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Local Director

Satisfy local directorship requirements with a qualified, trusted in-country director.

Quick facts

Requirement

Required in every LATAM market NavviPal covers: a legal representative everywhere except Costa Rica and Panama, where local law instead requires a resident agent. NavviPal confirms which role applies in your market.

Many Latin American jurisdictions legally require every registered company to have at least one resident director, a locally domiciled legal representative, or both on the official company record. A legal representative is a distinct, signing-and-liability role, separate from a director, and it is often required even where no resident director is. For foreign-owned businesses without a local presence, either requirement can be a significant barrier.

NavviPal supplies a qualified, in-country local director or legal representative, appointed to your company record solely to satisfy the applicable legal requirement. They act exclusively on your company's instructions and play no operational role.

What's included:

Appointment of a qualified resident director or legal representative to your company record
Compliance with local directorship or legal-representative residency requirements
Acts solely on company instructions, with no operational involvement
Indemnity agreement and legal protections in place
Annual renewal and ongoing maintenance managed by NavviPal

Frequently asked questions

Which LATAM countries require a local director or legal representative?

All of them, in some form. Every market NavviPal operates in requires local representation on the company record, either a legal representative or, in Costa Rica and Panama, a licensed resident agent instead. The specific residency and liability rules for the underlying board or management role still vary by country. NavviPal confirms the exact requirement for your target country.

What's the difference between a local director and a legal representative?

A director sits on the company's governing body and can carry management or liability duties depending on the country. A legal representative is a narrower, signing-and-service-of-process role, someone the government and courts can formally reach, that exists in some countries even where no resident director is required.

Does NavviPal's director get involved in running my business?

No. The appointed director or legal representative acts solely to satisfy the legal requirement and follows your company's instructions. They have no operational or managerial role in the business.

What happens if we don't appoint a required local director?

The company generally cannot complete registration, or can be found non-compliant after the fact, exposing the entity to fines, inability to operate a bank account, or in some cases administrative dissolution.

Is there personal liability risk for NavviPal's appointed director?

NavviPal puts indemnity agreements and legal protections in place specifically because the appointee acts only on your instructions and has no decision-making authority, which is what limits their exposure.

Ready to get started?

Whether you're forming your first LATAM entity or need ongoing compliance and accounting support, NavviPal has you covered.