Electronic Registration of Non-Hong Kong Company

Yes, you can submit the application in electronic form through the e-Services Portal (www.e-services.cr.gov.hk).

The person who signs the application form for registration of a non-Hong Kong company (web Form NN1) (i.e. director, company secretary or authorized representative) must register as an Individual User of the e-Services Portal and subscribe to the e-Filing Services. If the director, company secretary or authorized representative of the company is not a natural person ("body corporate"), the body corporate must arrange one of its authorized officers (e.g. director, company secretary, authorized representative or authorised person) who is a natural person to sign the web form on its behalf. The signatory must be an Individual User who has subscribed to e-Filing Services. If the Individual User is not a director, company secretary or authorized representative (or has not reported Hong Kong Identity Card or passport information to the Companies Registry), account association with the body corporate should be established first.

For details on user registration and account association, please refer to the Frequently Asked Questions on "Registration of User Account for e-Services" and respective demonstrations at the e-Services Portal.

An application for registration of a non-Hong Kong company is subject to further processing by the staff of the Companies Registry. The Certificate of Registration of Non-Hong Kong Company can normally be issued within 10 working days after submission of the application at the e-Services Portal.

Before submitting the application through the e-Services Portal, you have to prepare the certified documents that have to be submitted together with the application form (web Form NN1). The documents should be converted into Adobe Portable Document format ("PDF") after certification and the file size should not exceed 5 MB. For the company’s accounts, the file size should not exceed 5 MB. To ensure the quality of image records of documents which are made available for public search, the page margins of documents should be set as Top: 1.27 cm; Bottom: 0.86 cm; Left: 1.06 cm; Right: 1.27 cm. Moreover, if a document is converted into PDF file through document scanning, you are advised to arrange for black-and-white scanning to produce a better image.

Individual Users who have subscribed to e-Filing Services can login the e-Services Portal and select [Incorporation > Non-Hong Kong Company] to complete the registration process. You can input the required data in the web form and complete the registration process.

For details of the requirements of documents and certification, please refer to the information pamphlet "Registration of a Non-Hong Kong Company" which is available at the Companies Registry's website (www.cr.gov.hk).

You can sign the web form using the password registered with the e-Services Portal, digital certificate or iAM Smart (linked up with your account).

If the officer is a natural person, please ensure that the particulars of the officer inputted in Step 2 and Step 3 are the same as the user particulars registered at the e-Services Portal. The officers may check their user particulars by selecting “User Account Maintenance > Change Particulars”.

If the officer is a body corporate, please ensure that one of its authorized officers (e.g. director, company secretary, authorized representative or authorised person) who is a natural person can sign the web form on its behalf. The signatory must be an Individual User who has subscribed to e-Filing Services. If the Individual User is not a director, company secretary or authorized representative (or has not reported Hong Kong Identity Card or passport information to the Companies Registry), account association with the body corporate should be established first.

Hard copies of web forms will not be accepted for filing at the Shroff counters of the Companies Registry.

You are advised to save the completed web form as PDF file and print the web form for record purpose when submitting the form.

After submission, users can also save and print the submitted web forms for record using "Document Submission > Enquire Submitted Documents” function.

You can make payment online by:-

(i) deduction from deposit account at the e-Services Portal;
(ii) credit card (VISA/MASTER/JCB/UnionPay);
(iii) digital wallet (Apple Pay/ Google Pay) ;
(iv) PPS Shop&Buy Service; or
(v) FPS (Faster Payment System).

If you wish to pay by credit card, you have to obtain the relevant secure code/password from the card issuing bank, as required.

For more details, please refer to Part B – Fees and Payment of the Frequently Asked Questions on "Registration of User Account for e-Services".

No. The application for registration of a non-Hong Kong company (including the company name) is subject to further processing by the staff of the Companies Registry. The registrability of a company name can only be confirmed after the application for registration has been processed.

A one-stop company and business registration service is implemented by the Companies Registry and the Inland Revenue Department.

The one-stop registration service is applicable to applications for registration of non-Hong Kong companies delivered in hard copy form or electronic form. Any person who applies for registration of a non-Hong Kong company under the Companies Ordinance will be deemed to have made a simultaneous application for business registration. Users of the one-stop registration service are required to pay the prescribed business registration fee and levy upon the submission of a Notice to Business Registration Office (IRBR2). The Registrar of Companies will issue the Business Registration Certificate on behalf of the Commissioner of Inland Revenue, together with the Certificate of Registration.

For non-Hong Kong companies which have already registered their businesses under the Business Registration Ordinance, the one-stop registration service is not applicable. However, applicants for registration of non-Hong Kong companies are required to provide the business registration number in the IRBR2 and deliver the notice together with web Form NN1 at the e-Services Portal.

Upon registration of a non-Hong Kong company, a Certificate of Registration of Non-Hong Kong Company and a Business Registration Certificate (if applicable) ("the Certificate(s)") in electronic form (in PDF file) will be issued. Email notifications for download of the Certificate(s) will be sent to the message box and registered email address of the registered user who submits the application.

Electronic certificates will be kept in the e-Services system for six months only. Users are advised to download and save the electronic certificates in their records as early as possible after receipt of the email notifications.

For applications submitted through the e-Services Portal, Certificates of Registration of Non-Hong Kong Company ("the Certificate of Registration") and Business Registration Certificates (if applicable) ("the Certificate(s)") will only be issued in electronic form. Certificate(s) in electronic form or hard copy form (issued for application documents delivered to the Companies Registry in hard copy form) have the same legal effect.

You may order a certified copy of the Certificate of Registration at a fee online at the e-Services Portal.

You may order a certified copy/duplicate of the Business Registration Certificate (if applicable) at a fee online at GovHK (www.gov.hk/br) 2 days after the date of issue of the Certificate of Registration.

No. The validity of Business Registration Certificates will not be affected by whether Payment Instructions are printed on the back page of the certificates.

No. The company may deliver specified forms or documents either in hard copy form or in electronic form at the e-Services Portal.

If your company intends to submit specified forms or documents electronically, one of your company’s authorized officers (e.g. director, company secretary, authorized representative or authorised person) who is a natural person can sign the web form on its behalf. The signatory must be an Individual User who has subscribed to e-Filing Services. If the Individual User is not a director, company secretary or authorized representative (or has not reported Hong Kong Identity Card or passport information to the Companies Registry), account association with the company should be established first. For more details, please refer to the Frequently Asked Questions on “Registration of User Account for e-Services” and “e-Filing Services for Documents Delivered Under Various Ordinances” and the respective demonstrations at the e-Services Portal.

You have to remove the signature at Step 7 “Sign & Submit” first. After amending the data, you are required to sign the web form again before submission.

Data inputted in the e-Form NN1 at the e-Registry cannot be migrated to the web Form NN1 at e-Services Portal. Please use the new web form at the e-Services Portal.