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Hong Kong bank account guide 2026

Hong Kong company bank account: opening one from abroad

Updated 11 November 2026HKMA guidance revised October 2026About 10 minutes to read
The short answer

A non-resident can open a business account for a Hong Kong company, usually without a trip. The HKMA says banks shouldn't demand every director attend, a local office or a large deposit.

What decides it is proof of a real business: contracts, a website and a clear source of funds. Digital banks may still want Hong Kong ID.

Which account fits me? Am I ready?
HKMA rules HK$800,000 deposit protection per depositor, per bank, since October 2024 Companies are covered at banks. Payment accounts are not covered at all.

Hong Kong has a reputation for hard bank accounts: directors flown in, large deposits, months of waiting. Its regulator has spent three years pushing back. Banks shouldn't demand that every director attend, or refuse you only for living abroad. What still decides it is whether you can show a real business. Here's how it works in 2026, from the Hong Kong Monetary Authority's own guidance.

Key takeaways

  • Three kinds of account: a traditional bank, a digital bank, or a payment account that isn't a bank.
  • The HKMA says banks shouldn't demand every director attend, a Hong Kong office, or a large deposit as a condition.
  • Some digital banks need a Hong Kong ID for every director and shareholder, so "fully online" isn't always true from abroad.
  • Banks ask where the business is done, who pays you and where the money came from.
  • Deposit protection is HK$800,000 per bank for companies; payment accounts have none.
  • Hong Kong reports accounts to 126 jurisdictions under the CRS.
Chapter 1

Which Hong Kong business account fits your company?

Hong Kong company, owner abroad2026
Every director must attendNo, says the HKMA
Hong Kong office neededNo
Deposit protection, per bankHK$800,000
Reported under the CRS to126 jurisdictions
Your tax office may receive the account details. Where you live: pick it
Most important to you
Traditional bankFull service; may ask to meet a director, sometimes by video or at a centre abroad
Digital bankEight licensed, online only; some need a Hong Kong ID for every director and shareholder
Payment accountLicensed money service, not a bank; online, multi-currency, no deposit protection
1
Key takeaway

A traditional bank, a digital bank or a payment account.

Chapter 2

What the HKMA says banks should not demand

Banks should not
  • Require every director to attend in person
  • Insist every document is certified in Hong Kong
  • Require a Hong Kong office or local staff
  • Refuse only because of the country you live in
  • Make a large deposit a condition of opening
If you're refused

Simple Bank Accounts have lighter checks and limited services; over 41,000 have opened since 2019.

2
Key takeaway

The regulator lists what banks should not demand of you.

Chapter 3

Hong Kong company bank account requirements: your checklist

The Hong Kong company is owned by
Directors
The business
3
Key takeaway

Company papers, owners' passports, and proof the business is real.

Chapter 4

What a Hong Kong bank asks a company owned from abroad

  1. WhereIs the business done?Where your staff work, where contracts are signed and where the customers are.
  2. WhyHong Kong?Suppliers in Asia, clients who pay in Hong Kong dollars, a regional base: say it plainly.
  3. WhoPays you, and whom you payNamed customers and suppliers, with contracts or invoices.
  4. From whereDid the money come?Savings, an earlier business, a sale: with documents to show it.
  5. How muchMoves each month?Expected volumes and countries; big changes later trigger reviews.
4
Key takeaway

Where the business is done, who pays you, and where the money came from.

Chapter 5

Are you ready to apply? A five-question check

A website or online presence
Contracts or invoices with real customers
Papers showing where your starting money came from
Dealings with sanctioned countries
Crypto, gambling or money transfer as the main business
5
Key takeaway

A website, contracts and a clear money trail open most doors.

Chapter 6

Hong Kong deposit protection for company accounts

HK$800,000Per depositor, per bank, since 1 October 2024; companies count as depositors
Banks onlyLicensed banks, digital ones included, are members of the scheme
Not coveredPayment accounts and stored value facilities
6
Key takeaway

HK$800,000 per bank for companies; nothing at payment firms.

Chapter 7

Hong Kong bank accounts, tax and the CRS

Hong Kong taxes only profit made in Hong Kong, so banks ask where your business is done: an account here doesn't by itself make your profit taxable here. Accounts of residents of 126 jurisdictions are reported to their tax offices under the CRS, including accounts of companies whose controllers live there.

7
Key takeaway

Banks ask where profits are made; Hong Kong reports to 126 jurisdictions.

Chapter 8

Hong Kong bank account number format

3 digitsBank code, set by the clearing house
3 digitsBranch code, at most banks
Account numberThe rest, with its length set by each bank
No IBANInternational payments use the bank's SWIFT code with the account number
8
Key takeaway

Bank code, branch code, account number. No IBAN.

Chapter 9

Hong Kong bank account questions, answered

?!
Can a non-resident open a Hong Kong company bank account?
Yes. The HKMA says banks should not refuse only because directors live abroad, or demand that every director attend in person.
Do I need to visit Hong Kong to open a bank account?
Rarely. Payment accounts open online; some traditional banks meet one director by video or at a centre abroad.
Can I open a Hong Kong digital bank account from abroad?
Not always. Some digital banks need a Hong Kong ID for every director and shareholder.
Is there a minimum deposit for a Hong Kong business account?
Some banks publish one, but the HKMA says a large deposit should not be a condition of opening.
Are Hong Kong company accounts protected?
Yes, at banks: HK$800,000 per depositor per bank since October 2024. Payment accounts are not covered.
Does Hong Kong have IBAN numbers?
No. An account number is a bank code, often a branch code, and the account number, with a SWIFT code for payments from abroad.
Will you set up my Hong Kong account?
Yes. We set it up with you when we form your Hong Kong company, and it almost always goes through.

Changelog

  • 11 November 2026: first published.
  • 13 November 2026: official sources linked inside the text.
Your Hong Kong company

A Hong Kong company with the account set up alongside it.

We set up the bank account with you while we form the company.

See the Hong Kong company Hong Kong tax guide