Hong Kong Company Registration (Limited)

A company's name may be in English, in Chinese, or both, but a name that combines English words or letters with Chinese characters is not allowed. Its limited liability status must be reflected in the word “Limited” at the end of the English name and the characters “有限公司” at the end of the Chinese name. The use of words such as “trust”, “trustee”, “savings” and “chamber of commerce” in the name of the company needs the Registrar's prior approval, and words such as “bank”, “insurance” and “certified public accountant” are restricted by other Ordinances.

At least one shareholder is required to register a Hong Kong company. This can be a natural person or a company. The Hong Kong government does not have any requirements or restrictions on the nationality or legal domicile of the shareholders of a Hong Kong company.

No capital verification is required for the registration of a Hong Kong company.

The company's registered capital belongs to the company, not to its shareholders, so the shareholders cannot simply withdraw it after incorporation. The company may spend it on its business. Returning capital to the shareholders requires a procedure the applicable company law provides, such as a formal capital reduction, and profits can be paid out to them only as a lawful distribution.

A Hong Kong limited company must appoint a company secretary: an individual secretary must ordinarily reside in Hong Kong, and a corporate secretary must have its registered office or a place of business in Hong Kong. The secretary's address is normally used as the company's registered address. A client with a genuine Hong Kong office may use it as the registered address, but government correspondence would then go directly to the client with no provider follow-up service. It is therefore generally recommended to keep the registered address at the nominee secretary office while the actual operating address remains the client's choice. Banks and e-commerce platforms distinguish registered address from operating address, so a nominee registered address causes no practical problems.

A shelf company is generally not worthwhile in Hong Kong because a brand-new incorporation completes very quickly: for a private company limited by shares, the Companies Registry normally issues the certificates within one hour of an electronic application, or within four working days of a paper one. Registering a fresh company is usually preferable to purchasing a shelf company.