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How to register a company in Hong Kong

Hong Kong is one of the most non-resident-friendly company jurisdictions in Asia: a single foreign person can be the sole director and sole shareholder of a private company limited by shares (the entity simply ends in 'Limited'), there is no minimum capital, and the whole incorporation is done online through the Companies Registry's e-Registry portal. You file Form NNC1 — the incorporation form that also carries the Articles of Association — and the same submission is treated as your Business Registration application, so the Companies Registry and the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) are handled in one step. Approval for an electronic filing is often issued within a working day or two. The twist that catches every non-resident is the support layer rather than the filing itself. Hong Kong does not require a resident director, but it does require a company secretary who ordinarily resides in Hong Kong (or a TCSP-licensed corporate secretary) and a Hong Kong registered office address — and because a sole director is legally barred from also being the secretary, a local licensed agent is effectively unavoidable. In practice nearly all foreign founders engage a TCSP (Trust or Company Service Provider) firm to file the NNC1, act as company secretary, and provide the registered office. Budget for that from day one; it is not optional overhead, it is a legal requirement.

Hong Kong overview How we research
Country
Hong Kong
Topic
How to register
Reviewed
June 2026

By the Lanzamo Editorial Team · Reviewed June 2026 · How we research

  1. 1

    Choose and clear your company name

    Pick an English name ending in 'Limited' (a Chinese name ending in 有限公司 is optional and can be added). Search the Companies Registry's free Cyber Search Centre / company name index to confirm it is not identical to an existing name — identical names are rejected, and names implying a connection with government or using restricted words (Bank, Trust, Chamber of Commerce, etc.) need consent. Unlike a 'too like' rejection elsewhere, HK only blocks identical names, but a later objection can still force a change.

  2. 2

    Engage a TCSP-licensed agent, secretary and registered office

    Appoint a company secretary who is ordinarily resident in Hong Kong or a TCSP-licensed corporate secretarial firm, and secure a Hong Kong registered office address (a real local address, not a PO box). Because a company with a sole director cannot have that same person as secretary under the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 622), a non-resident sole founder must use a local secretary — this is the single hardest requirement to satisfy from abroad and the reason most founders buy a TCSP package.

  3. 3

    Decide directors, shareholders and share structure

    A private company needs at least one director (a natural person of any nationality, no HK residency required) and at least one shareholder (which can be the same foreign individual or a foreign holding company). There is no minimum capital: the standard setup is a tiny issued share capital such as 1 to 10,000 shares of HK$1 each, fully foreign-owned. You are not required to pay the capital into a bank before incorporating.

  4. 4

    Prepare the Articles of Association and incorporation form (NNC1)

    Adopt Articles of Association — most founders use the model articles in the Companies (Model Articles) Notice with minimal changes. Form NNC1 (Incorporation Form — Company Limited by Shares) captures the company name, registered office, directors, secretary, shareholders, and share capital. The NNC1 is submitted together with the Articles; for a fully foreign-owned company you list yourself as director, shareholder and significant controller.

  5. 5

    Submit through the e-Registry and pay the government fees

    File electronically via the Companies Registry e-Registry (e-Services Portal). Two government charges fall due together: the incorporation fee of HK$1,545 for electronic delivery (HK$1,720 on paper) and the Business Registration fee paid to the IRD — HK$2,200 in 2025/26, rising to HK$2,350 from 1 April 2026 as the levy waiver ends — for a one-year certificate. Electronic submissions are typically processed faster than paper.

  6. 6

    Receive the Certificate of Incorporation and Business Registration Certificate

    On approval the Companies Registry issues the Certificate of Incorporation (carrying your company number) and the Business Registration Certificate from the IRD, usually as electronic certificates for an e-filing. For an electronic NNC1 these are often issued within about one working day; paper filings take a few business days. Together they are the documents banks and counterparties will ask to see.

  7. 7

    Set up statutory records and the Significant Controllers Register

    Within Hong Kong you must keep statutory registers (members, directors, secretary, charges) and, since 2018, a Significant Controllers Register (SCR) listing anyone holding more than 25% of shares or voting rights — i.e. you, the 100% foreign owner. The SCR is kept at the registered office (or another HK address notified to the Registry) and must be available for inspection by law-enforcement, though it is not public. Your TCSP usually maintains all of this.

  8. 8

    Issue share certificates and hold the first board resolutions

    After incorporation, issue share certificates to the subscriber(s), pass first directors' resolutions (appointing the auditor, fixing the financial year-end, authorising bank-account opening), and keep the minute book. Choosing a 31 March or 31 December year-end early is worth a moment's thought — it determines your IRD filing block and is hard to change later.

Realistic timeline: Pure incorporation is fast: with a TCSP filing your NNC1 electronically, a non-resident can have the Certificate of Incorporation and Business Registration Certificate in roughly 1–7 days (often about one working day for a clean e-filing). The realistic bottleneck is banking — a fintech account like Statrys or Airwallex can take a few days to a couple of weeks of KYC, while a traditional bank can take weeks to months and may still decline. Plan around 1–2 weeks to be incorporated and bankable via a fintech, longer if you insist on a high-street bank account.

Right after you incorporate

Business Registration is already done — keep it renewed

Hong Kong has no separate 'tax registration' step: the Business Registration Certificate issued with incorporation registers you with the IRD. It must be renewed annually (or every three years) before expiry — HK$2,350 from 1 April 2026 for a one-year certificate, or HK$6,170 for a three-year certificate. Display the current BR certificate at your registered office; trading without a valid one is an offence.

There is no VAT or GST to register for

Hong Kong levies no value-added tax, goods-and-services tax or sales tax of any kind, so there is no VAT registration, no VAT returns, and no VAT threshold to monitor — a genuine simplification versus the UK, the EU or Singapore. The flip side is that you cannot reclaim any input tax either, but for most service and trading companies the net effect is far less compliance.

Open a business bank or fintech account

This is the slow part for a non-resident. Traditional banks (HSBC, Hang Seng, BOCHK) generally expect an in-person visit, deep KYC and source-of-funds evidence, and reject many applications. The realistic remote route is a fintech / payment account such as Statrys or Airwallex, which onboard non-resident-directed HK companies online. Note that some virtual banks (e.g. ZA Bank's business account) require all directors/shareholders to hold a HKID, so they do not work for pure non-residents.

Appoint a HK CPA auditor and set up bookkeeping

Every Hong Kong limited company must have its financial statements audited annually by a Hong Kong-registered Certified Public Accountant (Practising) — there is no small-company audit exemption, even for a dormant-looking startup with tiny turnover. Appoint your auditor early and keep proper books from day one; the audited accounts feed your Profits Tax Return and are required before you can finalise it.

Calendar the annual return (NAR1) and first Profits Tax Return

File the annual return Form NAR1 with the Companies Registry within 42 days of each incorporation anniversary (HK$105 if on time; late fees escalate steeply to HK$3,480). The IRD usually issues your first Profits Tax Return about 18 months after incorporation, covering the first ~18 months; it is then due within 3 months of issue, with an extension if filed through a tax representative.

Frequently asked questions

Can a non-resident be the sole director and shareholder of a Hong Kong company?

Yes. Hong Kong imposes no residency or nationality requirement on directors or shareholders, so one foreign individual can own 100% of the company and be its only director — this is actually friendlier than Singapore, which mandates a locally-resident director. The catch is the company secretary: a sole director cannot also be the secretary, and the secretary must ordinarily reside in Hong Kong (or be a TCSP-licensed firm), so you still need a local agent.

Do I have to visit Hong Kong to incorporate?

No. Incorporation is fully remote through the Companies Registry e-Registry, and a TCSP-licensed agent handles the NNC1 filing, the company secretary role and the registered office on your behalf. The only step that can require — or strongly prefer — a physical visit is opening a traditional bank account; this is why most non-residents use a fintech such as Statrys or Airwallex instead.

Why do I need a company secretary if I'm the only owner?

The Companies Ordinance (Cap. 622) requires every Hong Kong company to appoint a company secretary who ordinarily resides in Hong Kong, or a corporate secretary that is a TCSP-licensed Hong Kong firm — and section 475 prohibits the sole director from also serving as secretary. As a single non-resident founder you therefore must engage a local secretarial provider; it is a legal requirement, not just convenience.

What is the Significant Controllers Register and does it apply to me?

Since 2018, almost every Hong Kong company must keep a Significant Controllers Register (SCR) at a Hong Kong address, listing each person who holds more than 25% of the shares or voting rights — which, as a 100% foreign owner, means you. The SCR is not public, but it must be made available to Hong Kong law-enforcement officers on demand. Your TCSP typically prepares and maintains it as part of their service.

Sources

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