Certificate of Incorporation Hong Kong: What It Is & How to Get One

When you incorporate a company in Hong Kong, the Certificate of Incorporation is the foundational document you receive, the official legal document of your company's existence that banks, partners, and government authorities will ask for, typically before anything else can move forward.

In this guide, I cover what it is, what is on it, who needs one, how to get one — including as a non-resident founder incorporating remotely — and how to verify it.

A Certificate of Incorporation (CI) is an official legal document issued by the Hong Kong Companies Registry that confirms your company's legal existence as a registered entity in Hong Kong.

Without this certificate, your company is not a separate legal entity and not legally established — you cannot enter into contracts under a corporate entity, or operate in Hong Kong as a registered company.

The certificate is issued in English, Traditional Chinese, or both — depending on how the company was registered. It has no expiry date; it remains valid for the lifetime of your company unless the company is officially deregistered, liquidated, or wound up.

The certificate of incorporation is a one-page document that contains key information about your company, including:

• Registration Number (UBI)*: This is your company's unique identifier in Hong Kong's company records, used in formal and regulatory communications
• Official company name: Displayed in the centre of the document. This may appear in English, Traditional Chinese, or both, depending on how the company was registered.
• Date of Incorporation: The date your company officially entered the Companies Registry's records, which is a legally recognised start date of the company's existence.

*Previously referred to as the Company Registration Number (CRN), now replaced by the Unique Business Identifier (UBI) — which is derived from your Business Registration Number (BRN).

A Certificate of Incorporation is required for any company formally incorporated in Hong Kong under the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 622). The common company types that need a Certificate of Incorporation are:

✔️ A private limited company (PLC), or private company limited by shares -  the most common structure for SMEs, startups, and international founders setting up in Hong Kong

✔️ Public company limited by shares - a company that offers shares to the public. 

✔️  Company limited by guarantee - typically used by non-profit organisations

Sole proprietorships and partnerships are not incorporated entities and do not need or receive a Certificate of Incorporation. They only require a Business Registration Certificate.

If you are setting up a company in Hong Kong to manage cross-border payments, hold assets, or operate internationally, you most likely will be incorporating a private company limited by shares, and your Certificate of Incorporation is the foundational document for that structure.

First and foremost, your Certificate of Incorporation is a required legal document for your company.

Apart from that, the CI isn't filed away after incorporation. It comes up repeatedly throughout the life of your company — often at moments where a delay costs you time or money.

• Opening a business account. Bank and business account provider will request a certified copy of your incorporation documents as part of their application process.
• Regulatory applications, such as licence or permit applications, typically require the submission of the Certificate of Incorporation.
• Signing commercial contracts. Clients, suppliers, and landlords may ask to verify your company's legal standing before agreeing to terms. The CI is the standard way to confirm it.
• Working with professional service providers. Your accountant and company secretary need the certificate to act on your company's behalf. 
• Using your documents abroad. If you need your documents recognised in another jurisdiction — for a banking application, a business registration overseas, or a legal proceeding — the CI is typically what a notary or government authority will first require.

To get your Certificate of Incorporation, you submit a company registration application to the Hong Kong Companies Registry. It is possible to do this entirely online. Here is how it works.

Step 1: Choose your company type and name

Before anything else, you need to decide what type of company you are registering. Most SMEs and startups incorporate as a private company limited by shares, as it limits your personal liability to the amount you invest.

Once you have confirmed your structure, choose your company name. The name must be unique — not identical or too similar to an existing registered company. You can check availability for free through the Companies Registry's e-Services Portal before submitting your application.

Step 2: Get Your Requirements in Place

Before you start filling in any application forms, you need three things confirmed:

• At least one director and one shareholder — both can be the same person and of any nationality. No local director is required
• A local company secretary — mandatory for all Hong Kong companies under the Companies Ordinance. Must be a Hong Kong resident or a licensed Trust and Corporate Service Provider (TCSP). Most founders arrange this through a professional service provider
• A registered office address in Hong Kong — must be a physical address; PO boxes are not accepted. 

All three are required for the application, so they need to be in place before you submit.

Step 3: Prepare your documents

You will need the following essential documents

• Company’s Articles of Association — the document that sets out how your company will be governed internally.
• Business Registration Notice (Form IRBR1) — this notifies the Inland Revenue Department that your company is incorporating, so they can issue your Business Registration Certificate for tax purposes.
• Incorporation Form — which form depends on your company type. For a private company limited by shares (the most common), you need Form NNC1. For a company not limited by shares, it is Form NNC1G. Forms are available on the Companies Registry's specified forms page. If you apply online, the form is generated automatically from the details you enter. You’ll have to fill in key information such as directors, shareholders, share capital structure, and business activities.

Step 4: Submit through the e-Registry

Submit your documents online through the Companies Registry e-Services Portal. Payment is made at the same time. If you prefer to have the process handled on your behalf, a registered company service provider can submit everything for you.

Step 5: Receive your Certificate of Incorporation

Once approved, your CI is issued electronically if you applied online, or as a hard copy if you submitted in person. 

For online applications via the e-Registry, the CI is typically issued within 1 business day — and in many cases within a few hours of submission. For hard-copy submissions at the Queensway Government Offices, processing typically takes 4–5 working days.

Expert note: Getting your Certificate of Incorporation remotely as a non-Hong Kong resident

The Companies Registry's own guidance mentions that non-Hong Kong residents can incorporate a local limited company in Hong Kong — and advises engaging a local professional firm to handle the process on your behalf if you are not based here or unfamiliar with the requirements.

From my experience, online submission is the standard route for international founders. At Statrys, I have supported hundreds of remote incorporations for founders based worldwide — the UK, France, Southeast Asia, and beyond — none of whom needed to set foot in Hong Kong.

When you incorporate through Statrys, everything is taken care of: sourcing a company secretary, providing a registered address, preparing documents, submitting an application, and getting a Certificate of Incorporation. Most companies are up and running within 5 business days, once all documents are in order.

The government fee for a Certificate of Incorporation application is HKD 1,545 for online applications, or HKD 1,720 for hard copy submission. This is the one-time fee paid directly to the Companies Registry to process your incorporation application.

However, this is not the full cost of setting up a Hong Kong company. The CI fee covers the incorporation filing only — you will also need to pay for your business registration fees, which costs HKD 2,200 for a one-year certificate as of the 2025–2026 fiscal year, and will increase to HKD 2,350 starting April 2026, subject to adjustments by the IRD

In addition, you should budget for mandatory requirements such as appointing a company secretary and maintaining a registered office address.

These are two separate documents issued by two different government bodies and serve different legal purposes.

When you incorporate a limited liability company in Hong Kong, you receive both documents. The Companies Registry issues the Certificate of Incorporation, and the Inland Revenue Department issues the Business Registration Certificate, typically at the same time through the joint filing process.

A common mistake I see: founders assume the BRC is the more important document because it mentions tax. In practice, for anything involving a bank or a foreign counterparty, the CI is just as important — and usually what they ask for first.

There are two ways to verify a Certificate of Incorporation in Hong Kong: a free instant search through the Companies Registry's official database, or by requesting a certified copy directly from the Registry. The first is sufficient for most checks; the second is required when legal or banking formalities demand an officially sealed document.

1: Search via ICRIS (free, instant)

The Companies Registry's e-Services Portal gives public access to the Integrated Companies Registry Information System (ICRIS) — the official government database of all registered Hong Kong companies. You can search by company name or registration number.

Through ICRIS, you can confirm:

• Whether the company exists in the Companies Registry
• Its incorporation date
• Its current status
• Any previous name changes
• Basic company profile information

This is the fastest method and sufficient for most due diligence checks.

2: Request a certified copy from the Companies Registry

You can place orders for a certified copy of the certificate of incorporation or a Certificate of Continuing Registration — either online through ICRIS or in person at the Companies Registry office.

A certified copy carries the official seal of the Registrar of Companies and is the standard document requested for legal proceedings, cross-border business transactions, and bank account applications.

If you need to replace a CI, you can also request a certified copy directly from the Companies Registry through the e-Services Portal. A certified copy carries legal validity. 

Hong Kong operates under a separate legal system from Mainland China. A Certificate of Incorporation issued by the Hong Kong Companies Registry is a Hong Kong SAR document only.

Mainland Chinese companies are registered under a different system and hold different documentation. Mainland company documents are issued only in Chinese, as English is not an official language of Mainland China.

Statrys is a licensed corporate service provider that handles the complete incorporation process on your behalf — from document preparation and government submission to delivering your Certificate of Incorporation. No need to visit Hong Kong, arrange a local address, or find a separate company secretary.

Everything is included in one package, including:

✅ Company name availability check and reservation

✅Preparation and filing of all incorporation documents

✅Company secretary service for the first year (renewable)

✅Registered office address in Hong Kong for the first year (includes mail scanning, renewable)

✅All government fees

You can also get

• Fast-track application to a multi-currency business account (Subject to approval)
• Pay-per-use accounting services 

Most companies that Statrys provides incorporation services for are up and running within 5 business days.