How to incorporate in Hong Kong

Table of contents:

• Documents
• Expenses

In fact, there are several agencies that will be happy to offer you a similar service for 5-6,000 HKD per year. The reason they can afford to offer such competitive prices is that the same person can serve as secretary for a large number of companies at the same time. The same applies to the office: the office of one agency can in fact be the office for all the companies that use its services.

You can also open your company without traveling to Hong Kong (via online registration-or e-registration-or paper registration, both are allowed). You can discuss the details via email or phone with your chosen agency, send the necessary documents (see the next section for details) via email, pay via Paypal, credit card, or bank transfer, receive the final documents at your home, and re-send the completed and signed originals to Hong Kong (with DHL, for example).

Documents

Let's see all the documents you need to open a company in Hong Kong and the registration process

First you will need to pay the fee charged by the agency and choose a name for the company. The agency will then make sure that the name is still available (i.e., that a company with the same name does not already exist).

Then you will need to send Hong Kong a copy of your passport, a copy of your driver's license (or any other document on which your address is printed), a questionnaire that will contain standard information such as your address, your passport number, the name of the director and shareholders (in case you are opening the company on your own you can serve as both director and sole shareholder), and so on.

For a company with a "simple" structure, which should be enough unless you have specific requirements, your agency will have to do the online registration (or E-registration, it takes about two hours to complete), to obtain the certificate of incorporation (certificate of incorporation) and business license (business registration certificate) after verifying your identity through a Skype interview.

Or, in case you want to open a multi-level company (which, as mentioned, is needed only in special cases), you will receive several pre-filled documents from the agency (the "Form NC1 (Incorporation Form)" and the "Memorandum and Articles of Association,") so that both directors and shareholders can sign them and send them back to the agency.

That's it! The whole process should to open the company should take about five working days (but the agency will do most of the work).

Expenses

What are the expenses required to incorporate in Hong Kong and maintain your company? Assuming you have decided to use an agency and need a secretary and an office since you do not live in Hong Kong, you will have to pay for the first year:

• Documents concerning company formation, stamps, etc.: HKD 2,070.
• The documents for company registration (government tax): 1,730 HKD.
• The business certificate (government fee): 250 HKD.
• The expense for the secretary: 3,500 HKD.
• The expense for the registration office: 2,000 HKD.
• E-registration handling fee: 300 HKD per person (e.g., company directors (note that this fee is applicable only if you decide to opt for e-registration, which is not mandatory).
• Assistance in opening the business bank account (you can do it yourself if you wish): 1,000 HKD.