Entering the Indonesian market through a local entity often involves stepping into complex territory—particularly when you are considering the use of a nominee director. While this structure may offer flexibility and help address local presence requirements, it brings with it substantial legal and compliance risks. This article walks you through how to draft a rock-solid nominee director agreement for your Indonesian entity. We cover the legal context, critical drafting elements, practical implementation tips, red-flags, and a robust FAQ section to equip you for informed decision-making.
Why Some Foreign Investors Use Nominee Directors in Indonesia
Many foreign investors in Indonesia encounter local regulatory or practical requirements that make a local directorship or presence advantageous. Appointing a local national as a nominee director may appear to solve this. On the surface, it allows the foreign investor to retain ultimate economic interest and control, while fulfilling statutory or local-partner preferences. But that simplicity is deceptive.
In reality, a nominee director in Indonesia is still a formal “direksi” under the Law No. 40/2007 on Limited Liability Companies (LLC Law). Directors under this law carry statutory duties, can be held personally liable for corporate breaches, and are subject to regulatory oversight. Using a nominee director rather than a genuine director in every case does not immunise the foreign investor or the nominee from liability, control drift, or regulatory sanction.
Hence, drafting an effective nominee director agreement becomes essential. It is not enough to simply appoint someone; you must build strong contractual safeguards, procedural clarity, and compliance routines.
Legal and Regulatory Backdrop: What You Must Know
Directors’ Duties and Personal Liability
Under the limited-liability company regime in Indonesia, directors are expected to act in the company’s best interest, carry out mandated filings, and avoid wrongful conduct. If a director breaches those duties, they may face shareholder claims, creditor claims (especially in insolvency scenarios), and regulatory scrutiny. Because a nominee director sits on the board table, they therefore share this risk. Understanding this statutory backdrop is crucial.
Beneficial Ownership (BO) and Reporting
Indonesia has been strengthening its transparency regime. A key development is the MOL Regulation No. 2/2025, which imposes enhanced beneficial-ownership reporting obligations on companies. This tightens the spotlight on nominee arrangements—particularly where a local director or other nominee is hiding the beneficial owner, or where the true economic stake isn’t disclosed. If your nominee structure is used without proper BO disclosure, you may face regulatory or reputational exposure.
AML/CFT and KYC Considerations
Financial institutions, service providers and regulators like PPATK (Indonesia’s financial intelligence unit) expect to see clear records of who really controls a company—and boards that are genuinely aware of compliance. The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) mutual evaluation of Indonesia identifies heightened risk when nominee structures obscure who is really behind an entity. If banks or counterparties refuse to deal with your entity because of unclear directorship or ownership, you risk operational disruption.
Sectoral and Foreign Investment Restrictions
In certain sectors, Indonesia restricts foreign ownership or mandates Indonesian nationals in specific positions. Nominee structures created solely to circumvent those restrictions can be legally challenged or invalidated. Courts in Indonesia have in past cases disregarded nominee arrangements that were essentially sham or used to hide the real foreign investor.
Given this regulatory and legal environment, it’s clear that a mere “appointment” of a nominee director without comprehensive agreement and compliance support is inadequate.
Core Elements of a Rock-Solid Nominee Director Agreement
When you draft your agreement for your Indonesian entity, consider the following pillars. These should form the backbone of your contract, and each piece must be aligned with local legal counsel.
Parties & Recitals
Begin with a clear identification of: the Appointer (the beneficial owner or controlling company), the Nominee Director, and the Company (name and jurisdiction). A recital explaining: why the appointment is happening, the relationship among parties, the company’s jurisdiction, and the general purpose of the director’s role, helps frame everything. This avoids ambiguity.
Appointment & Term
Define the start date, the term or indefinite duration, renewal mechanics (if any) and termination triggers — especially cause (fraud, criminal act, insolvency) and convenience (notice period). If you only silently assume the nominee is there until told otherwise, you lose control.
Scope of Authority / Limited Powers
This is perhaps the most crucial section: spell out exactly what the Nominee Director can and cannot do. Use a schedule to list “Permitted Acts” (e.g., signature of routine contracts, bank account openings up to a certain limit) and “Restricted Acts” (e.g., share transfers, incurring debt beyond threshold, alterations of company constitution). Clarify that strategic decisions remain with the Appointer and require written instructions. That preserves control and limits liability.
Powers of Attorney (POA)
If the nominee will act operationally, attach a narrowly-focused POA that grants specific operational signature authority — nothing more. The POA must reflect Indonesian formalities (notarial/registration where required) to be valid. Too broad a POA may convert the nominee into a de facto owner or expose them to unplanned liability.
Fiduciary Duty / Compliance Clause
While Indonesian law imposes fiduciary duties on directors, your agreement should reinforce that the nominee will comply with all applicable laws (LLC Law, AML, BO reporting) and will promptly escalate any regulatory notice or investigation to the Appointer. This helps align incentives and transparency.
Confidentiality & Non-Compete / Non-Solicit
It is common to include obligations preventing the nominee from soliciting clients, using trade secrets, or setting up competing structures. This protects your business assets and aligns with the nominee’s role as a service—not a parallel business.
Indemnity & D&O Insurance
The Appointer should indemnify the nominee for liabilities, losses, costs incurred in the course of properly acting under the agreement — excluding acts of gross negligence, fraud or criminal acts. Also ensure the company—or parent—obtains Directors & Officers (D&O) insurance extending to the nominee. Recognise that indemnities won’t cover statutory penalties for breach of Indonesian law.
Fees & Reimbursement
Clearly state the fee (fixed, retainer, or per meeting), tax treatment (Indonesia has VAT and withholding realities), and reimbursement of reasonable expenses (travel, local counsel, KYC costs). A transparent fee structure helps avoid disputes.
Reporting & Record-Keeping
Require the nominee to provide regular written confirmation of acts taken, copies of board minutes, share-register updates, and any regulatory correspondence. Require cooperation in beneficial-ownership filings. This enhances your transparency and readiness for audits.
Termination & Exit Mechanics
Define early termination for cause, termination for convenience (with notice), and post-termination handover obligations (return of documents, resignation as director, consent to be removed). Without these mechanics you risk the nominee staying on board uncontrolled.
Representations & Warranties
The nominee should warrant they have legal capacity, are not a politically exposed person (PEP) or under sanctions, have no conflict of interest, and will notify the Appointer of any changes in their status. This helps with KYC/AML layers.
Disclosure & Beneficial Ownership (BO) Duties
Allocation of responsibility: the Appointer must ensure accurate BO records are kept; the nominee must cooperate in filings with the ministry or other registries. Clarify that the nominee won’t obstruct or alter registers without instruction.
Governing Law & Dispute Resolution
Choose Indonesian law as applicable (or another jurisdiction if you prefer, though local counsel must check enforceability). Include dispute resolution (e.g., arbitration in Indonesia or Singapore) to avoid local courtroom unpredictability.
Practical Tips for Implementation & Risk Mitigation
Even the best-drafted agreement will fall short if not backed by strong operational discipline.
KYC and background check your nominee — before appointment you must check ID, do sanctions and PEP screening, and obtain references. This shows you made a “reasonable effort” and supports KYC/AML compliance.
Ensure the company maintains proper filings — under the LLC Law, the company must file director changes, BO disclosures, and maintain minutes. Failure here exposes both the company and the director to liability.
Ensure D&O insurance covers the nominee — verify your insurance policy explicitly names the nominee director, covers the applicable jurisdiction and acts within your agreement. Coverage gaps are common.
Be accurate with beneficial-ownership records — with the recent regulatory tightening (MOL Reg No. 2/2025), false or incomplete BO records can bring sanctions, reputation loss or bank refusal to transact.
Avoid broad or vague POAs — a POA granting “all powers” is a red flag: it risks giving the nominee de facto control and shifting liability onto the appointer. Keep the authority narrow, operational and clearly defined.
Keep transparency with banks and partners — if a bank questions the directorship because it looks like a nominee cover, you need to demonstrate the contract, the POA, the KYC, and the reason for the arrangement. Don’t surprise your banking partner.
Review the nominee annually — confirm the nominee remains suitable (no sanctions, no litigation, acceptable credit record) and remains comfortable with the appointment and your governance structure.
Red Flags to Watch Out For
While nominee directors can be part of a legitimate structure, misuse or sloppy practices amplify risk.
- Unlimited, unchecked POAs: These create de facto ownership and expose both parties to liability and control loss.
- No written agreement: Relying solely on informal arrangements means you have little recourse when things go wrong.
- Fake nominee arrangements used for ownership concealment: Such usage may breach foreign-investment rules, BO disclosures and can be declared void.
- Nominee has actual control but is paid little or nothing: This imbalance may trigger regulatory suspicion or claims of agency or sham arrangement.
- Lack of documentation and transparency: If board minutes, POAs or BO records are missing or inconsistent, you risk regulatory action, bank refusals, or litigation.
Sample Clauses (For Article Use)
Here are two sample clauses you can paste into your agreement (with local legal review), and adapt for your article:
Sample Appointment Clause:
“The Appointer hereby appoints [Nominee] as a director of [Company] for the Term. The Nominee shall act only within the scope expressly authorised in Schedule A (Permitted Acts). All strategic, financial and share-related decisions require prior written instruction from the Appointer. The Nominee agrees to sign no document, vote in any meeting, or execute any resolution inconsistent with this Agreement.”
Sample Indemnity Clause:
“The Appointer shall indemnify, defend and hold harmless the Nominee against all liabilities, losses, costs and expenses reasonably incurred by the Nominee in performing acts within the scope of this Agreement, provided that such indemnity shall not apply to (a) acts of gross negligence, willful misconduct, fraud or criminal acts by the Nominee, or (b) liabilities which cannot be lawfully indemnified under Indonesian law.”
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: Is a nominee director legal in Indonesia?
A: Yes—not illegal per se. However, the arrangement must be properly documented, the nominee must fulfil director duties under Indonesian law (LLC Law), and it must not be used to circumvent foreign-ownership restrictions or conceal true beneficial ownership.
Q: Can the nominee director avoid liability by having a contract that limits their role?
A: Not fully. While a contract can limit operational duties and allocate indemnities, an Indonesian court may still hold a director liable if they breach statutory duties, act in bad faith, or fail to fulfil mandatory filing obligations. Indemnities also do not cover criminal liability.
Q: Who is responsible for beneficial-ownership filings?
A: Typically the company (and/or its beneficial owner) is responsible for maintaining BO records and submitting disclosures (e.g., under MOL Regulation No. 2/2025). The nominee director should cooperate, provide necessary information and ensure no misrepresentation occurs.
Q: What happens if the nominee director resigns or becomes unwilling?
A: The agreement should include exit mechanics: notice period, handover of documents, appointment of successor, and removal from company registers. Without this, you risk operational disruption.
Q: What are the risks if I don’t have a proper agreement?
A: The risks include control loss, regulatory/money-laundering investigations, bank or counterparty refusal, director personal liability, and possibly voiding of the corporate structure if suspected of being a sham.
Conclusion
Using a nominee director for your Indonesian entity can be a useful strategic tool—but it’s far from risk-free. You need a contract that is clear, comprehensive, aligned with Indonesian law and backed up by operational discipline: proper KYC, POAs, D&O insurance, BO filings and ongoing oversight. The steps you take now will safeguard not only the nominee but also your business and reputation.
Need help? At CPT Corporate we specialise in drafting bespoke nominee director agreements, local-law review of Indonesian entities, beneficial‐ownership compliance reviews and full corporate governance support. Reach out today for a consultation and ensure your structure is rock-solid, compliant and ready for growth.
