Table of contents
Forming a limited company in Hong Kong takes 5 steps: name search, prepare documents (Form NNC1, articles of association, proof of identity, proof of address), submit the application, pay the fees and collect the certificate.
Key takeaways
- An electronic application takes about 3 working days for approval, with the certificate obtained within 1 hour of approval
- The process has 5 steps: name search → prepare documents → submit application → pay fees → collect certificate
- Core documents: Form NNC1, articles of association, proof of identity, proof of address
- No minimum registered capital requirement; first-year costs from as low as HK$3,895
- Non-Hong Kong residents can act as directors and shareholders, but the company secretary must be a Hong Kong person
5 steps to register a Hong Kong limited company
Step 1: Company name search to confirm availability
Where do I search?
Log in Companies Registry Cyber Search Centre, enter the name you plan to use in the “Company Name Search” function, and the system will show whether it is already in use or too similar. A basic search is free; a detailed search costs HK$11–$22 each time and can be completed within minutes.
What restrictions apply to names?
Under section 102 of the Companies Ordinance, the following will be refused:
- Identical or too similar to an existing company name
- Names containing regulated words such as “bank”, “insurance” or “trust”, which need separate approval
- Chinese and English names cannot be mixed (for example, “ABC” followed by the Chinese-language suffix for “limited company” is not an accepted format)
- An English name must end with “Limited”; a Chinese name must end with the four-character Chinese suffix for “limited company”
We recommend preparing 2–3 alternative names at once, in order of priority. If your first choice is rejected, you can immediately switch to an alternative and resubmit, without paying again and without slowing overall progress. For more detail on naming a company, see the article below.
Further reading: “Hong Kong company name rules: naming and name search”
Step 2: Prepare 4 statutory documents
Document preparation is the stage of the whole process where mistakes are most likely. The documents to be submitted fall mainly into these 4 categories:
| Document | Description |
|---|---|
| Incorporation form (NNC1) | Contains the company's basic details and can be downloaded free from the Companies Registry website |
| Articles of association | Governs the company's internal operations; the official standard model can be used directly |
| Proof of identity of directors and shareholders | Hong Kong residents provide a copy of their ID card; non-Hong Kong residents provide a copy of their passport |
| Proof of the company's registered address | A business address or virtual office can be used, with the relevant authorisation documents attached |
Document 1: Incorporation form (NNC1)
NNC1 is the core statutory form for applying to the Companies Registry to incorporate a company limited by shares, and the PDF version can be downloaded free from the Companies Registry website.
Here are the fields most likely to go wrong when filling in the form:
- Item 1 | Company name
Chinese and English names are filled in separately. If there is only an English name, enter “N/A” in the Chinese name field, and vice versa. Do not mix Chinese and English.
- Item 2 | Nature of business
Since the 2024 update, NNC1 has a new “Nature of business” field. You must select the matching category from the Companies Registry's official nature-of-business code table and enter the correct code and description. You may not write a vague description of your own (such as “general trading”), otherwise the form will be rejected.
- Item 5 | Share capital structure
This is the field most often left blank. You must fill in the share class (usually ordinary shares), the total number of shares issued, the currency and the total share capital together; if any one of the four is missing, the form will be rejected. Hong Kong law has no minimum capital requirement, but market practice is to set HK$10,000 (that is, 10,000 shares at HK$1 each). Filling in only the total and omitting the number of shares will likewise be rejected.
- Item 7 | Company secretary
Where a natural person is appointed as secretary, complete Part 7A; where a Hong Kong limited company is appointed, complete Part 7B. From 2024, the “Trust or Company Service Provider (TCSP) licence number” must also be reported; if the secretary is not licensed, the reason must be explained in the form and the field cannot be left blank.
- Item 8 | Director details
Enter the usual residential address; PO boxes are not accepted. Non-Hong Kong residents entering an overseas address must include the full format (city, state/province, country, postcode).
Document 2: Articles of Association
The articles of association are the basic legal document governing a company's internal operations, and must be submitted together with the application when the company is formed.
We strongly recommend using the official Template A directly, which is suitable for ordinary private limited companies and is provided by the Companies Registry, giving the smoothest approval. Drafting your own terms should only be considered where there are special needs (such as special voting mechanisms or preference share arrangements); once the examining officer has questions about the terms, they will ask for further explanation, which slows approval.
Document 3: Proof of identity of directors and shareholders
| Applicant type | Required documents | FAQ |
|---|---|---|
| Hong Kong residents | Copy of the front and back of the ID card | Back side not scanned; image too dark |
| Non-Hong Kong residents | Copy of the passport personal data page | Insufficient validity period; blurred image |
| Corporate shareholder/director | Copies of the Certificate of Incorporation and Business Registration Certificate | Document has expired and has not been updated |
Use a resolution of at least 300 DPI, so that the full name, document number and expiry date are clearly legible. Zoom in to check before uploading; blurred images are the number one cause of requests for supplementary documents.
Document 4: Proof of the company's registered address
The company address must be within Hong Kong; PO boxes and “care of” addresses are not accepted. The documents required differ by address type:
| Address type | Required documents | Points to note |
|---|---|---|
| Leased premises | Copy of the tenancy agreement | Confirm the tenancy is still valid at the time of application |
| Owned premises | Proof of title | Provide a recent extract from the land register |
| Virtual office | Authorisation letter from the service provider for use of the address | Must state the company name and period of use; applications missing documents are not accepted in any case |
Step 3: Submit the application through the e-services website or on paper
There are two application methods, electronic and paper:
| Comparison item | Electronic application (e-Registry) | Paper application |
|---|---|---|
| Approval time | About 3 working days | About 4 working days |
| Receiving the certificate | Download within 1 hour of approval | Collect or receive by post after about 4 working days |
| Submission time | Any time, 24 hours | Monday to Friday 08:45–17:30 |
| Company registration fee | 10% discount | Original price |
In the vast majority of cases, choose the electronic application. The only exception is when the applicant cannot complete digital identity verification.
Electronic application (e-Registry): steps
- Go to Companies Registry e-Registry
- Select “Incorporate a local company” → “Company limited by shares”
- Follow the system prompts to fill in the NNC1 details item by item
- Upload the articles of association and the proof of identity and proof of address documents
- Complete identity verification with a digital certificate or one-time password
- After checking all the details, pay the fee and submit
- Keep the payment receipt and the submission confirmation number
Paper application
Submit the completed NNC1, the articles of association and all supporting documents, together with the fee, in person to the Companies Registry, 14th Floor, Queensway Government Offices. Counter hours: Monday to Friday 08:45–17:30.
Step 4: Pay the government fees
The fees are in two parts: the company registration fee (NNC1) and the business registration fee (BR). The business registration fee is adjusted every year in the Budget, so we recommend checking the latest fee for the current year on the Inland Revenue Department website before applying. Further details of the fees can be found in the articles below.
Further reading: “How much does it cost to set up a company in Hong Kong? A full breakdown of costs for limited and unlimited companies”
Step 5: Collect the Certificate of Incorporation and Business Registration Certificate
Once you have the Certificate of Incorporation (CI) and the Business Registration Certificate (BRC), the company is formally established and can start business. The two application methods differ in how the certificates are collected:
- Electronic application: the certificate is downloaded directly from the e-services website, and can generally be obtained within 1 hour of approval.
- Paper application: you can collect it in person at the Queensway Government Offices, or choose postal delivery; hard-copy certificates are generally issued within about 4 working days of completion of approval.
Electronic and hard-copy certificates have equal legal effect. Keep both documents safe, as you will need them later for opening bank accounts and signing contracts.
These document details are the most error-prone; check each item before submitting
- All amendments on NNC1 have been struck through and initialled
- Nature of business filled in with the official code, not a self-written description
- Share capital fields (number of shares, class, currency, total) fully completed
- TCSP licence number entered, or the reason it does not apply explained
- Articles of association submitted together with the NNC1
- Identity documents are clearly scanned and have sufficient validity
- Proof of address documents are complete (letter of authorisation attached for a virtual office)
- Paper applications: details typed and printed, not handwritten
FAQ
What if the company name is rejected?
The Companies Registry will explain the reason for rejection, usually that the name is too similar to another or contains restricted words. You can simply amend it and resubmit, with no need to pay again. We recommend preparing several alternative names in advance to avoid repeated searches delaying overall progress.
What is the minimum registered capital?
Hong Kong law does not set a minimum registered capital, and in theory a company can be formed with HK$1. In practice, however, we generally recommend setting it at HK$10,000 (10,000 shares at HK$1 each), which helps establish basic business credibility and makes negotiating contracts or opening a bank account smoother.
Can one person be both director and shareholder?
Yes. A Hong Kong limited company allows the same person to be both sole director and sole shareholder, which is common in one-person company structures. The only role that cannot be combined is company secretary: if the company has only one director, that director cannot also act as company secretary, and a separate appointment must be made.
Can non-Hong Kong residents register a company?
Yes. Overseas persons can act as directors and shareholders without being physically present in Hong Kong. However, the company secretary must be a Hong Kong resident or a locally incorporated company. For opening a bank account, some banks require you to attend in person, so we recommend confirming the specific requirements with your target bank in advance.
Finding the registration process too tedious? SetupHK can handle it all for you
Registering a Hong Kong limited company isn't especially complicated, but once a document is filled in wrongly or left out, you have to start again, which costs time and effort. If you would rather focus on business planning than administration, feel free to read our other articles to understand the overall process, or contact us directly to SetupHK book a consultation.
Further reading: “Complete guide to forming a company in Hong Kong: process, costs and key points”
