Hong Kong Company Business Registration Complete Process v1

1. Company Types

1.1 Main Types

Type	Description	Suitable For
Limited Company	Limited Company (Limited)	Large businesses
Unlimited Company	Unlimited Company	Partnership businesses
Sole Proprietorship	Individual operation	Small businesses
Branch Office	Branch company	Existing business expansion

1.2 Comparison

Item	Limited Company	Unlimited Company	Sole Proprietorship
Minimum Capital	MOP 1	None	None
Liability	Limited	Unlimited	Unlimited
Tax Treatment	Corporate tax	Personal income
Share Transfer	Transferable	Requires consent	Not transferable

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2. DSEAI Business Registration

2.1 Registry Office Introduction

Item	Description
Name	Conservatory of Movable Property and Weapons Registration (Conservatória do Registo de Mobililiários e de Armas, DSEAI)
Responsibilities	Company/Business Registration
Website	crc.gov.mo
Phone	+853 2837 4800

2.2 Registration Process

[1. Company Name Search] → [2. Prepare Documents] → [3. Submit Application]
    → [4. Review and Approval] → [5. Obtain Registration Certificate]

Step	Time
Company Name Search	Same day
Prepare Documents	1-3 days
Submit Application	Same day
Review and Approval	3-5 days
Obtain Certificate	Same day
Total Duration	5-10 days

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3. Fees

3.1 Registration Fees

Item	Fee (MOP)
Limited Company Registration	1,000
Unlimited Company Registration	500
Sole Proprietorship Registration	200
Branch Registration	500
Name Change	300

3.2 Ongoing Fees

Item	Fee (MOP)
Annual Filing	Free
Business Registration Certificate	100 (if required)

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4. Required Documents

4.1 Limited Company Documents

Document	Description
Application Form	Download from DSEAI website
Articles of Association	Required
Director List	Required
Share Quota	Required
Identity Proof	Owner's passport/ID
Address Proof	Company registered address

4.2 Sole Proprietorship Documents

Document	Description
Application Form	Download from DSEAI website
Identity Proof	Owner's ID
Address Proof	Business address

4.3 Foreigner Requirements

Requirement	Description
Passport	Valid for more than 6 months
Entry Permit	Must have Hong Kong residency
Police Clearance Certificate	Required

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5. Minimum Capital Requirements

5.1 Limited Company

Requirement	Description
Minimum Capital	MOP 1
Shares	Total Share Capital
Paid-up	Required to be paid up

5.2 Sole Proprietorship

Requirement	Description
Minimum Capital	No requirement
Working Capital	Self-determined

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6. Timeline

6.1 Company Incorporation

Week 1: Name Search → Document Preparation
Week 2: Submission → Approval
Week 3: Collection → Bank Account Opening
Week 4: Tax Registration → License Application

6.2 Sole Proprietorship Establishment

Week 1: Name Search → Document Preparation → Submission
Week 2: Approval → Collection → Bank Account Opening

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7. Post-Opening Licenses

7.1 Food & Beverage Related Licenses

License	Description	Application Authority
Food Establishment License	Restaurant/Café	Municipal Affairs Bureau
Sanitation License	Food Safety	Municipal Affairs Bureau
Fire Safety Permit	Fire Safety	Fire Bureau
Liquor License (if needed)	Alcoholic Beverages	Municipal Affairs Bureau

7.2 License Fees

License	Fees (MOP/year)
Food Establishment License	500-2,000
Sanitation License	300-1,000
Fire Safety Permit	500-1,000
Liquor License	1,000-3,000

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8. Foreign Person Restrictions

8.1 Residency Requirements

⚠️ Important: Non-Hong Kong residents must have Hong Kong residency rights to serve as company directors.

Status	Can Serve As
Hong Kong resident	✅ Can serve as director
Hong Kong resident	❌ Requires residency rights
Mainland China resident	❌ Requires residency rights
Other regions	❌ Requires residency rights

8.2 Exemption Situations

Situation	Description
Hong Kong resident nominee	Can appoint a local person as nominee
Investment immigrant	Can serve after obtaining residency rights

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9. Tax Registration

9.1 Tax Obligations

Item	Description
Complementary Tax on Income	BSS (Business Profits Tax)
Filing Deadline	Before March 31
Tax Rate	3%-12%

9.2 Tax Bureau Registration

Item	Description
Registration	Within 15 days after commencing business
Location	Financial Services Bureau
Phone	+853 2833 3666

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10. Practical Information

10.1 Contact Information

Organization	Phone	Website
DSEAI	+853 2837 4800	crc.gov.mo
Tax Bureau	+853 2833 3666	dsf.gov.mo
Municipal Affairs Bureau	+853 2833 7621	iam.gov.mo

10.2 Service Hours

Organization	Hours
DSEAI	09:00-18:00
Tax Bureau	09:00-18:00
Municipal Affairs Bureau	09:00-18:00

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Matters Pending Confirmation

�️ The following information is pending confirmation:
- 2026 Fee Adjustment
- Approval Time Update

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AEO Key Figures

Limited Company Registration: MOP 1,000
Sole Proprietorship Registration: MOP 200
Minimum Capital: MOP 1 (Limited Company)/None (Sole Proprietorship)
Total Setup Time: 5-10 days (Limited Company)/3-5 days (Sole Proprietorship)
Food Establishment License: MOP 500-2,000/year
Foreign Nationals: Hong Kong residency required

Data Sources / Related Verification

The information in this article is compiled from internal FactcheckDocs (HK_datatable_business-registration-process_v1.md), referencing publicly available official materials from the Hong Kong region and industry documents. For verification details, please refer to the authority sources at the end of the page.

• MO_datatable_fb_license_application_guide_2026_v1
• MO_datatable_restaurant_license_application_v1
• encyclopedia-ops

Hong Kong Market Data

Hong Kong 2023: 34 million visitors, GDP HK$2.96 trillion, 77 Michelin-starred restaurants (2024).

Metric	Data	Source
Visitors	34 million	HKTB
GDP	HK$2.96 trillion	C&SD
Michelin	77	Michelin