Starting a Business · Hong Kong
Starting a business in Hong Kong: foreigner's guide (2026)
Hong Kong shaded by its starting a business status
Hong Kong is one of the easiest jurisdictions in the world for a foreigner to start a business. There is no foreign-ownership restriction and no minimum capital, and a private limited company can be incorporated together with its business registration through the Companies Registry's e-Services Portal, with electronic certificates normally issued within about one hour. The only mandatory local-presence requirements are a Hong Kong registered office and a company secretary who ordinarily resides in (or is a body corporate based in) Hong Kong.
Key points
Under the Companies Ordinance there is no restriction on foreign ownership of a private limited company; a foreign individual or corporation may hold all the shares, and no local partner or government approval is required. Directors may be of any nationality, and a non-Hong Kong resident can be appointed as a director.
Hong Kong imposes no minimum share-capital requirement for a private company limited by shares; a company can be incorporated with nominal capital and shares need not be fully paid up at incorporation.
A private limited company needs at least one director (who must be a natural person, but may be non-resident), at least one shareholder, and one company secretary; the sole director cannot also be the company secretary.
The only statutory local-presence obligations are a registered office situated in Hong Kong and a company secretary who, if a natural person, ordinarily resides in Hong Kong, or, if a body corporate, has its registered office or place of business in Hong Kong.
Choose company type and an approved name; prepare the incorporation form (NNC1) and articles of association; submit with fees electronically via the e-Services Portal (or in hard copy); the Companies Registry and Inland Revenue Department then jointly issue the Certificate of Incorporation and the Business Registration Certificate in one go.
For straightforward online (e-filing) applications, the electronic Certificate of Incorporation and Business Registration Certificate are normally issued within about one hour of submission; hard-copy applications typically take around four working days.
Timeline - major decisions & events
The Companies (Amendment) (No. 2) Ordinance 2025 came into force, letting eligible foreign-incorporated companies transfer their domicile to Hong Kong without forming a new entity or winding up — a major new pathway for establishing a business presence locally. The Companies Registry began accepting applications the same day.
Inland Revenue Department ↗Following the 2024-25 Budget, the annual business registration fee rose by HK$200 (its first increase in nearly 30 years) while the HK$150 insolvency-fund levy was waived for two years through 31 March 2026, changing the baseline cost of legally operating a business.
Government of HKSAR (info.gov.hk) ↗The Companies Registry replaced the Company Registration Number with the Business Registration Number as a Unique Business Identifier for all entities, and rolled out the new Integrated Companies Registry Information System (ICRIS) consolidating e-services — streamlining identification and online incorporation/registration.
Inland Revenue Department ↗The Companies (Amendment) Ordinance 2018 took effect, requiring every non-listed Hong Kong company to identify its beneficial owners and keep a Significant Controllers Register — adding an ongoing compliance obligation for new companies in line with FATF anti-money-laundering standards.
Companies Registry ↗A comprehensive rewrite of company law replaced the incorporation provisions of the old Cap. 32, modernising the framework for forming and operating companies (921 sections, 11 schedules) and underpinning Hong Kong's current fast, low-cost incorporation regime.
Companies Registry ↗The Companies Registry was set up as the dedicated authority for incorporating and regulating companies in Hong Kong, later enabling the e-Registry/online incorporation services that allow a private company limited by shares to be formed within about an hour of electronic submission.
Companies Registry ↗Hong Kong law requires every business — companies, sole proprietorships, partnerships, branches and online businesses — to register with the Inland Revenue Department and obtain a Business Registration Certificate within one month of starting, establishing the universal tax-registration step for any new venture.
Inland Revenue Department ↗Modelled on the UK Companies Act 1929 and duplicated in Hong Kong, the original Companies Ordinance created the foundational legal basis for company incorporation that governed business formation for some eight decades until the 2014 rewrite.
Companies Registry ↗Hong Kong - other topics
Last verified 5/23/2026 · Orientation, not legal advice - verify against the primary sources linked above. Explore the full world map →