Mr. Zhao from Hangzhou opened an account with Futu in 2024. After the eight-department regulatory crackdown took effect in May 2026, he did not receive a notice of account closure, but was instead placed in ”one-way exit” mode—meaning he could sell but could not buy.

He thought it over for three days. Instead of closing the account, he took his 2 million principal back to Hong Kong, opened an account with Bank of China (Hong Kong), and then used that card to open a brokerage account with Interactive Brokers.

He now buys foreign currency daily through the Bank of China (Hong Kong) mobile banking app and then transfers the funds via IB to his local Hong Kong securities account—a process that is compliant, convenient, and does not use up any of his onshore foreign exchange quota.

What he does has been the most talked-about topic in the Hong Kong stock investment community over the past six months.“The Third Way” — Hong Kong-Issued Card Only + Hong Kong-Licensed Brokerage Firm...by bypassing regulated mainland services such as Futu and Tiger, and without having to use up the Stock Connect quota.

Today, we’ll lay it all out: exactly what materials you’ll need, how much it will cost, and what pitfalls to avoid as you navigate this path in Q3 2026.

01

Why Has the ”Third Way” Suddenly Come into the Spotlight?

Eight government departments have cracked down on the practice of mainland investors buying Hong Kong stocks through Futu, Tiger, and Changqiao, effectively cutting off half of the channels—but not shutting them down completely.

The boundaries of regulation are very clear:Can licensed institutions based overseas solicit clients in mainland China?The

If you're in Hong Kong, or if you have a Hong Kong bank account proving that your funds come from within Hong Kong, the regulators can't reach you here.

On June 17, 2026, at the Lujiazui Forum, Wu Qing, Chairman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission, made a clear statement—Support for compliant cross-border investment will continue, and China’s doors to the outside world will only open wider.The

That same month, the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission issued a circular dated June 10:Licensed Hong Kong brokerage firms may continue to serve mainland clients, provided that the clients do not access their services through mainland channels while within Hong Kong.The

This opens up a third avenue for compliance—a local Hong Kong bank account combined with a licensed Hong Kong brokerage firm, both established offshore, with the capital flow also routed through offshore channels.

02

Step 1: The Fastest Way to Get a Hong Kong Bank Card

A Hong Kong bank card is the gateway to the third option. A local Hong Kong bank account is the most important tool for legally exchanging currency and legally holding Hong Kong dollars or U.S. dollars.

Based on observations in Q3 2026, there are three main ways for mainland residents to open Hong Kong credit cards:

Option 1: Open an Account Through a Referral. HSBC, Standard Chartered, Hang Seng, and Bank of China (Hong Kong) all support mainland witness procedures. You must deposit 500,000 RMB for three months at a designated branch in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, or Shenzhen; the minimum investment threshold for fixed-term wealth management products varies by bank.

Option 2: Open an Account in Hong Kong. If you travel to Hong Kong with a Mainland Resident Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macao, you can apply for a bank account on the same day. Bank of China (Hong Kong), HSBC, ICBC Asia, and China Merchants Bank (Wing Lung) all offer this service. You can receive your card in as little as 1 hour.

Option 3: Remote Video Account Opening. ZA Bank, ZhongAn Bank, and FuRong Bank support remote video account opening for mainland residents, with low entry requirements (minimum deposit of 10,000 HKD), but their functionality is limited—they cannot be used to deposit funds into a brokerage account.

If your goal is to invest in Hong Kong and U.S. stocks,Option 2 is the best choice.. You can complete the in-person registration, link your securities account, and use online banking to purchase foreign currency all on the same day.

Mr. Zhao chose Bank of China (Hong Kong)”s ”Express Account Opening" service, using his mainland ID card, Hong Kong-Macau Travel Permit, and proof of mainland address. He received his card in 45 minutes and opened a Hong Kong securities account on the same day.

03

Step 2: Which Hong Kong-Licensed Broker to Choose

In Q3 2026, there were four Hong Kong-licensed brokerages most frequently used by mainland investors:

Interactive Brokers. The world’s oldest multi-market brokerage, offering full coverage of Hong Kong, U.S., and Singapore stocks. With no account management fees, it’s ideal for frequent traders. The downside is that Chinese-language support is limited, and the app experience isn’t as good as that of local brokerages.

Futuhui Securities (Hong Kong Entity). Although Futu was fined 2.2 billion HKD in mainland China, Futu Hong Kong (an independently operated Hong Kong subsidiary of Interactive Brokers) continues to operate in compliance with regulations for local Hong Kong clients. The Chinese-language app offers the best user experience, with commission rates starting at 0.031 TP3T.

Huasheng Securities. A small but excellent local Hong Kong brokerage firm offering trading commissions as low as 0.011 TP3T per trade for Hong Kong stocks in 2026, with a great app experience.

Zunjia Securities. The commission structure is transparent, with no platform fees, making it ideal for long-term, low-frequency trading.

Which one you choose depends on your trading frequency and your preferences for specific instruments.For high-frequency trading, choose Huasheng or Zunjia; for multi-market trading, choose Interactive Brokers; for those prioritizing the app experience, choose Futu Hong Kong.The

Mr. Zhao chose Interactive Brokers, which allows him to trade in 33 markets worldwide with a single account, so he won’t need to open additional accounts if he wants to invest in U.S. or Singaporean stocks in the future.

04

Step 3: How to Transfer Funds In and Out of the Country

This is the aspect that concerns many investors the most—how the money is transferred.

Option 1: Purchasing foreign currency at a mainland bank + cross-border transfer to an account under the same name. An annual convenience quota of $50,000 per person. Amounts exceeding this quota must be declared through a special ”non-quota” declaration process.

Steps: Bank of China (Mainland China) Mobile Banking → Buy Foreign Currency → Outward Foreign Exchange Transfer → Fill out the ”Application Form for Outward Foreign Exchange Remittance,” specifying the purpose as travel, study abroad, or investment → Transfer to a Bank of China (Hong Kong) account under the same name.

Amounts under $50,000 are typically credited the same day; amounts over $50,000 take 2–3 business days and require a detailed declaration form.

Option 2: RMB in a Hong Kong bank account → Currency exchange in Hong Kong. If your funds are already in Hong Kong, you can directly exchange RMB for HKD or USD at Bank of China (Hong Kong) or HSBC without using up your mainland exchange quota.

Option 3: Dedicated Channel for Proof of Overseas Income. If you are the owner of a cross-border e-commerce business or a shareholder in an offshore structure, the ”Certificate of Domicile” issued by the Hong Kong Inland Revenue Department can be used directly as proof for large-scale currency exchange.

05

Three Major Risks to Avoid on the Third Path

Risk No. 1: Being deemed to have ”gained access through domestic channels.”

If you are located in mainland China but contact a Hong Kong account manager through the Futu app, this is considered ”contacting an overseas licensed institution through mainland channels,” which still violates the new regulations.

The detailed requirements set forth in the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission’s circular dated June 10 stipulate that mainland clientsYou must be physically present in Hong Kong or contact us through channels other than those based in mainland China (such as local Hong Kong telegrams, mail, or WhatsApp).Open a Hong Kong securities account.

Risk No. 2: CRS Information Exchange.

Any Hong Kong accounts you open using a mainland ID card will be automatically reported to the mainland tax authorities through the CRS. In 2026, the mainland tax authorities have already begun stepping up audits of this type of ”overseas investment income.”

Long-term, large-scale currency exchanges and long-term holdings of Hong Kong stocks are the key areas of focus for the 2026 CRS look-through requirements.

Third Risk: The State Administration of Foreign Exchange’s ”cross-border same-name + declaration” dual-track verification process.

Starting in 2026, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) will conduct ”declaration consistency” checks on remittances made under the same name that exceed 500,000 RMB per transaction. If the purpose of your foreign exchange purchase in mainland China does not match the flow of funds in your Hong Kong securities account, your transaction will be flagged for review.

📌 These three paths are unavoidable, but they can be navigated in compliance with regulations—the key is to ensure that your mainland-side reporting and Hong Kong-side cash flows ”align” with each other, rather than operating independently.

It took Mr. Zhao three months of preparation and two weeks to implement this plan. He ensured that all documentation was aligned across the three segments—”mainland filing,” "Hong Kong holding," and "tax filing"—and over the course of a year, there were no compliance risks whatsoever.

The Third Path is not a substitute for Futu Tiger; it is a ”compliant platform” designed for investors who focus on long-term value investing and hold significant positions in Hong Kong stocks.

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