Company Registration in Hong Kong

Registration fee is from 2900 €

Registration period — 3 weeks

Minimum authorized capital - 1 HKD

Remote opening — yes

Financial statements — yes

Hong Kong is a special administrative region of the People's Republic of China, comprising Hong Kong Island, the Kowloon Peninsula, the New Territories, and more than 200 surrounding islands. Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula came under British control in the 19th century, while the New Territories were leased for 99 years in 1898. The lease expired in 1997, and the entire territory was returned to China. Under the agreement, China committed to upholding the "one country, two systems" principle, and Hong Kong's unique status will remain unchanged until 2047. Hong Kong holds a leading position among the world's financial, trade, and transport hubs.

Maira Consult recommends using companies registered in Hong Kong as trading companies, for the import and export of goods, for IT business, and for intermediary services.

Why Hong Kong Is Chosen for International Trade

Hong Kong follows a territorial principle of taxation: only profit earned directly within Hong Kong is taxed, while income from activities carried out outside its territory can be fully exempt from corporate tax. Combined with the absence of VAT, dividend tax, and capital gains tax, this makes the jurisdiction one of the most efficient in Asia for trading and intermediary structures.

Registering a company in Hong Kong is a remote process that does not require a personal visit; it is also possible to purchase a ready-made company, with paperwork completed within a few business days.

The set of documents you will receive after registering a company in Hong Kong:

  • Certificate of Incorporation

  • Business Registration Certificate (tax registration)

  • Articles and Memorandum of Association

  • Form NNC1 (incorporation form)

  • Share Certificate

Registering a company in Hong Kong through Maira Consult is entirely remote and includes a Compliance Test (a review of documents for compliance with AML/KYC requirements) prior to submission for official registration. Leave a request, and a specialist in Asian jurisdictions will calculate the cost and timeline tailored to your business structure.

Hong Kong advantages

1

No value-added tax (VAT)

2

Beneficiary confidentiality

3

Dividend tax - 0%

4

Asia's leading financial and trade hub with direct access to mainland China

General Information

Registration Features

Every Hong Kong company is required to have a Designated Representative, who is authorized to negotiate with government authorities. As a rule, this function is performed by the company secretary, who must necessarily be a resident of Hong Kong.

Company Name

The company name must necessarily end with a word or abbreviation indicating its limited liability. For example, this can include variants such as "Limited," "Ltd.," "Corporation," or "Corp."

Authorized Capital

There is no minimum share capital requirement. The share capital is usually 10,000 HKD (about 1,300 USD), and there are no mandatory requirements for it to be paid up.

Director

The minimum number of directors is one, and this can be either an individual or a legal entity. There are no residency restrictions. Appointment of a nominee director is also possible.

Shareholders

The minimum number of shareholders is one, and this can also be either an individual or a legal entity. No residency restrictions are established. The use of nominee shareholder services is also permitted.

Financial Reporting

A Hong Kong company is required to maintain and file annual financial statements. The first financial report, together with the auditor's opinion, must be submitted within 18 months of the company's registration date, after which the report must be filed annually.

Taxation

Corporate tax is 16.5%, dividend tax is 0%, and capital gains tax is 0%. A Hong Kong company is exempt from paying corporate tax under the following conditions: 1. The company is managed from outside Hong Kong. 2. The company has no local counterparties. 3. Negotiations and contract signing take place outside Hong Kong. 4. The company does not provide services within Hong Kong, or the goods it trades are not transported through Hong Kong's customs zone. 5. The company's employees are not residents of Hong Kong.

If a company conducts business within Hong Kong, newly established Hong Kong companies with small turnovers are eligible for tax relief: 8.25% on the first 2 million HKD of profit.

Confidentiality

The state register of companies is open to public access. Information about the company's directors and shareholders is public.

Every company is required to maintain a register of controlling persons (beneficial owners) and keep it at the address of its registered office in Hong Kong. The register is not publicly accessible; information can only be obtained upon request by the relevant authorities.

Stages of company registration

01

Choosing the name and form of the company

The most popular form of company registration in Hong Kong is a limited liability company (LTD). Before registration, it is necessary to submit a request to the Hong Kong Companies Registry to check name availability. Once the name is confirmed, preparation of corporate documents begins.

02

Preparation and collection of documents

Each participant of the company is required to provide a full package of KYC documents, including a passport, a selfie with the passport, a utility bill, a bank reference, a resume, and other required documents. After the documents are submitted, a Compliance Test is conducted (a check for compliance with AML/KYC requirements); company registration begins only after it has been successfully passed. This is a mandatory condition for anyone planning to register a company in Hong Kong, ensuring compliance with all legal requirements and security standards.

03

Identification of company participants

At this stage, the registration forms and corporate documents are signed. The originals of the signed forms and corporate documents are sent to Hong Kong by courier service. If nominee director and shareholder services are used when registering a company in Hong Kong, registration can be completed through electronic submission of documents, without sending the originals.

04

Formation of the share capital (if necessary)

Hong Kong has no mandatory requirement to form share capital for a business. If needed, the share capital can be formed after the company registration process has been completed.

05

Company registration

The originals of all signed registration forms and corporate documents required for registering a Hong Kong company are submitted to the Hong Kong Companies Registry. The standard timeframe for business registration in Hong Kong is 3 weeks.

06

Receiving of corporate documents

After the company is registered in Hong Kong, the registry issues corporate documents with official markings confirming the completion of the registration process.

07

Legalization of documents (if necessary)

If needed, the documents of the Hong Kong company are submitted for legalization and apostille. In most cases, the documents of the Hong Kong company are certified by a government official, a Commissioner for Oaths, or a notary public.

08

Delivery of corporate documents

The originals of the Hong Kong company's corporate documents are sent by courier service.

Answers to the Most Common Questions:

To register a company in Hong Kong, you need to choose a unique name, prepare the constitutional documents, appoint at least one director and shareholder, register a legal address, and submit the documents to the Hong Kong Companies Registry. The registration process can be completed remotely.
Registering a company in Hong Kong takes from 5 to 7 business days, provided all necessary documents are submitted and all company participants pass the Compliance Test. The overall timeframe for registering a company in Hong Kong is 3 weeks.
The cost of registering a company in Hong Kong starts from 1,500 euros, including document preparation, the government fee, and support throughout the registration process.
The profit tax in Hong Kong is 8.25% on the first 2 million HKD of profit and 16.5% on the amount exceeding this threshold. If a company does not conduct business within Hong Kong, its profit may be exempt from taxation.
Hong Kong is not an offshore zone in the traditional sense, since companies are required to submit financial statements and undergo an audit. However, Hong Kong's tax system allows companies to optimize taxation, especially if income is earned outside Hong Kong.
Yes, if a company does not conduct business within Hong Kong and all its income comes from outside its borders, it may be exempt from paying corporate tax. This requires confirmation from the tax authorities.
Companies in Hong Kong are required to submit audit reports annually. This requirement applies to all registered firms, regardless of their size or activity.
Yes, in Hong Kong there is no mandatory requirement to pay a salary to the company's director unless this is provided for by the company's internal regulations.
Yes, a Hong Kong company's documents can be apostilled for use outside Hong Kong. The apostille process is carried out through specialized services.
Hong Kong adheres to the territorial principle of taxation, under which only income earned within its territory is taxed. This makes Hong Kong's tax system one of the most attractive for international business.
Taxation in Hong Kong is based on the territorial principle. Income earned outside Hong Kong is exempt from taxation. For income earned within Hong Kong, a progressive profit tax rate applies.
Yes, foreigners can register a company in Hong Kong and be its directors or shareholders. There are no restrictions on the citizenship or residency of the participants.
Yes, all companies in Hong Kong are required to undergo an annual audit and submit audit reports to the tax authorities.
To enter into an agreement with a bank, a company must provide its registration documents, beneficiary data, a description of the company's activities, and confirmation of the sources of income.
The share capital of a Hong Kong company can be denominated in any currency, depending on the founders' preferences.

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