When setting up a company in Hong Kong, you would go through the registration (or incorporation) process. Documents that are required for company incorporation in Hong Kong include:

• Company name, registered address, short description of business activities
• Personal information of shareholders, directors and company secretary, copy of passport (or HK permanent identity cards), overseas residential address proof
• A copy of the Articles of the Association for the company
• Share capital registered of the incorporation, with the number of shares taken up each shareholder, and the liabilities
• The copy of parent company registration documents such as Certificate of Incorporation and Articles of Association

All the above mentioned documents must be in English. Should some of the documents are in non-English language (such as Chinese), they must be translated and the translated versions must be provided.

Some entrepreneurs may choose to go through the process on their own. Others may find it rather less complicated by outsourcing this job to an agency that can perform such professional services. The chosen agency (for such professional services) needs to engage with your company formation and take care of all the necessary formalities from end to end. The agencies would perform the steps below.

• Collect all the compulsory details for incorporation.
• Collect all the identifications documents from the entrepreneur.
• Reserve the company name that you have chosen.
• Prepare the required incorporation documents (including Articles of Association).
• Subsequently, file the documents to the Hong Kong Companies Registry.
• Help and arrange you with opening of local bank account (in Hong Kong) for the company.
• Get the Certificate of Incorporation.
• Get the Business Registration Certificate from Inland Revenue Authority.
• Prepare for the new company the common seal and stamp, shares certificate, and statutory books.

Some agencies who can perform multiple functions may even be able to assist you with filing the relocation visa, business licenses, ongoing statutory compliance, and annual returns.

The ongoing compliance of the company is important. It is the mandatory for companies to prepare and maintain accounts. All accounts must be audited annually by HK Certified Public Accountants (CPA). To be compliant, the audited accounts and the tax return should be filed on an annual basis to the Inland Revenue Department. All Hong Kong companies are required to file annual returns to the Companies Registry and pay the annual registration fee. The Business Registration Certificate must be renewed a month before the expiry date every year or once every three years. A meeting must be scheduled and held once every calendar year. A meeting should be held within 18 months of the date of incorporation. The limitation is that no more than 15 months should be between two meetings.