changes on 20 October 2026?
ACRA’s changes starting on 20 October 2026 don’t alter the six-month or 14-day rules for company secretaries. Two changes are relevant: annual returns now include a confirmation that officers’ particulars (including the secretary’s) are accurate, and the minimum daily opening hours for a registered office are removed, though records must still be available for inspection on notice.[5]
Frequently asked questions
My company secretary resigned. How long do I have to appoint a new one?
ACRA says the position cannot be empty for more than six months, or the director may face a fine of up to $1,000. The appointment must then be filed with ACRA within 14 days.[1][2]
My company secretary stopped replying. What do I do?
Check Bizfile to see who is listed, ask in writing for your company records, then appoint a replacement secretary, who files the change with ACRA. You don’t need the old secretary’s cooperation to withdraw them, and filings made through a corporate service provider don’t need their endorsement.[2]
Can a director be the company secretary?
Yes, unless they are the sole director. The secretary must be a real person who is a Singapore citizen, a PR or meets local residency rules.[1]
What is the fine for not having a company secretary?
If the position is empty for more than six months, the director may face a fine of up to $1,000.[1]
Who files the change of company secretary with ACRA?
Your new company secretary. They prepare the appointment documents for the directors to sign, then file their appointment and the old secretary’s withdrawal on Bizfile within 14 days of the change.[2]
Lionsworld Incorporation
Company secretary resigned? We can step in this week
We take over as your company secretary, file the change with ACRA as a registered filing agent (so you’re not waiting on your old secretary’s endorsement), rebuild your registers and check what’s due next. Our team is made up of ACRA-registered company secretaries, and we’ve served more than 10,000 clients since 1982.
Switch to Lionsworld Book a free consultationCall 6336 8866 · helpdesk@lionsworld.com.sg
Company secretary takeover: S$200, including your first year of secretarial service. If an AGM or annual return is already due: S$192, including ACRA’s filing fee (ACRA’s late penalties are charged separately). If your old secretary also provided your registered address: S$25/month for a registered address with mail handling at Peninsula Plaza.
Sources
- ACRA, Step 4.3: Choosing company directors & other key officers
- ACRA, Appointing or withdrawing position holders
- ACRA, Filing a notice of cessation/resignation of position holder
- ACRA, Penalties & enforcement action: Late annual return filing
- ACRA, Commencement of key changes under the Corporate and Accounting Laws (Amendment) Act 2025 on 20 October 2026
Last updated: 16 October 2026. This article is general information, not legal advice. Rules and penalties can change, so check the official sources above or speak with a qualified company secretary.