East Asiaphase 2

Hong Kong: what can be established about a company

Hong Kong's Companies Registry discloses more than most: the free Cyber Search shows name, number, status and incorporation date, and for a small per-item fee (HK$22 for company particulars, similar for each document image) one can obtain directors, company secretary, registered office, share capital and the annual return listing shareholders. Private company accounts are not filed and not public. The Significant Controllers Register is kept at each company's own office and is open only to law enforcement and specified persons, not the public.

Identifiers

Identifier	Format	Note
Business Registration Number / UBI	8 digits, e.g. 12345678	Issued by the Inland Revenue Department; adopted as the Unique Business Identifier for Companies Registry records from 27 December 2023
CR number	7 digits (legacy)	Former Companies Registry number; still printed on older documents and accepted as a search input
HKEX stock code	up to 5 digits, e.g. 0005	Listed issuers; map to the registered entity through HKEXnews issuer profiles

Sources

Each with what it discloses, how it is accessed, and our coverage level.

Registry

Companies Registry e-Services PortalFree company name and document index search; paid company particulars (directors, secretary, registered office, share capital) and document images including annual returns with shareholder lists.Companies Registry (CR) · Company particulars HK$22; annual return image about HK$22 (check the fee schedule in Cap. 622K). Directors' residential addresses and full ID numbers are withheld from public inspection since 2023.

paid per document
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Registry

Business registration (Inland Revenue Department)Business registration number and particulars for every business carried on in Hong Kong, including sole proprietorships and branches of foreign companies not on the companies register.Inland Revenue Department (IRD) · A business registration extract is obtained through eTAX for a fee; the number itself is the UBI used by the Companies Registry.

paid per document
planned

Beneficial ownership

Significant Controllers Register (SCR)Every Hong Kong company must keep an SCR at its registered office or designated representative's office. It is not filed centrally and may be inspected only by law enforcement officers and other specified persons.Companies Registry (CR), under Companies Ordinance (Cap. 622) Part 12 Division 4 · Public search confirms only the name of the designated representative. OpenDossier infers control from annual-return shareholder lists, which show registered rather than beneficial holders.

restricted
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Securities filings

HKEXnewsListed issuer announcements, annual and interim reports, prospectuses and disclosure of interests (substantial shareholder) filings.Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) · Listed issuers only, many of which are Cayman or Bermuda companies with Hong Kong operations; the issuer is not necessarily a Hong Kong-registered company.

open web
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Regulators

SFC enforcement newsDisciplinary actions, prosecutions, bans and Market Misconduct Tribunal referrals against licensed firms, individuals and listed issuers.Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) · Covers SFC-regulated activity only. HKMA (banking) and Insurance Authority actions are published separately.

open web
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Courts

Judiciary Legal Reference SystemFree judgments of the Court of Final Appeal, High Court, District Court and selected lower courts, in English and Chinese.Hong Kong Judiciary · Written judgments only; pending actions and cause lists are not searchable by party. Chinese and English versions of a judgment may be indexed separately.

open web
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Sanctions

UN Security Council consolidated list (as implemented in Hong Kong)Designations under UN sanctions regimes, which are the only sanctions given effect in Hong Kong law.United Nations Security Council; implemented under the United Nations Sanctions Ordinance (Cap. 537) · Hong Kong has no autonomous sanctions list and does not implement US, EU or UK unilateral sanctions; OpenDossier screens those lists separately and labels them as third-country measures.

open web
full

Insolvency

Official Receiver's Office insolvency recordsCompulsory winding-up and bankruptcy cases administered by the Official Receiver, with a paid search of insolvency records.Official Receiver's Office (ORO) · Members' and creditors' voluntary liquidations are reflected in Companies Registry filings and Gazette notices rather than ORO records.

paid per document
partial

News

Government GazetteStatutory notices: winding-up petitions and orders, striking off, liquidator appointments, tender notices and legal notices.Government Logistics Department (GLD) · Notices are published as PDF pages; names appear in English and Chinese and must be matched manually to the UBI.

open web
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IP offices

IPD Online Search SystemHong Kong trade marks, patents and registered designs with applicant and owner particulars.Intellectual Property Department (IPD) · Owner names are free text; a Hong Kong trade mark may be held by an offshore parent rather than the local operating company.

open web
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Caveats

English and Chinese company names are both registered and must both be checked; a company may have only one of the two.
The UBI replaced the 7-digit CR number on 27 December 2023; documents and third-party datasets still carry both.
Shareholders appear only in the annual return, which may be up to a year old; the Significant Controllers Register is not public.
Private companies do not file accounts; financial information is available only for listed issuers and some licensed entities.
Many Hong Kong-listed issuers are incorporated in the Cayman Islands or Bermuda, so the listed entity is not on the Hong Kong companies register.

Questions

Can I see the directors and shareholders of a Hong Kong company?

Yes, for a fee. Company particulars list current directors and the secretary; the most recent annual return image lists shareholders as at the return date. Both are bought through the Companies Registry e-Services Portal.

Is the Significant Controllers Register public?

No. It is kept by the company itself and may be inspected only by law enforcement and specified persons. The public record shows only that a designated representative has been appointed.

Are Hong Kong company accounts public?

Private companies do not file financial statements with the Companies Registry. Accounts are public for listed issuers (via HKEXnews) and for companies that file them with a prospectus or similar document.

Which sanctions apply in Hong Kong?

Only UN Security Council sanctions are implemented in Hong Kong law. OpenDossier screens UN designations and separately reports hits on US, EU and UK lists, which have no legal effect in Hong Kong but matter to counterparties elsewhere.

Sources

Reviewed 26 October 2026. Rules and fees change; confirm with the authority before relying on them.

A brief on a company in Hong Kong

Coverage stated by section; official document fees at cost.

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