Many mainland entrepreneurs want to expand overseas business, the first thought is to register a Hong Kong company. However, questions such as "can mainlanders register", "do I need to go to Hong Kong in person", "is the process complicated" often discourage people.

The answer is:Totally fine and much easier than expected.

In 2026, Hong Kong company registration has been fully electronic, mainland residents without leaving home, the fastest 3 working days to complete a full set of registration. Today, we will use an article to make the policy, conditions, process and cost clear at once.

I. Hong Kong company registration policy dividends in 2026

At the end of 2025, the HKSAR Government issued a new Policy Address, launching a series of special policies to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). 2026, the full implementation of these policy dividends, the mainland entrepreneurs, it is the registration of Hong Kong companies, "low-threshold window period".

1. Speed up the registration process again

• Comprehensively eliminate paper materials and implement online full-process electronic registration
• Review cycle compressed from 7-10 working days to 3-5 working days
• Expedited channel as fast as 1 working day to issue the certificate

2. Bank account opening facilitation

• Many banks open up video interviews, no need to go to Hong Kong in person
• New companies can use business information of Mainland affiliates as supporting proofs
• Account opening review cycle is generally shortened to 5-7 working days

3. Moving compliance support forward

Hong Kong has launched the "Compliance Support Program for Newly Registered Enterprises", under which enterprises registered for less than 2 years can enjoy free annual audit, tax compliance consulting and free counseling for the first time filing of tax returns, which can effectively avoid penalties or exceptions caused by unfamiliarity with the system.

Second, the conditions for mainlanders to register a Hong Kong company

Hong Kong has a very low threshold for company registration, and mainland residents are only required to fulfill the following basic conditions:

1. Shareholder/director requirements

• At least one shareholder and one director, who may be the same person
• No restriction on statelessness, Mainlanders can serve with their identity cards
• At least 18 years of age, no criminal record requirement (subject to truthful declaration)

2. Name of the company

• English and Chinese names are required
• Ends with "Limited" in English and "有限公司" in Chinese.
• Avoid duplicating the name of existing companies and do not use sensitive terms such as "bank" or "trust".
• It is recommended that 3-5 alternative names be prepared

3. Registered capital

• The standard is HK$10,000, with a contribution system, no actual payment and no capital verification report required.
• Registered capital can be increased, but note that: the later transfer of equity, the need to transfer the amount of 0.26% to pay stamp duty, the higher the registered capital, the higher the cost of transferring shares

4. Scope of operations

• Hong Kong has very few restrictions on the scope of business, only a brief description of the core business in 1-28 characters is required
• e.g. "international trade", "e-commerce", "technology consulting", etc.

5. Registered address

• Must provide a real local address in Hong Kong for receiving government correspondence and legal documents
• Can be provided by licensed secretarial firms (available from Enterprise Finance)

6. Company Secretary

• Under the Hong Kong Companies Ordinance, every Hong Kong company is required to appoint a company secretary
• The secretary may be a licensed secretarial firm to handle government communications, annual audits, tax returns, etc.

If you need professional Hong Kong company registration services, including name search, full agency, bank account opening assistance, annual audit, etc., you are welcome to add customer service WeChat: qcygscszk, or call the cell phone: 18676749275. our industry experts will be for your one-on-one answer, to help you do not leave the house, efficient layout of the global business.

III. The whole process of registration in 2026 (no need to go to Hong Kong)

Step 1: Confirm registration information

The following information needs to be finalized before starting registration:

• Company name in English and Chinese (3-5 alternatives recommended)
• Registered capital (default HK$10,000)
• Scope of business (brief description of core business)
• Shareholder/Director identification information (Mainland ID card is sufficient)
• Shareholders' shareholding

Step 2: Prepare registration materials

• Scanned copy of the front and back of the Mainland identity card of shareholders/directors
• Proof of address within the last 3 months (e.g. utility bill, credit card statement, address can be mainland)
• If the shareholders are legal persons, the certificate of incorporation, register of directors and shareholders and other documents are required.

Step 3: Submit an electronic application

Submit the documents to a licensed secretarial company, which will submit the application online through the Hong Kong Companies Registry's "e-Registration Platform". The system will generate an application number and you can check the progress in real time.

Step 4: Government Audit and Certification

The audit cycle takes about 3-5 working days, and the fastest way to issue the certificate is 1 working day for the expedited channel. After passing the audit, the electronic version of Certificate of Incorporation (CI) and Business Registration Certificate (BR) will be issued automatically.

Step 5: Receive the full set of documents

The secretarial firm organizes and notifies the pickup of a full set of documents containing:

• Core certificates: CI, BR
• Articles of Association (AOA)
• Stockbooks, minute books
• Full set of seals: official seal, financial seal, director's seal

Step 6: Bank account opening (optional but recommended)

Upon completion of registration, if you need to receive or pay foreign exchange, you can apply to open a bank account in Hong Kong. 2026 A number of banks support witnessing account opening or video face-to-face signing in the Mainland without the need to travel to Hong Kong.

Step 7: Tax registration

Apply for a Tax Identification Number (TIN) to prepare for subsequent tax filings and collections.

IV. Breakdown of registration fees

The main costs involved in registering a Hong Kong company include:

• government fee: Company registration fee of about HK$1,720 and business registration certificate fee of about HK$2,200 (2025/26)
• Secretarial services: Service fee for licensed secretarial company, which usually includes registered address, statutory secretary, document collection and delivery, etc., is about RMB 3,000-6,000 per year.
• Company seal fees: about 300-500 RMB
• Bank account opening fees: Some banks charge an account opening fee of about HK$200-800.

Total cost estimate: about RMB 6,000-10,000 for the first registration and about RMB 4,000-8,000 for the subsequent annual maintenance fee.

If you need professional Hong Kong company registration services, including name search, full agency, bank account opening assistance, annual audit, etc., you are welcome to add customer service WeChat: qcygscszk, or call the cell phone: 18676749275. our industry experts will be for your one-on-one answer, to help you do not leave the house, efficient layout of the global business.

V. Core maintenance matters after registration

Getting a certificate of incorporation is only the first step, follow-up maintenance is equally important, otherwise you may face fines or even deregistration.

1. Annual audits

Annual return (NAR1) needs to be filed with the Companies Registry and Business Registration Certificate (BR) needs to be renewed every year. Failure to do so will result in a fine: HK$1,170-3,420 for a period of 1-6 months.

2. Audit of accounts

Regardless of whether the company is operational or not, it is required to appoint a Hong Kong licensed accountant to conduct an audit and submit a profits tax return to the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) every year. Inactive companies are required to submit an "Inactive Audit Report".

3. Tax filing

Hong Kong adopts the territorial source principle of taxation and only profits derived from Hong Kong are subject to tax. If the profits are sourced overseas, an offshore exemption can be claimed.

4. Renewal of business registration certificates

The Business Registration Certificate is renewed annually at a cost of about HK$2,200.

VI. Answers to high-frequency questions

Q1：Do I need to go to Hong Kong in person to register a Hong Kong company?

A: No need. The whole process is done online and there is no need to come to Hong Kong in person.

Q2: How long does it take to get the certificate?

A: Normal 3-5 working days, expedited as soon as 1 working day to issue the certificate.

Q3: Is higher registered capital better?

A: No. Registered capital of HK$10,000 is sufficient, too high will increase the cost of equity transfer at a later stage.

Q4: Can I get into Amazon after registering?

A: Yes, you can. However, it should be noted that Amazon's second review requires a bill for the company's physical office address. If you use a shared address from a secretarial company, you may not be able to pass the audit. It is recommended to choose a service plan that can provide a separate address and lease contract when registering.

Q5：What kind of tax does a Hong Kong company need to pay?

A: It mainly involves profits tax, the first HK$2 million profit tax rate 8.25%, the excess 16.5%. If the business income is derived from overseas, offshore exemption can be applied.

Q6: Do companies have to file tax returns even if they have no business?

A: Yes. Even if you are not operating, you are required to engage a licensed accountant to submit an "inactive audit report" or you will be fined.

It has long been no difficult task for mainlanders to register a Hong Kong company. 2026, with policy dividends superimposed on a simplified process, is the best time to lay out your overseas business at a low cost. Whether you are doing cross-border e-commerce, foreign trade business, or building an international brand, a Hong Kong company can provide you with a compliant, efficient and low-cost operating platform.

With a licensed secretarial company and self-employed accounting firm in Hong Kong, Enterprise Cai Ying can provide you with one-stop services from company registration, bank account opening, bookkeeping and auditing to tax planning. If you have any questions about Hong Kong company registration, please feel free to contact us.

If you need professional Hong Kong company registration services, including name search, full agency, bank account opening assistance, annual audit, etc., you are welcome to add customer service WeChat: qcygscszk, or call the cell phone: 18676749275. our industry experts will be for your one-on-one answer, to help you do not leave the house, efficient layout of the global business.