Company registration in Hong Kong
Register your Hong Kong company without flying in. Our team handles incorporation and provides the company secretary, registered address, business account application support and accounting services you need to start and operate.
Hong Kong company registration packages
Every package includes the HK$3,895 government fees and a year of company secretary services. Choose whether you also need our Hong Kong registered address and accounting.
- Company name check and incorporation filing
- Articles of Association
- Business Registration filing
- HK$3,895 government fees and levy
- Company secretary for 12 months
- Statutory books and registers
- Significant Controllers Register
- Digital incorporation documents
- Everything in Incorporation Essentials
- Hong Kong registered office address for 12 months
- Receipt of official correspondence
- Mail handling, scanning and forwarding
- Everything in Full setup
- Annual closing of accounts
- Receipt and invoice processing
- Audited financial statements prepared and filed
- Profits tax computation
- Profits Tax Return filed with the IRD
Electronic incorporation with a one-year Business Registration Certificate, for 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027.
How we register your Hong Kong company
We start with your business activity and ownership structure, so the documents, any licensing needs and the business account application are planned together.
Confirm your structure
- You tell us what the company will do, who will own it, and where its customers and suppliers are.
- You receive a proposal with the work, fees and estimated timeline.
Prepare the documents
- We verify the directors, shareholders and beneficial owners.
- We check the company name and prepare the incorporation application and Articles for signing.
Incorporate
- We file with the Companies Registry; complete e-applications are normally approved within an hour.
- You receive the certificates, Articles, resolutions and share certificates.
Set up compliance
- We set up your filing calendar and the secretary, address and accounting services you chose.
- If you need a business account, we can support the application as a separate service.
What you need to register a company in Hong Kong
Foreign individuals and companies can own a Hong Kong private limited company. You do not need a local shareholder or a Hong Kong-resident director, but the company must have a local secretary and registered office.
| Requirement | What you need |
|---|---|
| Shareholders | One to 50, including foreign individuals or companies |
| Director | At least one individual director aged 18 or older |
| Company secretary | An individual ordinarily resident in Hong Kong, or a company with a registered office or place of business in Hong Kong |
| Registered office | A physical address in Hong Kong |
| Share capital | No statutory minimum paid-up capital |
| Company name | A compliant English name, Chinese name, or both |
One person can be the sole shareholder and sole director, but a sole director cannot also act as company secretary. Our Hong Kong company secretary services cover the statutory records and filings that follow incorporation.
How long Hong Kong company registration takes
Once your documents are complete, incorporation can be done in one working day. Gathering and checking the documents usually takes about a week. Business accounts and licenses run on their own timelines.
| Stage | Planning timeline |
|---|---|
| Gathering and checking documents | Usually about a week, depending on how quickly owners and directors provide them |
| Incorporation | One working day once documents are complete |
| Company records and handover | Following incorporation |
| Business account application | About two weeks with a digital bank; four to six weeks with a traditional bank after it receives your documents |
| Additional licenses | Depends on the regulated activity |
These are planning estimates. Corporate ownership, extra verification and provider requests can extend them. Incorporation is fully remote; some account providers ask for a video interview or an in-person meeting.
Documents required for company registration
For a company owned by individuals, preparation starts with identification, address evidence and a description of the business. Corporate shareholders need extra records so the ownership chain can be verified.
| You provide | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Passport or ID for each individual director and shareholder | Identity verification |
| Recent residential address evidence | Address verification |
| Proposed company names | Name availability checks |
| Description of the business activity | Incorporation and account application planning |
| Ownership and management details | Share allocation and company records |
| Beneficial ownership and control information | Due diligence and the Significant Controllers Register |
| Corporate shareholder documents, if relevant | Verifying the parent company and ownership chain |
We prepare the incorporation application, Articles of Association, notice to the Business Registration Office, initial resolutions, share certificates and statutory registers. For corporate shareholders, we confirm which certificates and records are needed, and whether certification, translation or an apostille applies, before preparation begins.
Business account application support
Your account needs to fit how you receive payments, pay suppliers and move money between markets. Depending on your profile, that may be a traditional bank, a digital bank or a multi-currency business account, so we compare currencies, payment destinations, features and eligibility before recommending one.
Digital banks such as ZA Bank can open an account without directors visiting, and a registered address is enough. Traditional banks such as HSBC, Standard Chartered and Bank of East Asia usually need a director in Hong Kong and a physical office lease.
What providers usually ask for
- Incorporation and business registration documents
- Identification and address evidence for directors and owners
- A description of the business and its ownership
- Source-of-funds information
- Expected payment volumes, currencies and countries
- Contracts, proposals, invoices or other evidence of business activity
A new business without sales can show its plans instead, such as supplier discussions, proposals or the founders’ experience. Account opening support is a separate service from incorporation, and approval, features and timing stay the provider’s decision. Read more about opening a corporate bank account in Hong Kong.
Tax and annual compliance for your Hong Kong company
Under the two-tiered regime, the first HK$2 million of assessable profits is taxed at 8.25% and the rest at 16.5%; only one entity in a connected group gets the lower tier. Hong Kong taxes profits arising in or derived from Hong Kong, so offshore treatment depends on where the profit-making operations happen. See Hong Kong profits tax and exemptions.
| Obligation | Main requirement |
|---|---|
| Annual return | File Form NAR1 within 42 days after the incorporation anniversary |
| Business registration | Renew the certificate for the selected period |
| Company records | Maintain statutory registers and record changes |
| Financial statements and audit | Prepare annual accounts and arrange the statutory audit, unless an exemption applies |
| Profits Tax Return | Respond to the return issued by the Inland Revenue Department |
| Business commencement | Notify the Inland Revenue Department within one month of starting business |
Low revenue does not exempt a company from audit; only a company that formally qualifies as dormant has different requirements. If you hire, employer reporting and Mandatory Provident Fund obligations apply too. Our Hong Kong accounting services cover bookkeeping, audit preparation and tax filings.
Why choose Emerhub for Hong Kong company registration
Ownership, banking and ongoing administration all shape your setup. You get company documents and services that fit the business you plan to run.
Ready for foreign owners
Individual founders and overseas parent companies are both covered, with ownership documents and verification confirmed before anything is filed.
One provider from day one
Incorporation, company secretary, registered address and accounting can sit in one engagement. You agree the scope upfront and see setup and recurring charges separately.
Room to expand across Asia
When your Hong Kong company adds a subsidiary or starts trading elsewhere in Asia, you can set that up with us too, through one point of contact who already knows your structure.
Hong Kong company registration questions
Can a foreigner register a company in Hong Kong?
Yes. Foreign individuals and companies can own 100% of a Hong Kong private limited company, and the individual director does not have to live in Hong Kong.
The company still needs a Hong Kong registered office and a qualifying company secretary. Every package includes a year of company secretary services, and Full setup adds our registered address.
How much does Hong Kong company registration cost?
Incorporation Essentials costs USD 2,850 and includes the HK$3,895 government fees and 12 months of company secretary services. Full setup, which adds our Hong Kong registered address for the year, is USD 3,400.
Accounting, audit and tax start from USD 250 per month, billed annually, so the first year with accounting starts from USD 6,400. Bespoke documents and third-party charges are set out in your quotation.
How long does company incorporation take?
Once your documents are complete, incorporation can be done in one working day. Gathering and checking the documents usually takes about a week, depending on how quickly owners and directors provide them.
Business accounts and licenses follow their own timelines.
Can I register a Hong Kong company online without visiting?
Yes. Incorporation can be completed remotely, including document preparation and electronic filing.
Banking is a separate process. Some providers support remote onboarding, while others may ask for an in-person meeting.
Do I need a local director or shareholder?
No. You can be the sole shareholder and sole director without being a Hong Kong resident.
You must appoint a separate qualifying company secretary and have a Hong Kong registered office. A sole director cannot also be the secretary.
What is the minimum capital for a Hong Kong company?
The Companies Ordinance sets no minimum paid-up capital, so a company can start with a small share capital.
Choose an amount that reflects the intended ownership and funding. Share capital is separate from government fees, service fees and the money needed to run the business.
Can an overseas company be the shareholder?
Yes. An overseas company can hold shares in a Hong Kong private limited company.
We request its corporate records and ownership information to verify the parent and its controllers, and confirm any certification or translation needs for your structure.
Does registration include a bank account?
No. Incorporation and bank account opening are separate. We can support your application as a separate service: digital banks can open an account without a visit, while traditional banks usually need a director in Hong Kong and a physical office lease.
The bank or payment provider makes the approval decision, so incorporation does not guarantee an account.
Will my Hong Kong company qualify for offshore tax treatment?
It depends on where and how the profit-generating operations take place. Incorporating in Hong Kong or having overseas customers does not establish it on its own.
Foreign-sourced income received by multinational group entities follows separate rules. Review your activities and income sources before relying on an exemption.
Do I need a visa to own a Hong Kong company?
No visa is needed to incorporate or own shares. Ownership does not, however, give you permission to live or work in Hong Kong.
If you plan to relocate and work in the business, the immigration route is assessed separately.
What costs continue after the first year?
From year two, annual compliance is USD 2,350. It covers the business registration renewal with government fees, the annual return, company secretary services and the registers.
Our registered address is USD 550 a year, and accounting, audit and tax start from USD 250 per month, billed annually. Annual services are billed yearly in advance.
Get your Hong Kong company setup quote
Tell us what your business will do and who will own the company. We recommend the service scope, explain the fees and give you an estimated timeline, whether you need remote registration, a company secretary and registered address, business account preparation, or accounting and annual compliance.
World Finance Centre
17 Canton Road
Hong Kong
Companies Registry No. 2694385
Business Registration No. 69356567
