How to Register a Company in Hong Kong from Singapore

Hong Kong is considered one of the most liberal economies in the world and therefore is a place that allows a fast and easy registration process. 

Registration of a Singapore company in Hong Kong would be considered registering as a non-Hong Kong company, however you can register your company as a new entity in Hong Kong as well. 

A non-Hong Kong company is required to register in Hong Kong if it is a corporate body and has an established place of business in Hong Kong.

The company must be registered before the place of business has been established for more than a month.   

The Process

The process to register a Singapore company in Hong Kong is similar to registering any company anywhere.

To register a company, the required registered capital is 10,000 HKD.

Once the company has that, the process is generally a simple one. 

The city of Hong Kong allows you to run the business from anywhere in the world.

All you need is a local secretary and registered office address, which can even be provided to you through a local agency if needed.

The rest of the process is as follows:

• Choose the type of company 
  • Company limited by shares: liability of shares is limited by the articles of association 
  • Company limited by guarantee: share capital and liability of the members is not limited by the articles of the association (nonprofit organizations are usually registered as guarantee companies) 

• Choose the name of the company
  • The name of the company must not be the same, or similar to, any other registered company name. 
  • Under the Companies Ordinance, the company name must be approved by the Registrar and is subject to rejection ordered by the Company Registry. 
  • The company can register under an English name, a Chinese name, or under both an English and Chinese name. 

• Deliver the correct documents to the Companies Registry either electronically or in-person
  • The Business Registration Office is located at 4/F Revenue Tower, 5 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong. Hard-copy documents can also be sent to P.O. Box 29015, Gloucester Road Post Office, Hong Kong. 

• Collect the certificates (upon approval)
  • After the registration is approved, the Certificate of Incorporation and the Business Registration Certificate will be issued either electronically or as a hard copy. 
  • Approval time will vary on whether the documents were delivered electronically or in person.
  • Both electronically and hard-copy certificates have the same legal effect.  

• Obtain all other permits and licenses required
  • Each type of company (and industry) will have certain permits and licenses that are required. 

• Sign up for Employee’s Compensation, Insurance, and Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) Schemes. 
  • Mandatory Provident Funds (MPF’s) is a system set up to help Hong Kong’s workforce save up for their retirement. 

Required Documents

Once the type of company and the name of the company is chosen, the correct documents must be delivered to the Companies Registry.

The documents needed are:

• Incorporation form: Form NNC1 for a company limited by shares and Form NNC1G for a company not limited by shares. 
• A copy of the company’s articles of association. Articles of association should be a form that indicates the following, along with other specifications:
• Company name
• Member’s liabilities 
• Liabilities or contributions of members
• Share capital and initial shareholdings
• Name(s) of Founder Members
• Notice to the Business Registration Office 
• Copies of any and all identification cards and passports
• The company’s most recent financial statements  

How much does it cost?

The price to register a company varies depending on the type of company.

The pricing is as follows (paid with HK$):

• Incorporation of a company limited by shares
  • Registration application delivered electronically cost $1,545, with a refund of $1,280 if the application is rejected 
  • Registration delivered in hard-copy form is $1,720, with a refund of $1,425 if rejected

• Incorporation of a company limited by guarantee
  • With 25 members or less
    • The application delivered electronically is $155
    • The application delivered as hard-copy is $170
  • With the number of members exceeding 25, but less than 100
    • Electronically delivered application is $305
    • Hard-copy form delivered application is $340 
  • With the number of members exceeding 100
    • Electronic application is $305, plus $18 for every additional 50 members after the first 100 
    • Hard-copy form application is $340, plus $20 for every additional 50 members after the first 100  

• Registration of a non-Hong Kong company
  • Registration application delivered electronically cost $1,545, with a refund of $1,280 if the application is rejected 
  • Registration delivered in hard-copy form is $1,720, with a refund of $1,425 if rejected

The incorporation forms (Form NNC1 and Form NNC1G) have a varying price depending on whether you download it online or obtain a hard copy.

The price of these forms ranges from $16 to $30. 

Annual auditing and reporting are required for any company in Hong Kong.

This reporting is referred to as annual returns, and with these annual returns, there are additional fees. 

Why Hong Kong?

There are a variety of similarities and differences between registering a company in Hong Kong and Singapore.

If you are registering a Singapore company in Hong Kong, all rules and regulations that Hong Kong requires will need to be met. 

One advantage to bringing a Singapore company over to Hong Kong and registering it is the corporate taxes.

The corporate tax payable is 16.5% in Hong Kong, compared to 17% in Singapore.

Another difference between having a company registered in Singapore compared to in Hong Kong is that to register a company in Hong Kong, at least one of the company’s directors must be a natural person.

In addition, there is no requirement for a resident director in Hong Kong; the director can be of any nationality.

Interested in registering your business in Hong Kong from Singapore?

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