Don't squander your money on a 1-day HK incorporation!

Nobody enjoys waiting. So you search the internet for a quick incorporation service in Hong Kong, and you come across some search results that claim to be able to register your brand-new Hong Kong private limited company (a.k.a. Hong Kong company) in just one business day!

On these websites, you are told to pay a small fee to upgrade to their “same day” or “express” package, which reduces your original 5 business days of government lead time to just 24 hours.

Sounds exciting. Do you know that this type of one-day express company formation service is only available to qualified individuals because the Hong Kong government requires it?

If you have no idea, we will tell you.

What is the process of “one-day incorporation”?

The Hong Kong Companies Registry (CR), the authority in charge of Hong Kong company registration, accepts the submission of incorporation forms and supporting documents either digitally on their “e-Registry” website or in hard copy to their office.

Because the electronic incorporation service (“e-incorporation”) on “e-Registry” is available 24 hours a day and takes as little as one hour to process an application, company registration agencies (including AsiaBC) can use this service to register your Hong Kong company in just one day once you have provided all required information and documents.

A hard copy application, on the other hand, takes 3–4 working days to process. When delivery time is factored in, one company incorporation typically takes five working days.

Why is hard copy submission still available?

We understand the benefits of “e-incorporation” over traditional paper submissions to the government, customers, and agencies. Why not reduce the hard copy submission to save money?

“Document certification” is the catch. To gain access to e-Registry, you must first complete the e-Registry system’s “user registration.” CR requires that the founder members of your proposed Hong Kong company submit certified true copies of their personal identification documents for approval at this stage.

Hong Kong residents can obtain certification of their Hong Kong ID cards from a Hong Kong professional, such as a notary public, a solicitor, or a CPA; non-Hong Kong residents must obtain their certified passport copy from their home country’s consulate.

Because every Hong Kong company must have at least one natural person director, anyone wishing to use the e-incorporation service must comply with the document certification requirement, which adds additional cost and time to the e-incorporation, particularly for first-time company registration applicants.

So, how does “e-incorporation” assist?

Because document certification is not required for hard copy documents, if you are registering your first Hong Kong company and are not a Hong Kong resident, “e-incorporation” is not an option over traditional submission. Apart from that, e-incorporation saves you time and effort when registering a Hong Kong company in bulk or on a regular basis, provided you have already obtained your personal identification documents.