Complete Guide for Mainland Chinese Individuals Registering a Company in Hong Kong Requirements, Procedures, Annual Review Costs, and Total Expenses Explained

It is no longer a niche practice for mainland Chinese residents to register companies in Hong Kong. Many individuals engaged in cross-border e-commerce, foreign trade, brand internationalization, or asset allocation routinely use Hong Kong companies as standard business tools. Key practical advantages-such as the absence of mandatory local shareholders or directors, a simple and transparent tax regime, well-established banking account opening procedures, and the ability to open multi-currency accounts-are more worthy of close attention than abstract concepts like “offshore” or “tax-exempt.”

What Are the Requirements for Registering a Hong Kong Company?

1. At least one individual shareholder (aged 18 or above; no nationality restrictions-mainland Chinese residents may use their PRC ID card and Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macao Residents);

2. At least one individual director (may be the same person as the shareholder; Hong Kong permanent residency is not required);

3. A registered office address in Hong Kong (must be provided by a corporate secretarial service provider; a mainland China address is not acceptable);

4. Appointment of a statutory secretary (must be either a licensed Hong Kong company or a licensed individual; mainland Chinese nationals cannot serve as statutory secretaries themselves);

5. The company name must end with “Limited” or “” (“Limited Company”) and must not duplicate any existing registered company name.

How Can Mainland Chinese Residents Register a Company in Hong Kong?

1. Select and verify the proposed Chinese and English company names (free name search is available via the Hong Kong Companies Registry website);

2. Sign statutory documents-including the Letter of Authorization and the Director/Shareholder Declaration-entirely remotely, without requiring physical presence in Hong Kong;

3. Submit Form NNC1 and the Articles of Association to the Companies Registry;

4. Pay the prescribed fees and await approval typically, the Certificate of Incorporation (CI) and Business Registration Certificate (BR) are issued within 3-5 working days;

5. Collect the full set of company documents (including company chops/seals, share certificate book, Articles of Association, etc.), and concurrently apply for a Hong Kong bank account (e.g., Bank of China (Hong Kong), HSBC, Hang Seng Bank)-in-person signing or video witnessing is required.

What Is the Annual Return Fee for a Hong Kong-Registered Company?

The annual return comprises two statutory obligations, both with fixed and publicly disclosed fees

• Business Registration Certificate renewal HK$2,250 per year (a government fee; standardized at this amount effective from 2025);

• Annual Return filing with the Companies Registry (Form NAR1) HK$105 per year (standard fee for small private companies).

If engaging a corporate secretarial service provider to handle the annual return, market service fees typically range from HK$1,800 to HK$3,500 per year, covering continued use of the registered address, provision of statutory secretary services, document submission, and compliance reminders.

Note Late filing incurs penalties (up to HK$3,000); failure to file for two consecutive years may result in compulsory deregistration of the company.

Overview of Total Costs for Registering a Hong Kong Company (First Year)

• Government fees Incorporation fee HK$1,720 + Business Registration Certificate HK$2,250 = HK$3,970;

• Corporate secretarial service fee (first year) HK$2,000-HK$4,000 (includes registered office address, statutory secretary services, and receipt of official correspondence);

• Company chops/seals and document kit HK$300-HK$600;

• Bank account opening fee (varies by bank) HK$800-HK$1,500 (some banks waive the first-year account maintenance fee).

In summary, for mainland Chinese residents, the total cost for initial company registration plus basic compliance setup is approximately HK$7,000-HK$10,000 (roughly RMB 6,500-9,200), while ongoing annual maintenance costs average HK$4,000-HK$6,000 per year.

The above outlines the essential facts and prevailing operational practices for mainland Chinese residents registering companies in Hong Kong-and we hope this information proves helpful to you.