What are the minimum requirements to start a Hong Kong company?

To start a Hong Kong company, you essentially need one director, one shareholder, a local company secretary, and a registered Hong Kong address. While the legal barriers are incredibly low (no residency requirement for owners), the real minimum standard is dictated by banks, who often require more than the legal "HK$1 share capital" to approve your account.

What Do You Actually Need to Start a Business in Hong Kong?

Hong Kong is famous for having one of the lowest barriers to entry for entrepreneurs in the world. The city wants you to do business here. The government has stripped away the red tape that chokes startups in other jurisdictions: no resident director requirement, no massive capital deposits, and a tax system that fits on a napkin.

But when you read the official government websites, it can almost seem too simple. "One director, one shareholder, one dollar." Is that really it?

Technically, yes. Practically, no.

There is a gap between the "legal minimum" required to get a Certificate of Incorporation and the "practical minimum" required to get a functional, bankable business. Walking that line is where most new founders trip up. You don't just want a company on paper; you want a company that can sign contracts, hire staff, and, most importantly, open a bank account.

Here is the insider’s breakdown of what is actually required to start a Hong Kong company in 2026, distinguishing between what the law says and what you should do to succeed.

1. The "Who": Directors and Shareholders

The first requirement is the human element. Who is going to own and run this thing? This is where Hong Kong shines. The system is designed to be radically open to international talent.

• The Director (The Manager): You need at least one. This person must be a natural person (a human, not a company) and at least 18 years old.

  • The Insider Advantage: Unlike Singapore or Australia, Hong Kong does not require a local resident director. You, as a foreigner living in London, New York, or Bali, can be the sole director. You do not need to hire a local nominee to sit on your board just to tick a box. This saves you thousands of dollars a year in nominee fees and gives you total control.

• The Shareholder (The Owner): You need at least one, and you can have up to 50 for a private limited company.

  • The Flexibility: The shareholder can be you (the individual), or it can be another company (a corporate shareholder). It can be 100% foreign-owned. There are no restrictions on nationality or residency.

The Strategy: For most lean startups and consultants, the Director and the Shareholder are the same person—you. This "one-man band" structure is perfectly legal and widely accepted in Hong Kong.

2. The "Where": Your Local Footprint

While you don't need to be in Hong Kong, your company does. The law mandates two specific local touchpoints. You cannot bypass these.

• The Registered Office Address: Your company must have a physical address in Hong Kong.

  • The Trap: This cannot be a P.O. Box. It must be a physical location where the government can serve legal notices.

  • The Solution: You don't need to rent an expensive office in Central. Most international founders use the address of their corporate service provider (like Athenasia). We provide our office address as your legal "Registered Office," handling all your government mail while you work from anywhere.

• The Company Secretary: This is mandatory. Every company must appoint a Company Secretary.

  • The Misconception: This is not an admin assistant who answers your phone. In Hong Kong law, the Company Secretary is a senior compliance officer responsible for ensuring the company follows the Companies Ordinance.

  • The Requirement: This role must be filled by a Hong Kong resident or a Hong Kong-licensed corporate body (holding a TCSP license). You, as a non-resident sole director, cannot be your own Company Secretary. This is the one role you must outsource.

3. The "How Much": The Share Capital Trap

This is the single most confusing part for new founders, and the place where the "legal minimum" can hurt you.

• The Legal Minimum: The law says you can incorporate with a share capital of just HK$1.

• The Practical Minimum: If you register a company with HK$1, you are signalling to the world—and specifically to banks—that you have invested virtually nothing in your business.

  
  

We strongly advise against the HK$1 setup. When you walk into a bank (or apply to a Fintech like Airwallex) with a HK$1 company, their risk department sees a "shell company." It looks temporary. It looks cheap.

The Athenasia Standard: We recommend registering with HK$10,000 (usually 10,000 shares at HK$1 each).

• Why? It costs you exactly the same in government fees to register HK$10,000 as it does HK$1.

• The Benefit: It looks professional. It signals solvency. And crucially, you don't pay this money to the government or to us. It represents the money you, the shareholder, plan to inject into the company's bank account to get it started. It’s your working capital.

4. The "Hidden" Compliance Layer: SCR and Designated Representative

There is a fourth requirement that isn't always on the front page of the brochures, but it is strictly enforced: the Significant Controllers Register (SCR).

To combat money laundering, Hong Kong requires every company to maintain a private register of who really owns or controls the business. You must also appoint a Designated Representative (DR)—a local person or professional firm—responsible for liaising with law enforcement if they come knocking.

If you incorporate with a professional firm, this is usually included in the package. If you try to hack it together yourself, this is the compliance landmine you will likely step on.

The Real Minimum: A "Bankable" Profile

If you meet all the requirements above—a director, a shareholder, an address, a secretary, and share capital—you will get your Certificate of Incorporation. You legally have a company.

But you don't have a business until you have a bank account.

This is where the "minimum requirements" shift from legal to operational. To get a bank account in 2025, you need more than just your incorporation papers. You need proof of business.

Whether you apply to a traditional bank like HSBC or a modern Fintech like Airwallex, they will ask for:

• Proof of Experience: A CV or LinkedIn profile showing you know your industry.

• Proof of Intent: Contracts with suppliers, invoices from potential clients, or a live website.

• Proof of Wealth: Bank statements showing you have the funds to run the business.

The Bottom Line:

The barrier to entry in Hong Kong is low, but it's not non-existent. The requirements are designed to be flexible for legitimate entrepreneurs while keeping out bad actors.

Don't just aim for the legal minimum. Aim for the credible minimum. Register with HK$10,000 capital. Use a reputable Company Secretary. Have your proofs of business ready. That is how you turn a registration certificate into a functioning global business.