Business Registers in Hong Kong: Companies Registry, Business Registration Office & SCR

Overview

Hong Kong operates a well-established and increasingly digital business registration framework, underpinned by the Companies Registry (公司註冊處, CR) and the Inland Revenue Department (稅務局, IRD). Together, these institutions handle the registration and ongoing compliance of the territory's hundreds of thousands of companies, sole proprietorships, and partnerships.

Hong Kong's registry offers broad public access to basic company information and imposes mandatory annual filings. Private companies are not required to file financial statements publicly, and beneficial ownership data is not accessible to the general public. For KYB and AML professionals, the registry provides solid company identification and directorship data, but verifying ownership structures requires additional channels.

Official Registers

Companies Registry — 公司註冊處

The Companies Registry (CR) is the primary government body responsible for incorporating and registering companies in Hong Kong. It operates under the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 622), which came into effect on 3 March 2014, replacing the former Companies Ordinance (Cap. 32). The CR falls under the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau.

In December 2023, the CR launched the Integrated Companies Registry Information System (ICRIS), replacing the 18-year-old AQUA platform. ICRIS provides the e-Services Portal for electronic company search, document ordering, and filing, as well as a structured Open Data API for programmatic access. Alongside ICRIS, the 8-digit Business Registration Number (BRN) now also serves as the Unique Business Identifier (UBI), unifying references across the Companies Registry and the Inland Revenue Department.

The register covers all companies incorporated in Hong Kong and non-Hong Kong companies registered under Part 16 of the Companies Ordinance. Key information includes: company name (in English and/or Chinese), company number, legal form, date of incorporation, registered address, directors, company secretary, share capital, and filing history.

Basic company searches are available to the public through the e-Services Portal. Document images — including annual returns, incorporation forms, and changes of particulars — can be ordered electronically for a fee. Following privacy-related amendments, access to certain personal information (such as full identification numbers and residential addresses of directors) has been restricted. Specified professionals — including lawyers, licensed trust and company service providers, and certified public accountants — may apply for access to additional identification details for legitimate purposes.

Business Registration Office — 商業登記署

The Business Registration Office, operated by the Inland Revenue Department, administers the Business Registration Ordinance (Cap. 310). Any person or entity carrying on a business in Hong Kong — including sole proprietors, partnerships, and all companies incorporated under the Companies Ordinance — must obtain a Business Registration Certificate (商業登記證).

The Business Registration Number (BRN) serves as the tax identification number for businesses. Key information available from the business register includes the business name, address, nature of business, date of commencement, and details of owners (for sole proprietorships and partnerships). Electronic extracts and certified copies of Business Registration Certificates can be obtained through the IRD's eTAX portal.

Significant Controllers Register — 重要控制人登記冊

Since 1 March 2018, under the Companies (Amendment) Ordinance 2018, all companies incorporated in Hong Kong — except listed companies — must maintain a Significant Controllers Register (SCR). The SCR identifies natural persons who ultimately own or control the company, defined as individuals who hold more than 25% of shares or voting rights, or who otherwise exercise significant control.

The SCR is not a central public register. Each company must keep its own SCR at its registered office or a designated location in Hong Kong. The register is only accessible to law enforcement agencies — including the Hong Kong Police Force, Immigration Department, Inland Revenue Department, Independent Commission Against Corruption, Customs and Excise Department, Insurance Authority, and Securities and Futures Commission — upon request. The general public has no right of access. Each company must appoint a designated representative (a Hong Kong-resident director, employee, or member, or a licensed trust and company service provider, accountant, or lawyer) to act as the point of contact for enforcement enquiries.

Registration and publication requirements

Companies

All companies incorporated under the Companies Ordinance must register with the CR and obtain a Business Registration Certificate from the IRD. The most common company types include:

• Private company limited by shares (私人股份有限公司) — by far the most prevalent form
• Public company limited by shares (公眾股份有限公司) — for companies offering shares to the public
• Company limited by guarantee (擔保有限公司) — commonly used by charities, clubs, and professional bodies; cannot have share capital under Cap. 622
• Private unlimited company — members have unlimited liability; relatively rare

Companies must file an Annual Return with the CR, containing current particulars of directors, company secretary, shareholders, registered address, and share capital. However, private companies are not required to file financial statements with the Companies Registry. Public companies and companies limited by guarantee must include financial statements with their annual return. All companies must prepare annual financial statements and have them audited by a Hong Kong-registered certified public accountant, but for private companies these audited accounts are filed with the Inland Revenue Department as part of the profits tax return, not made publicly available.

Listed companies' financial statements are publicly accessible through the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) disclosure platform.

All Hong Kong-incorporated companies (except listed companies) must maintain a Significant Controllers Register and keep it up to date within a reasonable timeframe.

Sole proprietors and partnerships

Sole proprietors (獨資經營) and partnerships (合夥業務) are not registered with the Companies Registry. Instead, they must obtain a Business Registration Certificate from the Inland Revenue Department within one month of commencing business. Registration is simple and typically completed within days.

Sole proprietorships and partnerships have no obligation to file financial statements publicly. Their tax obligations are handled directly through the IRD. Sole traders are not subject to the SCR requirement, as they are natural persons by definition.

Company Re-domiciliation

Since May 23, 2025, foreign companies may transfer their place of incorporation to Hong Kong under the Companies (Amendment) (No. 2) Ordinance. A re-domiciled company is treated as if it had originally been incorporated in Hong Kong under Cap. 622 and must comply with all ongoing requirements of the Companies Ordinance. This adds a new class of registrations handled by the Companies Registry alongside standard incorporations.

Societies and associations

Associations, clubs, and similar organisations that are not incorporated under the Companies Ordinance must register under the Societies Ordinance (Cap. 151) with the Hong Kong Police Force Licensing Office, rather than with the Companies Registry. Registration requires submission of the society's rules or constitution. Some non-profit organisations choose to incorporate as a company limited by guarantee under the Companies Ordinance to gain separate legal personality and limited liability, in which case they are subject to the same registration and filing obligations as other companies.

Summary table

With Topograph

Topograph retrieves structured company data and official documents from Hong Kong's Companies Registry through the ICRIS system.

Available Data

Company Profile

• Legal name (English and Chinese), company number
• Legal form and company status
• Date of incorporation
• Registered address
• Share capital

Legal Representatives

• Directors (names, roles, appointment details)
• Company Secretary

Shareholders

• Extracted from the ICRIS register extract. Note that the Hong Kong registry only publishes founding members in the public extract; post-incorporation share transfers are not reflected, so current ownership may differ.

Activity codes: AI-inferred from the business description field when available in the Company Particulars.

Note: Ultimate Beneficial Owners are not publicly disclosed in Hong Kong. The Significant Controllers Register is maintained privately by each company and is accessible only to designated law enforcement agencies.

Available Documents

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