Company Setup in Hong Kong and Corporate Bank Accounts
Company setup in Hong Kong takes days. Getting a bank to accept the company can take far longer, especially for traders in metals and stones. We plan both together, so the company is formed in a way a bank will recognize.
About Hong Kong as a gateway between China and the world
Hong Kong is a Special Administrative Region of China with its own legal system, currency and tax regime. Its common law courts, free movement of capital and position next to mainland China have made it the standard place for international groups to hold their Asian trade, and for Chinese groups to reach the rest of the world.
Its tax system is simple and territorial: only profits sourced in Hong Kong are taxed, and there is no VAT, no capital gains tax and no tax on dividends. Since May 2025, companies registered elsewhere can also move their legal home to Hong Kong without being wound up, through a new re-domiciliation regime.
For the metals and stones trade, Hong Kong is building something specific. Dealers have had to register with Customs since April 2023, and in July 2026 a government-owned gold clearing and settlement system began trial operation, part of a plan to make Hong Kong an international gold trading center.
Two-tier profits tax
8.25% on the first HKD 2 million of assessable profits and 16.5% above it, charged only on profits sourced in Hong Kong.
No VAT or sales tax
Hong Kong charges no VAT, goods and services tax or capital gains tax, and no withholding tax on dividends.
Open to foreign owners
A company can be wholly owned by foreign individuals or companies, with no local shareholder or director required.
Hong Kong dollar peg
The Hong Kong dollar is linked to the US dollar within a narrow band, which keeps trade pricing stable.
Company setup in Hong Kong: what the law requires
Company setup in Hong Kong is mostly online and quick. The legal requirements are few, but each one has to be in place from the first day, and banks check every one of them.
Private limited company
Registered with the Companies Registry, with at least one shareholder and one director who is a natural person.
Local company secretary
A secretary who lives in Hong Kong, or a Hong Kong company, responsible for filings and statutory records.
Significant controllers register
A record of who ultimately owns or controls the company, kept at its registered office and open to inspection.
Dealer registration if relevant
Traders in precious metals and stones making payments of HKD 120,000 or more must register with Customs.
The fourth point is the one most formation agents skip. A metals or stones trader that forms a Hong Kong company without dealer registration has a company that works on paper and a problem the moment a bank or a counterparty asks for the certificate.
Our Company Formation and Market Entry service runs the formation. When the Hong Kong company sits within a group alongside entities in mainland China or the UAE, Holding Companies and SPVs covers how the ownership is arranged.
Bank account opening in Hong Kong
Hong Kong has some of the largest international banks in the world, and some of the most cautious account opening teams. A new company with foreign owners, no local office and an unclear reason for needing a Hong Kong account is a common rejection.
Precious metals, stones and other high-value goods sit on most Hong Kong banks’ higher-risk lists, so these files are read more closely than most. That is where we help most. We look at how the trade works, choose the bank whose risk appetite fits it, and prepare evidence that answers the questions before the interview. No one can promise a Hong Kong bank will say yes. We make sure it has the full picture.
Corporate Banking and Account Opening Support handles the application, and Bank Relationship Management keeps the account in good standing through each periodic review.
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01
A reason for Hong Kong
Customers, suppliers or operations that explain why the company needs an account here rather than at home.
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02
Evidence of operations
An office or service agreement, real contracts, and staff or advisors who actually run the business.
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03
Full ownership disclosure
Every owner of 10% or more identified, with layered or nominee structures explained rather than left for the bank to find.
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04
Credible projections
Expected volumes, currencies and counterparties for the first year, consistent with the size of the company.
Company setup in Hong Kong: common questions
Registration itself is usually quick once documents are ready, as the process runs online through the Companies Registry. The corporate bank account normally takes considerably longer, because banks carry out detailed due diligence first.
Dealers must register with the Customs and Excise Department if they carry out transactions of HKD 120,000 or more. Category A covers non-cash dealing, and Category B, with stricter checks, covers cash transactions.
Most rejections come from a missing link to Hong Kong, little evidence of real operations, unclear ownership or unrealistic projections. Precious metals and other high-value trades also attract closer review by default.