Hong Kong company registration for non-residents

Register a Hong Kong company from anywhere

A respected Asian company for founders who trade with the region, without moving there. Usually registered within an hour, with your company secretary and Hong Kong office included, and the tax rules explained plainly.

No trip to Hong Kong needed to register. Pick your country to see your path and local times.

Start my Hong Kong company Work out my tax

Usually registered within an hour
US$828 for year one, government fees in
Secretary and office included

1 hUsual time to register online with the Companies Registry

8.25%Profits tax on the first HK$2 million

0Trips to Hong Kong needed to register

HK$3,895Government fees in year one, at cost

01Where you're stuck

Do you need to fly to Hong Kong?

Registering, no. For the bank account, rarely: we set it up with you, mostly online.

Here's where travel could still come in.

No trip

To register the company

Everything is filed online. Directors can live in any country, and nobody needs to visit Hong Kong.

Rarely

To open a bank account

We set the account up with you. Hong Kong's banking regulator says banks shouldn't refuse an account only because directors live abroad. In practice:

Payment providers usually onboard fully online; some digital banks want a Hong Kong ID
Some traditional banks may still ask to meet you
It almost always goes through

Choose your country at the top to see your time difference with Hong Kong.

02The change

Hong Kong corporate tax rate: 8.25% and 16.5%, only on profit made in Hong Kong

Hong Kong calls its corporate tax profits tax, and charges it only on profit sourced in Hong Kong, at two rates. Profit earned outside it can be exempt, but the Inland Revenue Department decides that from the facts. No provider can promise 0%.

8.25%on the first HK$2 million of profit

16.5%on profit above HK$2 million

Where is your profit made?

Three questions the tax office looks at. Your answers don't decide anything, but they show which way your facts point.

Where are your customers?

Where do you negotiate and sign deals?

Where is the work actually done?

Hong Kong-sourced profit this year

HK$

Profits taxTwo-tier rates for a corporation

Effective rate

Left in the company

Only one company in a group of connected companies can use the 8.25% rate. Dividends are not taxed in Hong Kong. Where you live may tax what you take out.

03Day one

Hong Kong business registration and incorporation: two certificates on day one

One online filing gives you both: the Certificate of Incorporation from the Companies Registry and the Business Registration Certificate from the Inland Revenue Department. Here they are with your name on them.

HK$1,545 incorporation fee, online
HK$2,350 business registration for one year, including the HK$150 levy
Usually within 1 hour when filed online

Companies Registry, Hong Kong

Certificate of Incorporation

YOUR COMPANY LIMITED

Company number: 0000000
Incorporated on
Type: Private company limited by shares

Inland Revenue Department, Business Registration Office

Business Registration Certificate

YOUR COMPANY LIMITED

Valid from
Valid to
Address: Registered office, Hong Kong

04How it works

How to set up a company in Hong Kong from abroad, step by step

Five stops from your answers to a Hong Kong company the bank can review. You act at the first two.

Apply with HeirsonName in English, shares, owners and what the company trades. Pay in crypto.
You, about 10 minutes
Certify your passport copyHong Kong needs a certified copy, by a notary, a consular officer or our licensed partner.
You, once
Filed with the Companies RegistryThrough the e-Services Portal, with HK$3,895 in government fees at cost.
Heirson
Your two certificatesCertificate of Incorporation and Business Registration Certificate, usually within the hour.
The Registry and the IRD
Business accountYour certificates, articles and registers go to the bank or payment provider you choose.
You and the bank

05The whole bill

Hong Kong company formation cost, and how long it takes

The quick answer: US$329 plus HK$3,895 in year one, US$289 plus HK$2,455 a year after, audit separate. Then three questions for your own dates and bill.

US$828Year one: US$329 Heirson plus HK$3,895 in government fees, about US$499

US$604 a yearFrom year two: US$289 Heirson plus HK$2,455 in renewals, about US$315

About 1 hourUsual time to register once your application and certified passport copy are in

Your timeline

What it costs

Hong Kong government fees at cost, in HK$ and US$.

Hong Kong's dates for you

Annual return, renewal and your first tax return.

Add a nominee to your Hong Kong company if you want one, never to hide an owner from banks or authorities. How nominees work.

Nominee directorUS$480 a yearA licensed professional on the public record; you stay the owner

Nominee shareholderUS$480 a yearHolds the shares on trust for you, with a declaration of trust you keep

Your Hong Kong team, from day one

You, as directorLiving wherever you live. You run the business.

Company secretaryLicensed, based in Hong Kong, keeps the statutory books.
Included

Registered officeA Hong Kong address for official post, scanned to you.
Included

Designated representativeKeeps your significant controllers register, as the law requires.
Included

Your dashboardCertificates, registers and deadlines in one place.
Included

What you get

What's included in your Hong Kong company formation

Hong Kong asks for more than a filing: a local secretary, a local office and a controllers register. Here's who handles each.

Incorporation and business registrationOne online filing, HK$3,895 in government fees at cost.
Company secretaryA licensed Hong Kong secretary, in year one and every renewal.
Registered officeA Hong Kong address, with official post scanned to you.
Significant controllers registerKept in Hong Kong by your designated representative.
Articles of associationStandard articles for a private company, ready to sign.
Annual return and renewalsFiled each year by the 42-day deadline, with reminders before.

06Every year after

Hong Kong annual return, audit and tax return dates

Every Hong Kong company files an annual return each year and has its accounts audited. These are your first two years of dates, counted from your start month.

Reminders 30 and 7 days before each date

Days to file the annual return

After each anniversary of incorporation. HK$105 on time, from HK$870 if late.

Audit

Every year, unless dormant

Audited accounts go in with your profits tax return. A Hong Kong auditor prepares them; not included.

Tax where you live

Ask an adviser at home how dividends from a Hong Kong company are taxed.

07Made for where you live

Run your Hong Kong company from anywhere

Hong Kong has no residency rule for directors or shareholders. Here's how the company runs from where you live.

Eligibility

Open to founders in most countries

Directors and shareholders can live anywhere. You need one director aged 18 or over.

Company secretaryIncluded

Hong Kong requires one based there. Ours is a licensed provider.

RegistrationAbout 1 hour

The usual time for an online filing with the Companies Registry.

Tax where you live

Your country may tax dividends from your Hong Kong company, and may look at where it's really run. Bring three questions to an adviser where you live.

Hong Kong company rules people get wrong

~~Hong Kong companies pay 0% tax.~~Profit made in Hong Kong is taxed at 8.25% to 16.5%. An offshore exemption is decided by the tax office on your facts.
~~Small companies skip the audit.~~Every Hong Kong company is audited each year, unless it's dormant.
~~A director must live in Hong Kong.~~Directors can live anywhere. The company secretary must be based in Hong Kong.
~~You need a Memorandum of Association.~~Not under the current Companies Ordinance. Articles of association do the job.
~~You have to visit Hong Kong to register.~~Registration is fully online. Some banks may ask to meet you.

Selling mostly to US clients? Compare a Wyoming LLC. Want an EU company? See Estonia.

Why Hong Kong

Why register a company in Hong Kong

8.25%On the first HK$2 million of Hong Kong profit

0%Tax on dividends you receive from the company

1 hourUsual time to register online

AsiaA company suppliers and buyers in the region know

When a Hong Kong company is the wrong choice

You want the lowest yearly running cost. The audit and secretary make Hong Kong dearer to keep than a UK or Wyoming company.
All your profit is made in Hong Kong and you expect it to be tax free. It won't be.
You need one particular traditional bank that insists on meeting, and you won't travel.

Questions

Hong Kong company questions, answered

Anything else? Open the application; nothing reaches the Companies Registry until you sign. To check a company already registered, see our Hong Kong company search guide. How profits are taxed, offshore claims included, is in our Hong Kong tax guide.

Can a non-resident register a company in Hong Kong?

Yes. Directors and shareholders can live in any country. You need one director aged 18 or over, a company secretary based in Hong Kong and a Hong Kong registered office, which we provide.

Do I need to visit Hong Kong to open a company?

No. Registration is online. Hong Kong needs a certified copy of your passport, for example by a notary, a consular officer or our licensed partner. A bank may ask to meet you; payment providers usually don't.

How much does it cost to register a company in Hong Kong?

Government fees are HK$3,895 online: HK$1,545 to incorporate and HK$2,350 for a one-year business registration certificate. With Heirson you add US$329 for year one, including the company secretary, registered office and designated representative, about US$828 all in. From year two it's US$289 plus HK$2,455 in renewals. The yearly audit and profits tax return aren't included.

How much is the Hong Kong business registration fee?

For a one-year Business Registration Certificate applied for between 1 April 2026 and 31 March 2027, HK$2,200 plus a HK$150 levy, HK$2,350 in total. It's issued together with the Certificate of Incorporation when you register online, and renewed each year.

How long does it take to register a Hong Kong company?

Online filings are normally processed within an hour, once your application and certified passport copy are ready. Paper filings take about 4 working days.

What is the Hong Kong profits tax rate?

8.25% on the first HK$2 million of assessable profit and 16.5% above that, for a corporation. Only one company in a group of connected companies can use the lower rate. Hong Kong doesn't tax dividends.

Is profit earned outside Hong Kong tax free?

It can be. Hong Kong only taxes profit sourced there, but whether yours counts as offshore depends on where the business is really done, and the Inland Revenue Department decides, often after asking for evidence. Some foreign passive income of multinational groups is taxed under rules in force since 2023.

Do I need a company secretary service in Hong Kong?

Yes. The law requires every Hong Kong company to have a company secretary based in Hong Kong, and a sole director can't also be the sole secretary. Our licensed secretary service is included in year one and every renewal.

Does a Hong Kong company need an audit?

Yes, every year, unless the company is dormant. The audited accounts go in with your profits tax return. A Hong Kong-registered auditor prepares them, and that cost isn't included in our price.

When is the Hong Kong annual return due?

Within 42 days after each anniversary of incorporation. It costs HK$105 on time and from HK$870 when late. We file it as part of your renewal. Every yearly date and fee: Hong Kong annual fees and filings.

Can a non-resident open a Hong Kong business bank account?

Yes. We prepare your certificates, articles and registers as one set and set the account up with you, often with a payment provider or bank that onboards online. Hong Kong's banking regulator says banks shouldn't refuse an account only because directors live abroad. The bank has the last word, and in practice it nearly always approves. More in our Hong Kong bank account guide.

Is Heirson the Hong Kong Companies Registry?

No. Heirson is a private company that registers your company through a licensed Hong Kong partner and passes government fees through at cost.

Ready when you are

Within the hour, your Hong Kong company can be on the register.

Secretary, office and controllers register included, government fees at cost, and you only pay after you sign.

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