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The Standing Committee on Company Law Reform published its 2018-19 Annual Report (35th Report) today.
For details, please refer to the press release issued on 11 October 2019.
The Companies Registry is conducting a Customer Service Survey to collect opinions from customers and help us understand your needs and enhance our services.
We would like to invite you to complete the survey form online at the link below:
All information collected will be kept strictly confidential.
Thank you for your support and participation.
The Regulation re-enacts the existing provision of section 792 of the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 622) and aligns the disclosure obligations of non-Hong Kong companies with those of Hong Kong companies. Detailed requirements for a non-Hong Kong company on the display of its company name and place of incorporation, the disclosure of members’ limited liability and related matters are provided in the Regulation. For details, please refer to Companies Registry External Circular No. 2/2019.
The prescribed business registration fee payable in respect of an application for company incorporation and business registration made in the period from 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2020 will be reduced by a sum of HK$2,000*.
The prescribed business registration fee payable in respect of a non-Hong Kong company that commences business between 1 April 2019 and 31 March 2020 will be reduced by a sum of HK$2,000*.
Applicants are still required to pay the levies for the Protection of Wages on Insolvency Fund. Please refer to the website of the Inland Revenue Department and the business registration fee & levy table for details.
* The relevant legislative amendment is subject to the scrutiny by the Legislative Council. In the event that the relevant legislative amendment is not passed or is amended by the Legislative Council, the Business Registration Office would notify the companies concerned of the proper amount payable.
The Standing Committee on Company Law Reform published its 2017-18 Annual Report (34th Report) today.
For details, please refer to the press release issued on 12 February 2019.
The Companies (Amendment) (No. 2) Ordinance 2018 (“the Amendment Ordinance”) has amended some provisions of the new Companies Ordinance (Cap. 622) (“new CO”) to incorporate new developments after the commencement of the new CO and further facilitate business in Hong Kong. The Amendment Ordinance commences operation today.
For details, please visit the dedicated thematic section on “Companies (Amendment) (No. 2) Ordinance 2018” at this website.
The Companies (Amendment) (No. 2) Ordinance 2018 (“the Amendment Ordinance”) will come into operation on 1 February 2019. Based on the operational experience since the commencement of the new Companies Ordinance (Cap. 622) (“new CO”) and feedback from stakeholders, the Amendment Ordinance seeks to amend some provisions of the new CO to incorporate new developments, improve the clarity and operation of the new CO and further facilitate business in Hong Kong.
For details, please refer to Companies Registry External Circular No. 1/2019 and visit the thematic section “Companies (Amendment) (No. 2) Ordinance 2018” at this website.
Twelve Hong Kong companies were prosecuted by the Companies Registry under section 653M(1) of the Companies Ordinance for failing to keep the significant controllers register at their registered offices and other breaches of the Companies Ordinance. Each of the companies was fined $8,000 to $20,000.
For details, please refer to the Highlights of Prosecution Cases.
The Companies Registry is organising the Best Counter Staff Contest 2018-19 to encourage courtesy and efficiency in the delivery of service and compliment counter staff for their excellent performance. During the voting days from 19 to 21 November 2018, customers visiting the Companies Registry’s offices are welcome to vote for the best counter staff on the basis of individual staff’s performance.
Results of the contest will be announced in mid - December 2018.
Sections 4 and 775 of the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 622) (“CO”) set out respectively the requirements for translating documents for the purposes of the CO and for certifying documents for the purposes of Part 16 of the CO.
The Companies Registry has issued an External Circular to clarify the definition of “professional accountants” and “professional company secretaries” referred to in the above two provisions. For details, please refer to Companies Registry External Circular No. 5/2018.
A new regime for open-ended fund companies ("OFC") commences operation today.
The OFC regime allows investment funds to be set up in the form of a company, but with the flexibility for investors to trade the funds through the creation and cancellation of shares.
For more information, please visit the dedicated thematic section on "Open-ended Fund Companies" at this website.
The "Companies (Amendment) Bill 2018" was gazetted today.
Please refer to the Press Release issued on 6 April 2018 for details.
To enhance the transparency of corporate beneficial ownership, the new requirements on the keeping of significant controllers registers by companies incorporated in Hong Kong commence operation today.
For details, please visit the dedicated thematic section on "Significant Controllers Register" at this website.
A new licensing regime for trust or company service providers ("TCSPs") commences operation today.
Under the new licensing regime, TCSPs are required to apply for a licence from the Registrar of Companies and satisfy a "fit-and-proper" test before they can provide trust or company services as a business in Hong Kong. Any person who carries on a trust or company service business in Hong Kong without a licence commits an offence. TCSP licensees are also required to comply with the statutory customer due diligence and record-keeping requirements as set out in Schedule 2 to the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing Ordinance, Cap. 615.
Applications for TCSP licences can be sent by mail or delivered to a new Registry, the Registry for Trust and Company Service Providers, at Kowloon Bay or made online at www.tcsp.cr.gov.hk.
For details, please visit website www.tcsp.cr.gov.hk.
The Standing Committee on Company Law Reform published its 2016 – 17 Annual Report (33rd Report) today.
For details, please refer to the press release issued on 15 February 2018.
The Companies (Amendment) Ordinance 2018 ("the Amendment Ordinance") will come into operation on 1 March 2018.
The Amendment Ordinance introduces new requirements on the keeping of significant controllers registers by companies incorporated in Hong Kong to enhance the transparency of corporate beneficial ownership.
For details, please refer to Companies Registry External Circular No. 2/2018 and visit a dedicated thematic section on "Significant Controllers Register" at this website.
A dedicated hotline 3142 2822 has also been set up for handling enquiries relating to the new requirements. The hotline operates from Monday to Friday 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and on Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (excluding public holidays). Email enquiries can be sent to cr.scr@cr.gov.hk.
A new licensing regime for trust or company service providers ("TCSPs") will commence with effect from 1 March 2018.
Under the new licensing regime, TCSPs are required to apply for a licence from the Registrar of Companies and satisfy a "fit-and-proper" test before they can provide trust or company services as a business in Hong Kong. TCSP licensees are also required to comply with the statutory customer due diligence and record-keeping requirements as set out in Schedule 2 to the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing Ordinance, Cap. 615.
A new office, the Registry for Trust and Company Service Providers, starts operation with immediate effect to handle public enquiries on the new licensing regime.
For details, please refer to Companies Registry External Circular No. 1/2018 and visit website www.tcsp.cr.gov.hk.
A dedicated hotline 3142 2822 has also been set up for handling enquiries relating to the new requirements. The hotline operates from Monday to Friday 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and on Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (excluding public holidays). Email enquiries can be sent to enq@tcsp.cr.gov.hk.
The Companies Registry has launched five new e-forms at "CR eFiling" mobile app today. Registered users of the e-Registry can now submit Annual Returns (Form NAR1) and four other e-forms relating to changes of company particulars (Forms ND5, ND7, ND8 and NSC1) via "CR eFiling" using smartphones and mobile devices. For details, please refer to the Companies Registry External Circular No. 6/2017.
The Companies Registry Trading Fund Annual Report 2016-17 (the Annual Report) has been tabled at the Legislative Council meeting today. The Annual Report is available for download at the "Publications" section of this website.
The Companies Registry released statistics for the first half of 2017 on 9 July 2017. Please refer to the press release issued on the same date for details.
The "Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing (Financial Institutions) (Amendment) Bill 2017 " and the "Companies (Amendment) Bill 2017" were gazetted today.
Please refer to the Press Release issued on 23 June 2017 for details.
With immediate effect, registered users of e-Registry (www.eregistry.gov.hk) may also submit e-forms (Forms NNC1, NNC1G, NNC3, ND2A and ND4) using CR eFiling to incorporate a company or report changes of directors/company secretaries using smartphones and mobile devices. For details, please refer to the Companies Registry External Circular No. 5/2017.
With immediate effect, Company Users of the e-Registry will be provided with e-Monitor (Self-Monitor) Service free of charge. A local company or a registered non-Hong Kong company which has registered a Company User account with the e-Registry will automatically receive instant electronic notification when a document is registered in the public records of the company. For details, please refer to the Companies Registry External Circular No. 4/2017.
The Companies Registry has issued an External Circular No. 3/2017 to remind companies to avoid some common errors found in prospectuses and related documents delivered for registration pursuant to sections 38D and 342C of the Companies (Winding Up and Miscellaneous Provisions) Ordinance (Chapter 32 of the Laws of Hong Kong), with a view to facilitating timely registration of prospectuses.
The Revenue (Reduction of Business Registration Fees) Order 2016, which reduces the prescribed business registration fee by a sum of HK$2,000 at present, will expire on 1 April 2017. Please refer to the website of the Inland Revenue Department and the business registration fee & levy table for details.
With effect from 1 April 2017, all applications for incorporation of local companies and applications for registration of non-Hong Kong companies delivered to the Companies Registry using the One-stop Company and Business Registration Service must be accompanied by the correct business registration fee and levy.
The Registry anticipates that there will be an upsurge of incorporation applications in the last two weeks of March 2017. We will redeploy resources to maintain a quality service as far as practicable. However, it is possible that we may not be able to meet the performance pledges for our services at times of huge influx of incorporation applications. Please refer to the suggested measures for delivery of applications and documents to the Registry.
The Corporate Governance Roundtable (Roundtable), a major conference organised by the Companies Registry, was held today (March 13).
There were around 350 attendees, and 17 prominent speakers sharing their insights and strategies on enhancing corporate governance from international and local perspectives. The Roundtable is one of the events celebrating the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
Please visit the official website (www.cr.gov.hk/cgr) and refer to the press release today for details.
The Corporate Registers Forum 2017 (CRF) opened in Hong Kong today (March 7).
This year, the conference is organised by the Companies Registry with the theme of "Corporate Registries – Challenges and Opportunities, Today and Tomorrow". The CRF Hong Kong 2017 is one of the events celebrating the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
Please visit the official website (www.crf2017.hk) and refer to the press release issued today for details.
The Companies Registry has launched the "CR eFiling" mobile application (the App) to facilitate registered users of the e-Registry to submit commonly filed specified forms using smartphones and mobile devices. With the e-form editing feature of the App, registered users can easily retrieve, edit and submit a saved e-form on their mobile devices. For details, please refer to the Companies Registry External Circular No. 2/2017.
Four specified Forms NW2, NW3, NW4 and NW5 are revised for use under the Companies (Winding Up and Miscellaneous Provisions) Ordinance (Chapter 32) with effect from the commencement of Part 2 of the Companies (Winding Up and Miscellaneous Provisions) (Amendment) Ordinance 2016 on 13 February 2017. The revised forms are published in the gazette (G.N. 180 in Gazette No. 2 Vol. 21) on 13 January 2017. For details, please refer to Companies Registry External Circular No. 1/2017 under the ‘Publications and Press Releases’ section of this website.
The Companies Registry has issued an External Circular on "Commencement of the Companies (Winding Up and Miscellaneous Provisions) (Amendment) Ordinance 2016" today.
Four specified forms which are used in relation to the winding up of a company have been revised and published in the Gazette on 13 January 2017 to facilitate the commencement of the operation of the Amendment Ordinance on 13 February 2017. The revised forms are now available for downloading. Hard copies of individual forms are also available for purchase at the Registry’s office on the 14th floor of the Queensway Government Offices, 66 Queensway, Hong Kong.
The Companies Registry will hold a conference entitled "Corporate Governance Roundtable" on 13 March 2017 as part of the celebration programme to mark the 20th Anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administration Region. Regulators from other jurisdictions, practitioners and academics will speak on issues relating to corporate governance from international and local perspectives.
For details of registration and programme, please visit www.cr.gov.hk/cgr.
The Companies Registry released its statistics for the year 2016 on 8 January 2017. Please refer to the press release issued on the same date for details.
The Best Service Award is organised to assess the level of customer satisfaction with our services. The Award for this year was presented to the Public Search Section in recognition of its efforts in providing service on “Online search on the internet - Supply of image records of documents for download”, which obtained the highest satisfaction score in our Customer Service Survey conducted this year.
More stringent additional licensing conditions on money lender licences come into operation today (December 1) to better protect the public from being misled by money lending-related malpractices.
The additional licensing conditions stipulate, among other things, that money lenders must not accept a loan application referred by an intermediary if the intermediary is not its appointee registered on the Register of Money Lenders. Members of the public are reminded to verify the identity and appointment status of the intermediary at www.cr.gov.hk/mlr.
Please refer to the press release issued on November 30 for details.
The Standing Committee on Company Law Reform published its 2015 – 16 Annual Report (32nd Report) today.
For details, please refer to the press release issued on 25 November 2016.
The Companies Registry Trading Fund Annual Report 2015-16 (the Annual Report) has been tabled at the Legislative Council meeting today. The Annual Report is available for download at the "Archive > CR's Annual Reports" section of this website.
The Companies Registry has issued a set of new guidelines today. The "Guidelines on Additional Licensing Conditions of Money Lenders Licence" aim to provide guidance for money lender licensees on the requirements of the additional licensing conditions which will be applicable with effect from 1 December 2016.
With effect from 3 October 2016, all applications for money lenders licences or the renewal of licences submitted to the Companies Registry must be accompanied with the relevant supplementary information sheets in addition to the application documents. For more information, please refer to Major Services > Licensing of Money Lenders section of this website.
The Companies Registry released statistics for the first half of 2016 on 10 July 2016. Please refer to the press release issued on the same date for details.
The Companies Registry has launched a full scale Company Search Mobile Service (www.mobile-cr.gov.hk) to cover all search services and functions. For details, please refer to the Companies Registry External Circular No. 1/2016.
The prescribed business registration fee payable in respect of an application for company incorporation and business registration made in the period from 1 April 2016 to 31 March 2017 will be reduced by a sum of HK$2,000.
The prescribed business registration fee payable in respect of a non-Hong Kong company that commences business between 1 April 2016 and 31 March 2017 will be reduced by a sum of HK$2,000.
Applicants are still required to pay the levies for the Protection of Wages on Insolvency Fund. Please refer to the website of the Inland Revenue Department and the business registration fee & levy table for details.
The Companies Registry released its statistics for the year 2015 on 10 January 2016. Please refer to the press release issued on the same date for details.
The Best Service Award is organised to assess the level of customer satisfaction with our services. The Award for this year was presented to the Public Search Section in recognition of its efforts in providing service on “Online search on the internet - Supply of image records of documents for download”, which obtained the highest satisfaction score in our Customer Service Survey conducted this year.
The Standing Committee on Company Law Reform published its 2014 – 15 Annual Report (31st Report) today.
For details, please refer to the press release issued on 27 November 2015.
The Companies Registry Trading Fund Annual Report 2014-15 (the Annual Report) has been tabled at the Legislative Council meeting today. The Annual Report is available for download at the "Archive > CR's Annual Reports" section of this website.
The Companies Registry welcomes the 100,000th registered user of its e-Registry portal. As a registered user, one can use electronic services for company incorporation and submission of specified forms round the clock. Please visit the e-Registry (www.eregistry.gov.hk) for details of the services.
The Companies Registry has issued an External Circular No. 2/2015 to remind companies, in particular, public companies and companies limited by guarantee of the requirements under section 662 of the new Companies Ordinance (Cap. 622 of the Laws of Hong Kong) in delivering annual returns. Please refer to the Circular for details.
The Companies Registry released statistics for the first half of 2015 on 12 July 2015. Please refer to the press release issued on the same date for details.
The Companies Registry’s Cyber Search Centre recorded this year’s 2,500th Registered Online User on 30 March 2015. A souvenir will be sent to the user.
Electronic search services were launched in 2005 and since June 2012, the Registry started providing company search services on a mobile platform. Searchers may register as Registered Online Users if they conduct company searches frequently. At present, over 99 percent of company searches are conducted online.
The Companies Registry has issued an External Circular No. 1/2015 to announce the launch of a full scale electronic filing service at the e-Registry (www.eregistry.gov.hk) today. The service covers 84 specified forms for filing with the Registry.
Today marks the first anniversary of the commencement of the new Companies Ordinance (Cap. 622). The new Ordinance came into operation in March last year to provide a modernised legal framework for the incorporation and operation of companies in Hong Kong. The Companies Registry has issued a press release on the achievements of the first year of implementation of the new Ordinance and to announce the launch of a full scale electronic filing service @ e-Registry today.
The Companies Registry released its statistics for the year 2014 on 11 January 2015. Please refer to the press release issued on the same date for details.
The Companies Registry has issued External Circular No. 14/2014 to announce the launch of new search functions of the Company Search Mobile Service (www.mobile-cr.gov.hk) today. Please refer to the Circular for details.
The Best Service Award is organised to assess the level of customer satisfaction with our services. The Award for this year was presented to the New Companies Section in recognition of its efforts in providing service on “Registration of New Local Companies (Delivery in electronic form)”, which obtained the highest satisfaction score in our Customer Service Survey conducted this year.
The Standing Committee on Company Law Reform published its 2013 – 14 Annual Report (30th Report) today.
For details, please refer to the press release issued on 28 November 2014.
The Companies Registry Trading Fund Annual Report 2013-14 (the Annual Report) has been tabled at the Legislative Council meeting today. The Annual Report is available for download at the "Archive > CR's Annual Reports" section of this website.
To clarify the relevant requirements relating to the disclosure of company name pursuant to sections 3(1) and 4 of the Companies (Disclosure of Company Name and Liability Status) Regulation (Cap.622B), the Companies Registry has issued an External Circular today:-
The Companies Registry released its statistics for the first half of 2014 on 13 July 2014. Please refer to the press release issued on the same date for details.
To explain the new power of the Registrar of Companies under the new Companies Ordinance, Chapter 622 of the Laws of Hong Kong, to compound specified offences on the fulfillment of certain conditions, the Companies Registry has issued the following External Circular today:-
The Registrar of Companies has exercised the power under section 914(6)(b) of the Companies Ordinance (Chapter 622) and appointed 3 June 2014 to be the date on or after which old forms will not be accepted for registration by the Companies Registry.
Please refer to the Gazette Notice for more details.
The Revenue (Reduction of Business Registration Fees) Order 2013, which reduces the prescribed business registration fee by a sum of $2,000 at present, will expire on 1 April 2014. Please refer to the website of the Inland Revenue Department and the business registration fee & levy table for details.
With effect from 1 April 2014, all applications for incorporation of local companies and applications for registration of non-Hong Kong companies delivered to the Companies Registry using the One-stop Company and Business Registration Service must be accompanied by the correct business registration fee and levy.
The Registry anticipates that there will be an upsurge of incorporation applications in the last two weeks of March 2014. We will redeploy resources to maintain a quality service as far as practicable. However, it is possible that we may not be able to meet the performance pledges for our services at times of huge influx of incorporation applications. Please refer to the suggested measures for delivery of applications and documents to the Registry.
The new Companies Ordinance, Chapter 622 of the Laws of Hong Kong, ("the new Ordinance") and 12 pieces of subsidiary legislation commence operation today.
To tie in with the commencement of the new Ordinance, this website has been updated to provide information on the requirements for registration of companies and documents under the new Ordinance.
All forms newly specified for use after the commencement of the new Ordinance are available for download. The full set of information pamphlets which can help you understand the new requirements and services provided by the Registry have also been revised. In particular, the following new information pamphlets have been introduced :
- The New Companies Ordinance
- Annual Return of a Local Private Company
- Annual Return of a Local Public Company or a Company Limited by Guarantee
The thematic section on "Companies Ordinance (Cap. 622)" which contains comprehensive information relating to the new Ordinance, including briefing materials, highlights of major changes and answers to frequently asked questions, is kept on this website to provide useful reference materials on the new Ordinance.
Please visit our website to get more information. For enquiries, please call the dedicated hotline 3142 2822.
The new Companies Ordinance, Chapter 622 of the Laws of Hong Kong, and 12 pieces of subsidiary legislation made under the new Ordinance commence operation today. The old Companies Ordinance (Cap. 32) is renamed as the "Companies (Winding Up and Miscellaneous Provisions) Ordinance (Cap. 32)". Please see the press release for details.
The Companies Registry has issued a series of External Circulars and new Guidelines to explain the new requirements under the new Ordinance, including the use of new forms. A list of the External Circulars and Guidelines issued is as follows:
Companies Registry External Circulars
Guidelines
- A Guide on Directors' Duties
- Guide on Communications to and by Companies
- Guideline on Registration of Company Names for Hong Kong Companies
- Guideline on Registration of Corporate Names for Registered Non-Hong Kong Companies
Enquiries relating to the new Ordinance can be made by calling hotline 3142 2822. The hotline operates from Monday to Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (excluding public holidays). Email enquiries can be sent to cr.nco@cr.gov.hk.
To prepare for the commencement of the new Companies Ordinance (Chapter 622 of the Laws of Hong Kong) on 3 March 2014, the Companies Registry has issued two External Circulars today:-
To prepare for the commencement of the new Companies Ordinance, Chapter 622 of the Laws of Hong Kong, on 3 March 2014, the Companies Registry has issued five External Circulars today:-
The 92 forms newly specified by the Registrar of Companies for use after the commencement of the new Companies Ordinance (Chapter 622) on 3 March 2014 have been uploaded onto the dedicated thematic section Companies Ordinance (Cap. 622). A CD-ROM containing a full set of the new forms and hard copies of individual forms are also available for purchase at the Information Counter on the 14th floor of the Queensway Government Offices, 66 Queensway, Hong Kong.
The Companies Registry has issued two new guidelines today. The following Guidance Notes shall be effective upon the commencement of the new Companies Ordinance (Chapter 622) on 3 March 2014:-
The Companies Registry released its statistics for the year 2013 on 12 January 2014. Please refer to the press release issued on the same date for details.
To prepare for the commencement of the new Companies Ordinance, Chapter 622 of the Laws of Hong Kong, on 3 March 2014, the Companies Registry has issued four External Circulars and four Guidelines today. The Guidelines shall be effective upon the commencement of the new Ordinance on 3 March 2014.
Please click the following links below to check the details:
Companies Registry External Circulars
Guidelines
- A Guide on Directors' Duties
- Guide on Communications to and by Companies
- Guideline on Registration of Company Names for Hong Kong Companies
- Guideline on Registration of Corporate Names for Registered Non-Hong Kong Companies
For enquiries relating to the new CO, please call a dedicated hotline 3142 2822. The hotline operates from Monday to Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (excluding public holidays). Email enquiries can be sent to cr.nco@cr.gov.hk.
The new Companies Ordinance, Chapter 622 of the Laws of Hong Kong (“new CO”), will commence operation on 3 March 2014. The provisions of the new Ordinance and the subsidiary legislation, as well as useful reference materials, are available at the dedicated thematic section on this website.
A dedicated hotline has been set up for handling enquiries relating to the new CO. Please call the dedicated hotline at 3142 2822 from Monday to Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (excluding public holidays). Email enquiries can be directed to cr.nco@cr.gov.hk.
The Best Service Award is organised to assess the level of customer satisfaction with our services. The Award for this year was presented to the New Companies Section in recognition of its efforts in providing service on “Registration of New Local Companies (e-Submission)” and “Change of Name of Local Companies (e-Submission)”. Both services obtained the same highest satisfaction score in the Customer Service Survey 2013 conducted this year.
The Standing Committee on Company Law Reform published its 2012 – 13 Annual Report (29th Report) today.
For details, please refer to the press release issued on 29 November 2013.
The Companies Registry issued Companies Registry External Circular No. 3/2013 today to remind companies and their officers of the statutory requirements under sections 111 and 122 of the Companies Ordinance, Cap. 32, for every company to hold annual general meetings (“AGMs”) and for directors to lay accounts before the company at AGMs. Please refer to the External Circular for details.
Following the gazettal of the 83 new forms for use under the new Companies Ordinance (Chapter 622 of the Laws of Hong Kong) (“the new CO”) on 1 November 2013, a set of nine new forms specified by the Registrar of Companies for use under the Companies (Winding Up and Miscellaneous Provisions) Ordinance (Chapter 32), which will be the new name for the current Companies Ordinance (Chapter 32) upon commencement of the new CO, was gazetted today. Please refer to the Gazette Notice for more details.
All the new forms should be used with effect from the commencement of the new CO on 3 March 2014. Please refer to the Companies Registry External Circular No. 2/ 2013 for details.
A set of 83 forms specified by the Registrar of Companies for use under the new Companies Ordinance (Chapter 622 of the Laws of Hong Kong) (“the new CO”) with effect from the commencement of the new CO was published in the Gazette today.
Specification of the second batch of nine forms for use under the Companies (Winding Up and Miscellaneous Provisions) Ordinance (Chapter 32), which will be the new name for the current Companies Ordinance (Chapter 32) with effect from the commencement date, will be gazetted on 8 November 2013.
Companies Registry External Circular No. 2/2013 was issued today to announce the appointment of 3 March 2014 as the commencement date of the new CO and introduction of new forms. Please refer to the External Circular for details.
The Companies Registry published the Companies Registry Trading Fund Annual Report 2012-13 today.
For details, please refer to the press release issued on 30 October 2013.
Companies Ordinance (Commencement) Notice 2013 was gazetted today. Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury appointed 3 March 2014 as the day on which the new Companies Ordinance comes into operation.
The Companies Ordinance (Amendment of Schedule 7) Notice 2013 and Companies Ordinance (Amendment of Schedule 10) Notice 2013 made by the Financial Secretary were also gazetted together.
For details, please refer to the press release issued on 25 October 2013.
To celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Companies Registry, the Registry has commissioned Professor S H Goo, Director of the Asian Institute of International Financial Law, University of Hong Kong, to conduct a study on the History of Company Incorporation in Hong Kong. A study report was published in July 2013.
The Report which records the history of company incorporation in Hong Kong since the enactment of the first Companies Ordinance in 1865 is available at the "Publications > Reports & Consultation Papers > Study Report on History of Company Incorporation in Hong Kong" section of this website.
The Business Registration Ordinance (Amendment of Schedule 2) Order 2013 has come into operation on 19 July 2013. Pursuant to the Order, the levy for business registration certificate is reduced from $450 per annum to $250 per annum. The new levy rate applies to business registration certificates issued for incorporation applications lodged on or after 19 July 2013 under the One-stop Company Incorporation and Business Registration Service. For registration of non-Hong Kong companies, the new levy rate applies to business registration certificates beginning on or after 19 July 2013 (i.e. the date of commencement of business in Hong Kong is on or after that date). Please refer to the press release of Labour Department and the Frequently Asked Questions on Inland Revenue Department's website.
The Companies Registry released its statistics for the first half of 2013 on 14 July 2013. Please refer to the press release in the "Archive > Press Releases" section of this website for details.
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Companies Registry Trading Fund and in appreciation of customers’ support for our electronic services, the Registrar of Companies, Ms Ada Chung, presented awards at the Top Customer Awards Presentation Ceremony on 20 June 2013.
Top Customer Awards were presented to customers who had the highest volume of transactions of the Registry’s electronic filing services (since the establishment of the e-Registry to end-March 2013) and electronic search services (in 2012 – 13). The Awardees are:
Top Customer Award (e-filing services)
Company Kit Registrations Limited
Gateway Registrations Limited
Ready-Made Company Limited
Top Customer Award (e-search services)
Hang Seng Bank, Limited
AGA Information Limited
The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited
The Business Registration Ordinance (Amendment of Schedule 2) Order 2013 which seeks to reduce the levy rate of the Business Registration Certificate, which finances the Protection of Wages on Insolvency Fund, was published in the gazette on 24 May 2013. For details, please refer to the press release of Labour Department and the Frequently Asked Questions on Inland Revenue Department's website.
The Companies Registry issued Companies Registry External Circular No. 1/2013 on 1 February 2013 to remind companies and their officers of the statutory requirement of reporting correct addresses in specified forms which are filed with the Companies Registry. Please refer to the External Circular for details.
The first batch of five pieces of subsidiary legislation for the implementation of the new Companies Ordinance will be gazetted this Friday (1 February).
For more information, please refer to the press release issued on 30 January 2013.
The Registrar of Companies has exercised the power conferred on her under section 346(1) of the Companies Ordinance (Ordinance) to specify the requirements for a document delivered in paper form and part of a document delivered in the form of CD-ROM or DVD-ROM to her for registration under the Ordinance. For details, please refer to the Notice published in the gazette today.
The Best Service Award is organised to assess the level of customer satisfaction with our services. The Award for this year was presented to the New Companies Section in recognition of its efforts in providing service on "Change of Name of Local Companies (e-Submission)", which obtained the highest satisfaction score in our Best Service Survey conducted this year.
It is expected that the new Companies Ordinance ("the new CO") will come into operation in 2014 after enactment of all subsidiary legislation. One of the major changes that will be implemented upon commencement of the new CO is the abolition of nominal value of shares. The Companies Registry has issued Companies Registry External Circular No. 7/2012 to provide information on the abolition of nominal value of shares. Please refer to the External Circular for details.
A consultation paper on "Subsidiary Legislation for Implementation of the new Companies Ordinance – Phase Two Consultation Document" was issued on 2 November 2012. For more information, please refer to the press release issued on 2 November 2012. The Consultation Document is available for download at the "Archive > Consultation Papers" section of this website.
You are cordially invited to send us your views on or before 14 December 2012 by email to co_rewrite@fstb.gov.hk, by fax to (852) 2869 4195 or by post to the Companies Bill Team, Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau, 15/F, Queensway Government Offices, 66 Queensway, Hong Kong.
The Companies Registry Trading Fund Annual Report 2011-12 (the Annual Report) has been tabled at the Legislative Council meeting today. The Annual Report is available for download at the "Archive > CR's Annual Reports" section of this website.
A consultation paper on "Subsidiary Legislation for Implementation of the new Companies Ordinance – Phase One Consultation Document" was issued on 28 September 2012. For more information, please refer to the press release issued on 28 September 2012. The Consultation Document is available for download in the "Archive > Consultation Papers" section of this website.
You are cordially invited to send us your views on or before 9 November 2012 by email to co_rewrite@fstb.gov.hk, by fax to (852) 2869 4195 or by post to the Companies Bill Team, Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau, 15/F, Queensway Government Offices, 66 Queensway, Hong Kong.
The Standing Committee on Company Law Reform Twenty-Eighth Annual Report 2011/2012 (the Annual Report) has been issued on 25 September 2012. For more information, please refer to the press release issued on 25 September 2012 in the "Archive > Press Releases" section and the Annual Report in the "Archive > SCCLR Reports" section of this website.
The Companies Registry has issued Companies Registry External Circular No. 6/2012 to announce the launch of a new electronic service for submission of annual returns and the Annual Return e-Reminder Service at the e-Registry portal (www.eregistry.gov.hk) with effect from 20 August 2012. Please refer to the External Circular for details.
The new Companies Ordinance was gazetted today.
For more information, please refer to the press release issued on 10 August 2012 in the "Archive > Press Releases" section of this website.
The Companies Registry has issued Companies Registry External Circular No. 5/2012 to announce the passage of the Companies Bill by the Legislative Council on 12 July 2012. Please refer to the External Circular and the press release issued on 12 July 2012 for details.
The Companies Registry has issued Companies Registry External Circular No. 4/2012 to announce the launch of the new Company Search Mobile Service for conducting company searches at www.mobile-cr.gov.hk on 11 June 2012. Please refer to the External Circular and the press release issued on 10 June 2012 for details.
The Companies Ordinance (Amendment of Eighth Schedule) Order 2012 to abolish capital duty currently levied on Hong Kong companies under the Companies Ordinance will come into operation on 1 June 2012. Please refer to the press release issued on 13 May 2012 for details.
The Companies Registry has issued Companies Registry External Circular No. 3/2012 to announce that, with effect from 1 June 2012, the Companies Ordinance (Amendment of Eighth Schedule) Order 2012 for the abolition of capital duty currently levied on local companies will come into operation. The external circular is available in the "Archive > External Circulars" section of this website.
The Companies Registry has issued Companies Registry External Circular No. 2/2012 to announce the launch of new services on 7 May 2012 for submission of six electronic forms relating to share capital and reserve directors at the e-Registry portal. The external circular is available in the "Archive > External Circulars" section of this website.
The Companies Registry has been awarded the Best Public Service Application (Transformation) Gold Award for its 'e-Registry - E-Incorporation and One-stop Service for Company Incorporation and Business Registration' in the Hong Kong ICT Awards 2012.For more information, please refer to "Events " section of this website.
Since 2 April 2012, the number of applications for company incorporation and business registration lodged with the Registry has increased drastically.This has a significant impact on the services delivered by the Registry and entails longer processing time or queuing time.Hence, we may not be able to meet our standard performance pledges for our services.
In this connection, we would appreciate your assistance and strongly recommend that you consider using the electronic services at our "e-Registry" (www.eregistry.gov.hk) to incorporate companies and file specified forms electronically:-
- For straight-forward incorporation applications, the electronic certificates of incorporation and business registration certificates can be issued within 1 hour.
- For specified forms reporting changes of company names, changes of registered office addresses and changes of directors or secretaries and their particulars (i.e. Forms NC2, R1, D2A, D2B, and D4), the forms can be registered within 24 hours.
For paper submission, you may deposit your documents and cheques into the Drop-in box at our Public Service Hall on the 14th floor of Queensway Government Offices to save queuing time. The Registry will issue official receipts or acknowledgement slips to the document presenters by post.
For enquiries, please contact our Customer Services Manager, Ms Agnes Wong, at 2867 4570.
The prescribed business registration fee payable in respect of an application for company incorporation and business registration made in the period from 1 April 2012 to 31 March 2013 will be reduced by a sum of HK$2,000.
The prescribed business registration fee payable in respect of a non-Hong Kong company that commences business between 1 April 2012 and 31 March 2013 will be reduced by a sum of HK$2,000.
Applicants are still required to pay the levies for the Protection of Wages on Insolvency Fund.
For details on the waiver of business registration fees, please visit the website of the Inland Revenue Department (www.ird.gov.hk).
The Government published in the Gazette today the Companies Ordinance (Amendment of Eighth Schedule) Order 2012 (the Order) to abolish capital duty currently levied on Hong Kong companies that have a share capital under the Companies Ordinance. Subject to the necessary legislative process, the Order will come into operation on 1 June 2012. Please refer to the Order and press release issued on 16 March 2012 for details.
The Companies Registry (the Registry) wishes to alert members of the public to the following websites which resemble the official website of the Registry and our Cyber Search Centre.
"http://company-registry.com/hkcr/index.html" and
"http://company-registry.com/HKGSCX/index.html"
The Registry has no connection with the above websites. You are advised not to click any links in the fraudulent websites.
The Police, the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer and Hong Kong Computer Emergency Response Team Coordination Centre are taking follow up actions on the matter.
Please access the Registry's official websites through the following addresses for our electronic services :
The Registry's official website: www.cr.gov.hk
Cyber Search Centre: www.icris.cr.gov.hk
e-Registry: www.eregistry.gov.hk
The Companies Registry has issued Companies Registry External Circular No. 1/2012 to announce the launch of new services on 20 February 2012 for electronic submission of four commonly filed specified forms at the e-Registry portal and paper submission of appointment/cessation of registered agents. The external circular is available in the "Archive > External Circulars" section of this website.
The Companies Registry has issued Companies Registry External Circular No. 6/2011 to announce the launch of registration of agents and e-Monitor services at the e-Registry portal on 30 December 2011. The external circular is available in the "Archive > External Circulars" section of this website.
A consultation paper on the Qualifying Criteria for Private Companies to prepare Simplified Financial and Directors' Reports was issued on 6 December 2011. For more information, please refer to the press release issued on 6 December 2011 in the Archive > Press Releases section of this website. The full Consultation Paper is also available for downloading in the Archive > Consultation Papers section of this website.
You are cordially invited to send us your views on or before 16 January 2012 by email to co_rewrite@fstb.gov.hk , by fax to (852) 2869 4195 or by post to the Companies Bill Team, Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau, 15/F, Queensway Government Offices, 66 Queensway, Hong Kong.
The Companies Registry has issued Companies Registry Companies Registry External Circular No. 5/2011 to remind the public that the Securities and Futures and Companies Legislation (Structured Products Amendment) Ordinance 2011 was gazetted and took effect on 13 May 2011. The external circular is available in the "Publications > Circulars/ Guidelines > External Circulars" section of this website.
The Companies Registry has issued Companies Registry External Circular No. 4/2011 to alert the public to the problem of shadow companies and provide information on steps being taken by the Companies Registry to address the problem. The external circular is available in the "Archive > External Circulars" section of this website.
With effect from 18 March 2011, any director of a live local company may apply for a "Commemorative Record of Registration" in respect of the company. Please refer to the Companies Registry External Circular No. 3/2011 for details.
The Companies Registry has issued Companies Registry External Circular No. 2/2011 to announce the launch of electronic company incorporation and a one-stop electronic incorporation and business registration service on 18 March 2011. The external circular is available in the "Archive > External Circulars" section of this website.
Parts 2 and 5 of the Companies (Amendment) Ordinance 2010 will come into operation on 21 February 2011 to facilitate electronic company incorporation. A one-stop company and business registration service will also be implemented upon the commencement of Business Registration (Amendment) Ordinance 2010 on the same day. The Companies Registry has issued Companies Registry External Circular No. 1/2011 on the major legislative changes involved. The external circular is available in the "Archive > External Circulars" section of this website.
The Companies Bill was gazetted today.
For more information, please refer to the press release issued on 14 January 2011 in the "Archive > Press Releases" section of this website.
Parts 2 and 5 of Companies (Amendment) Ordinance 2010 which streamline the company incorporation procedure and facilitate electronic applications for company incorporation will come into operation on 21 February 2011. The Business Registration (Amendment) Ordinance 2010 which enables the Companies Registry to provide a one-stop service for company incorporation and business registration will also come into operation on the same date. Please refer to the respective commencement notices published in the gazette on 10 December 2010.
Companies (Amendment) Ordinance 2010 (Commencement) (No. 2) Notice 2010
Business Registration (Amendment) Ordinance 2010 (Commencement) Notice
The provisions of the Companies (Amendment) Ordinance 2010 which facilitate website communications by companies and strengthen the company name registration system will come into operation on 10 December 2010. For details, please refer to the Companies Registry External Circular No. 1/2010 issued on 12 November 2010 under the "Archive > External Circulars" section of this website. A press release issued today is included in the same section.
Parts 1, 3, 4, 6 and 8 of the Companies (Amendment) Ordinance 2010 will come into operation on 10 December 2010. The Companies Registry has issued Companies Registry External Circular No. 1/2010 on the major amendments involved. The external circular is available in the "Archive > External Circulars" section of this website.
Parts 1, 3, 4, 6 and 8 of Companies (Amendment) Ordinance 2010 will come into operation on 10 December 2010. Please refer to the commencement notice published in the gazette on 15 October 2010.
The Companies Registry will launch Phase II of the Integrated Companies Registry Information System (ICRIS II) by stages early next year. The first stage will cover a one-stop electronic service for company incorporation and business registration and an electronic service for change of names of local companies.
Customers can register as users of ICRIS II to form companies and file company documents through electronic means. To facilitate our customers' IT staff and software developers to develop new software or enhance their existing software to interface with ICRIS II, we have released a Third Party Software Interface Specification for external systems to interface with ICRIS II. For details, please refer to the "Third Party Software Interface with e-Registry" section under the "Electronic Services" section of this website.
The Companies (Amendment) Bill 2010 was passed by the Legislative Council on 7 July 2010. The amendments mainly aim to tie in with the development of Phase II of the Integrated Companies Registry Information System by the Companies Registry with a view to introducing online applications for company registration and filing of company documents in 2011.
The Amendment Ordinance also facilitates electronic and website communication between a company and its members.
For more information, please refer to the press release issued on 7 July 2010 in the "Archive > Press Releases" section of this website.
To facilitate public search on the names of newly registered companies readily, weekly lists of newly registered companies in pdf format are posted in the Statistics > Lists of Newly Registered Companies and Companies which have changed Names# (Weekly) section of this website for free download. The first list covers the period from 17 to 23 May 2010. Subsequent updates will be uploaded on every Wednesday.
A consultation paper on the Draft Companies Bill – Second Phase Consultation was issued on 7 May 2010. For more information, please refer to the press release issued on 7 May 2010 in the Archive > Press Releases section of this website. The Consultation Paper Highlights, full Consultation Paper and draft clauses of the Companies Bill are also available for downloading in the Archive > Consultation Papers section of this website.
You are cordially invited to send us your views on or before 6 August 2010 by email to co_rewrite@fstb.gov.hk , by fax to (852) 2869 4195 or by post to the Companies Bill Team, Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau, 15/F, Queensway Government Offices, 66 Queensway, Hong Kong.
The Companies (Amendment) Bill 2010 (Legal Supplement No. 3 to Gazette No. 3, Vol. 14 ), which primarily aims to streamline and enhance the efficiency of the company incorporation procedure, was gazetted today. The legislative amendments are proposed to tie in with the Companies Registry's plan to accept on-line applications for company incorporation and filing of documents under the second phase of the Integrated Companies Registry Information System.
For more information, please refer to the press release issued on 22 January 2010 in the "Archive > Press Releases" section of this website.
A consultation paper on the Draft Companies Bill – First Phase Consultation was issued on 17 December 2009. For more information, please refer to the press release issued on 17 December 2009 in the Archive > Press Releases section of this website. The Consultation Paper Highlights, full Consultation Paper and draft clauses of the Companies Bill are also available for downloading in the Archive > Consultation Papers section of this website.
You are cordially invited to send us your views on or before 16 March 2010 by email to co_rewrite@fstb.gov.hk, by fax to (852) 2869 4195 or by post to the Companies Bill Team, Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau, 15/F, Queensway Government Offices, 66 Queensway, Hong Kong.
The "Non-statutory Guidelines on Directors' Duties" have been retitled as "A Guide on Directors' Duties" (Guide) and the contents of the Guide have been updated. Please refer to Companies Registry External Circular No. 3/2009 for the amendments to the Guide. The Guide and the external circular are available in the "Publications > Circulars/ Guidelines > Gudelines" section and the "Archive > External Circulars" section of this website.
The contract to implement Phase II of the Integrated Companies Registry Information System (ICRIS) was awarded in June 2009. Phase II of ICRIS will be implemented by stages. The first stage, including implementation of electronic incorporation of companies and one-stop service for company incorporation and business registration, will be rolled out in December 2010.
The Companies Registry has issued Companies Registry External Circular No. 2/2009 to set out the common errors with advice on how to prepare charges documents correctly for submission to the Registry. For details, please refer to the external circular under the "Archive > External Circulars' section and "Common reasons for returning documents to presentors for correction" under the "Filing Tips" section of this website.
An "Online View" function has been introduced for Image Record Search at the Companies Registry's Cyber Search Centre. Customers can view document images (in PDF format) online after payment of search fees. In addition, the document image records will be kept in the download area for seven days for subsequent retrieval.
The Companies Registry has issued Companies Registry External Circular No. 1/2009 to announce the revised practice of accepting amended documents for rectifying errors in documents previously filed with the Registry. The circular is available in the "Archive > External Circulars" section of this website.
Companies and document presentors are reminded that, with effect from 1 January 2009, only the revised Forms AR1, AR2, AR3, D6, N3 and N4 specified for use from 11 July 2008 and published in the gazette (G.N. 3509 in Gazette No. 22, Vol. 12) will be accepted for filing by the Companies Registry. For details, please refer to Companies Registry External Circular No. 3/2008 under the "Archive > External Circulars" section of this website.
A consultation paper on Share Capital, the Capital Maintenance Regime and Statutory Amalgamation Procedure was issued on 26 June 2008. For more information, please refer to the press release issued on 26 June 2008 in the Archive > Press Releases section of this website. The Executive Summary and full Consultation Paper are also available for download in the Archive > Consultation Papers section of this website.
You are cordially invited to send us your views on or before 30 September 2008 by email to co_rewrite@fstb.gov.hk, by fax to (852) 2869 4195 or by post to the Companies Bill Team, Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau, 15/F, Queensway Government Offices, 66 Queensway, Hong Kong.
With effect from 11 July 2008, provisions concerning incorporation of local companies in the Companies (Amendment) Ordinance 2004 will come into operation. New incorporation forms will be introduced on the same date. For details, please refer to Companies Registry External Circular No. 1/2008 under the "Archive > External Circulars" section of this website.
With effect from 11 July 2008, the Index of Directors kept by the Registrar of Companies will be expanded to include particulars of reserve directors. For details, please refer to Companies Registry External Circular No. 2/2008 under the "Archive > External Circulars" section of this website.
The confirmatory statement in relation to the 'Non-statutory Guidelines on Directors' Duties' in various specified forms will be replaced with an advisory note. The revised forms are published in the gazette (G.N. 3509 in Gazette No. 22, Vol. 12) today [30 May]. For details, please refer to Companies Registry External Circular No. 3/2008 under the "Archive > External Circulars" section of this website.
The Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury has appointed 11 July 2008 as the commencement date for the provisions relating to the expansion of the index of directors in the Companies (Amendment) Ordinance 2003 (Ord. No. 28 of 2003 in the Legal Supplement No. 1 to Gazette No. 28, Vol. 7) and the introduction of new incorporation forms in the Companies (Amendment) Ordinance 2004 (Ord. No. 30 of 2004 in Legal Supplement No. 1 to Gazette No. 30, Vol. 8).The new provisions were enacted to expand the index of directors to cover reserve directors and streamline incorporation procedures for local companies under the Companies Ordinance.
The respective commencement notices (Legal Notices 138 and 139 of 2008 in Legal Supplement No. 2 to Gazette No. 20, Vol. 12) were published in the gazette on 16 May 2008.
In parallel, the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury has appointed 11 July 2008 as the commencement date for the Companies Ordinance (Amendment of Eighth Schedule) Order 2008 (Legal Notice 137 of 2008 in Legal Supplement No. 2 to Gazette No. 20, Vol. 12) for the new fees for conducting searches with respect to the new incorporation forms.
For more information, please refer to the press release issued on 16 May 2008 in the "Archive > Press Releases" section of this website.
A consultation paper on the provisions on Company Names, Directors' Duties, Corporate Directorship and Registration of Charges in the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 32) was issued on 2 April 2008. For more information, please refer to the press release issued on 2 April 2008 in the Archive > Press Releases section of this website. The Executive Summary and full Consultation Paper are also available for downloading in the Archive > Consultation Papers section of this website.
You are cordially invited to send us your views on or before 30 June 2008 by email to co_rewrite@fstb.gov.hk, by fax to (852) 2869 4195 or by post to the Companies Bill Team, Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau, 15/F, Queensway Government Offices, 66 Queensway, Hong Kong.
The Companies Registry will enhance the target standard set for incorporation of local companies which currently stands at 6 working days (including the date of submission of incorporation documents). Starting from 2 January 2008, Certificates of Incorporation of companies limited by shares will be issued in 4 working days after the date of receipt of the incorporation documents by the Registry.
Warning statements will be included in Certificates of Incorporation and Certificates of Change of Name of local companies issued by the Companies Registry with effect from 1 January 2008 to remind companies as well as third parties dealing with them that the registration of a company name with the Companies Registry does not confer any intellectual property rights over the company name. For details, please refer to the Companies Registry External Circular No.6/2007 under the "Archive > External Circulars" section of this website.
