Emerhub Hong Kong
Company registration in Hong Kong for foreigners
Set up a Hong Kong private limited company from anywhere, with full foreign ownership. Emerhub handles the incorporation, the company secretary, the registered office, and the filings that keep you compliant.
- 100% foreign ownership, with no resident director required
- Two-tier profits tax from 8.25%, and no VAT or capital gains tax
- Incorporated in days, with the whole process done remotely
8.25%
Profits tax, first HK$2M
100%
Foreign ownership allowed
0%
VAT, capital gains, dividend tax
No.1
Freest economy, Fraser 2024
Our services
Full-service company setup in Hong Kong
Hong Kong is fast to incorporate but strict on what comes after: the company secretary, the registered office, the annual audit, and the profits tax return all carry legal weight. We handle the setup and everything that keeps the company in good standing, so you run the business, not the filings.
Company registration
Incorporate a Hong Kong private limited company, from the name search to your Certificate of Incorporation and Business Registration Certificate.
Learn moreCorporate secretary
The licensed company secretary every Hong Kong company must appoint by law, keeping your statutory records and filings in order.
Learn moreTax & accounting
Bookkeeping, the statutory audit, and the annual profits tax return, including offshore profits claims where they apply.
Learn moreTrademark registration
Register your brand name, logo, and marks and protect your identity in Hong Kong.
Learn moreWhy Hong Kong
Why foreign founders incorporate here
Hong Kong was ranked the world's freest economy in the Fraser Institute's 2024 report. For a foreign company, that shows up in four things.
Low, territorial tax
Profits tax runs 8.25% then 16.5%, and only Hong Kong-sourced income is taxed. There is no VAT, no capital gains tax, and no tax on dividends.
Common law system
A legal system built on English common law, with independent courts, strong contract enforcement, and reliable protection for intellectual property.
Gateway to Mainland China
A special administrative region with direct access to the Mainland market through CEPA, while keeping a separate, international business environment.
Free flow of capital
No foreign exchange controls and a currency pegged to the US dollar. Companies hold accounts in any major currency and move profits freely.
Entity Management System
One platform for setup and every filing after
Every Emerhub client gets our Entity Management System. It runs your incorporation, keeps your corporate documents in one place, and tracks the compliance deadlines so nothing is missed, for your Hong Kong company and every other entity you hold with us across the region.
Guided setup
Track your incorporation from documents to your Certificate of Incorporation and Business Registration Certificate, with electronic signing built in.
Document vault
Your Articles, registers, resolutions, the Significant Controllers Register, and every filing stored together in one secure place.
Compliance calendar
The NAR1 annual return, audit, profits tax return, and Business Registration Certificate renewal tracked and flagged before they fall due.
Every entity in one view
Manage every company you hold across Hong Kong and the wider region from a single dashboard.
Company types
The right structure for your business
Most foreign founders use a private limited company. Two other structures fit specific cases.
| Structure | What it is | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Private limited company | A separate legal entity with limited liability, owned up to 100% by foreigners. One director and one shareholder, who can be the same person. | Trading, consulting, holding, and most foreign founders. |
| Branch office | An extension of a foreign parent company, not a separate entity, so the parent stays liable for its activities. | Established companies wanting a Hong Kong presence under the existing entity. |
| Representative office | A liaison and market-research presence only. It cannot sign contracts or earn profits. | Testing the Hong Kong market before committing to a company. |
How setup works
The setup process.
A clear path from documents to a company that is registered and ready to operate.
Stage 01
Name and documents
We run the name check, confirm the structure, and collect what is needed: passport copies, proof of address, and the share and activity details.
Stage 02
Incorporate
We file the NNC1, the Articles of Association, and the business registration notice with the Companies Registry, and obtain your Certificate of Incorporation and Business Registration Certificate.
Stage 03
Secretary and office
We appoint the licensed company secretary, set your registered office, and put the Significant Controllers Register in place.
Stage 04
Bank and compliance
We help open the bank or fintech account, then run the annual return, the audit, and the profits tax filing that keep the company in good standing.
Tax and compliance
Tax and the filings that follow
What a Hong Kong company pays, and what it has to file.
Hong Kong taxes profits on a territorial basis: only income sourced in Hong Kong is charged. The two-tier profits tax is 8.25% on the first HK$2 million of assessable profits and 16.5% on the rest. There is no VAT or GST, no capital gains tax, and no withholding tax on dividends. Profits earned genuinely offshore can be exempt, but you have to claim it with the Inland Revenue Department and show where the work was done.
Every company files an annual return within 42 days of its incorporation anniversary, prepares audited financial statements, files a profits tax return, renews its Business Registration Certificate, and keeps a Significant Controllers Register. We run the bookkeeping, the audit coordination, and the filings so none of it slips.
The audit is not optional. Hong Kong requires audited accounts for the profits tax return, even for small companies, which catches many first-time founders out. We build it into the yearly cycle from the start.
Client reviews
What clients say
Rated 4.7 across 226 Google reviews.
“Hired Emerhub to set up a company for me. The process was smooth, timelines were met, and the communicator was proactive. I would gladly use them again.”
Vane-Matthew Phillips
“A smooth process from start to finish, from translating the documents to getting everything filed and issued.”
Melvin Chong
“Handled by a professional team. Active follow-up, responding in less than 24 hours, and the project was done within the promised deadline.”
CK2 Kosasi
Common questions
Setting up in Hong Kong
What foreign founders ask before they incorporate.
Can a foreigner register a company in Hong Kong?
Yes. There is no citizenship or residency requirement to own a Hong Kong company. A foreigner can hold 100% of the shares, be the sole director and shareholder, and run the company from abroad. You do need a local company secretary and a Hong Kong registered office, both of which Emerhub provides.
Do I need to be in Hong Kong to set up a company?
No. The whole incorporation can be done remotely. You send scanned copies of your passport and proof of address, we prepare and file the documents with the Companies Registry, and you receive your Certificate of Incorporation and Business Registration Certificate without travelling.
Does my Hong Kong company need a local director?
No. Unlike Singapore, Hong Kong does not require a resident director. Every company needs at least one director who is a natural person aged 18 or over, of any nationality. The only mandatory local appointment is the company secretary.
Do I need a company secretary?
Yes, it is required by law. The company secretary must be a Hong Kong resident or a Hong Kong body corporate holding a TCSP license. For foreign founders this means engaging a licensed provider, which Emerhub does as part of the setup.
How long does incorporation take?
With electronic filing the Certificate of Incorporation and Business Registration Certificate are usually issued within one to a few business days. Allowing for document preparation, plan for roughly one week. Opening a bank account adds longer and depends on the bank.
What is the corporate tax rate in Hong Kong?
Hong Kong uses a two-tier profits tax: 8.25% on the first HK$2 million of assessable profits and 16.5% above that. Tax is territorial, so only profits sourced in Hong Kong are taxed, and there is no VAT, no capital gains tax, and no withholding tax on dividends.
Is foreign-sourced income taxed in Hong Kong?
Often not. Under the territorial system, profits earned outside Hong Kong may be exempt, but the exemption is not automatic. You apply to the Inland Revenue Department and must show the profit-generating activity took place outside Hong Kong. We handle the claim and the substantiation.
What are the ongoing compliance requirements?
Each year the company files an annual return (NAR1) within 42 days of its incorporation anniversary, prepares audited financial statements, files a profits tax return with the Inland Revenue Department, renews the Business Registration Certificate, and keeps a Significant Controllers Register. Emerhub runs all of it.
Is there a minimum share capital?
No. There is no minimum paid-up capital, and companies are commonly set up with a nominal amount such as HK$1 or HK$10,000. Share capital is usually denominated in Hong Kong dollars.
Which visa lets me move to Hong Kong to run the business?
The entrepreneur stream of the General Employment Policy is for founders running a Hong Kong business that contributes to the local economy, with no fixed investment figure. High-net-worth investors can use the New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme, which requires a HK$30 million investment. We can advise on the right route.
Ready to set up in Hong Kong
Talk to the Emerhub team
Tell us what you are building. Emerhub will confirm the right structure, register the company, appoint the secretary and registered office, and handle the tax and compliance, so you can run the business from day one.
Emailinfo@emerhub.com
Phone / WhatsApp+60 17 684 9718
OfficeRoom 06, 13A/F, South Tower
World Finance Centre
17 Canton Road
Hong Kong
World Finance Centre
17 Canton Road
Hong Kong
