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Hong Kong Company Formation Requirements
Company Formation Requirements in Hong Kong
The minimum requirements to set up a Hong Kong (HK) company include:
- Company name
- Shareholders
- Director
- Company Secretary
- HK registered address
- Paid-up capital
Company Name: Each Company Name Should Be Unique
- It is required to have the company name approval by the Hong Kong Companies Registry to ensure no repetition.
- Can be both English and Chinese or only English.
- Get 3 possible names and check the availability with us.
Shareholders (Aged 18 or Over): Minimum One Shareholder of Any Nationality with Aged 18 or Over
- No Hong Kong residency requirement.
- A shareholder can be a person of any nationality or a corporate entity.
- A shareholder can also be a director.
- Appointment of a nominee shareholder is permitted.
- Hong Kong limited private companies are permitted to have a minimum of one shareholder with a maximum of 50 shareholders.
Director: Minimum on Director of Any Nationality with Aged 18 or Over
- There is no limit for the number of directors and one of the Directors should be a natural person.
- A local or overseas corporate entity can be one of the Directors
- No Hong Kong residency requirement
- A Director can also be a shareholder.
- Appointment of a nominee director is permitted.
A Company Secretary: A Person Who Must Reside in Hong Kong or a Corporate Entity Which Must Have an Office in Hong Kong
- A sole director and shareholder cannot act as company secretary.
- A company secretary can be appointed through an agency offering company secretary services for Hong Kong companies.
A Hong Kong Registered Address: Each Hong Kong Company Must Have a Registered Office in Hong Kong
- A registered address must be a local physical address (in HK).
- It cannot be a PO Box.
- A registered address must be reachable by government (for letter sending purpose).
Paid-up Capital: Minimum of HK$1
- Paid-up capital is the amount of money a company has received from shareholders in exchange for shares of stock.
- The basic norm is a paid-up capital of HKD 10,000 which representing 10,000 ordinary shares of HKD 1.00 each.
- There is no cap or restriction for the maximum amount.
- It can be presented in any currency, the most common currency is HK$ and US$.
Documents That Are Required
In order to proceed with the company incorporation in Hong Kong, both Director(s) and Shareholder(s) need to provide the following documents for submission:
- Certified copy of passport (personal particular page).
- Certified copy of residential address proof (dated within 3 months) i.e. electricity bill, gas bill, or bank statement.
The High-level Workflow for a New HK Company Formation
- 1 – Select a plan on the DIY Hong Kong Company website.
- 2 – Select all the items that you require from your chosen plan.
- 3 – Fill in your information in the company incorporation forms.
- 4 – Upload the documents (that are required for the company incorporation).
- 5 – Checkout and make the payment, via credit cards or PayPal.
Our team is able to support and complete the registration with the following services:
- Execution of name search to ensure the company name is available to be used
- Drafting and Preparation of Articles of Association
- Reviewing your uploaded documents and Forms for the company formation
- Submission of all required documents to Hong Kong Companies Registry
- Monitoring the progress to ensure smooth processing
- Collection of Business Registration Certificate and Certificate of Incorporation
- Preparation of 3 copies of Articles of Association
- Preparation of first board minute for appointment of first director(s) and secretary
- Preparation of one set of certified true copy of all company incorporation documents for bank account opening
- Freely appoint as company secretary for the first year
- Consultation of company compliance for the first year
The owner(s) of a company is NOT required to be present in Hong Kong to go through incorporation process.
Why Incorporating the Hong Kong Company Online All By Yourself?
- Visual interface helps concentrate more than verbal communication
- Easy decision making out of service packages
- The lowest cost
- Time saving: it can be proceeded in about ten minutes only
- No meeting with consultant required
- Take place anytime and anywhere
- Easy mode of payment
- Ease of providing information
- No hard copies required
- Privacy of personal data protected
What Are the Items Available in DIY Hong Kong Company Setup?
Registered office address (Compulsory if you do not have a HK based address)
- By law, you must have a local address as a company registered office address.
- If you don’t have a local address, please select one of our virtual office packages.
Basic package (Compulsory)
- Free name search to ensure the company name is available
- Draft and review Articles of Association
- Preparation of documents and Forms for the company formation
- Submission of the documents to the Companies Registry and Inland Revenue Department
- Monitoring the progress to ensure smooth processing
- Collection of Business Registration Certificate and Certificate of Incorporation
- Preparation of 1 copy of Articles of Association
- Preparation of first minute of appointing first director(s) and secretary
- Preparation of one set of certified true copy of all the Hong Kong company incorporation documents for bank account opening
Significant controller assistance (Optional)
- Acting as a representative of the company
- Providing assistance relating to the SCR of the company to law enforcement officers
- Reporting to the significant controllers of the company if law enforcement officers visit
Nominee shareholder service (Optional)
- If shareholders of the clients are unwilling to publicize their personal information, or due to other business consideration, we can act as Nominee Shareholders to them
Green box (Optional) – Items included in the green box:
- One authorized signature stamp
- One company stamp
- Two printed Articles of Association
- One legal seal chop
- Shares certificate
A set of company stamps (Optional)
- One authorized signature stamp
- One company stamp
- One legal seal chop
Bank account assistance (Optional)
- Prepare a set of certified true copy documents based on the bank’s requirements
- Provide you a tailor-made document checklist
- Collect the documents from you
- Review the documents and provide advice for amendment
- Approach and liaise with the preferred bank to arrange a bank account appointment for you
Government fee (Compulsory)
- You must pay these fees to the government.
- This includes Business Registration Fee and Company Registry Fee.
Administration fee (Compulsory)
- You must pay the administration fee.
Express service (Optional)
- Incorporation in 1 business day
- Full set of documents ready in 2 business days
- No need to present in Hong Kong
