Foreign Legal Entity (Branch) Registration

Overview: A foreign company that wants to establish a permanent presence in Hong Kong may register a Branch/Representative Office/Liaison Office at the HK Trade Register. A branch is not a legal entity but is the extension of a foreign (parent) company.

Purpose: Registration of a Branch of a foreign company

Main specifications:

• cannot conclude activities intended to make a profit
• cannot obtain other sources of money except its foreign (parent) company
• full dependence on the foreign (parent) company
• identical legal name as a foreign (parent) company
• liability is borne by a foreign (parent) company
• no minimum capital requirements

Registering authority: the HK Trade Register

Term of registration: 2-3 working days

Personal presence: Optional

Conditions for registration:

• Foreign (parent) company outside Hong Kong
• Local Representative – Minimum 1 (maximum – unlimited) natural/legal person (in case of legal person – solicitors or public accountants only), resident of Hong Kong
• Registered office address in Hong Kong

Required documents (must be legalized and translated if the language is other than English):

• Passport or European ID card (for all directors/authorized representatives of an intended branch)
• Proof of residential address not older than 3 months (for all directors/authorized representatives of an intended branch)
• Extract from the Trade Register of a foreign (parent) company (not older than 1 month)
• Minutes of the General Meeting of a foreign (parent) company stating the decision to register a branch
• Articles of Association of foreign (parent) company
• Memorandum of Association of foreign (parent) company
• Certificate of Incumbency (stating the details of the Directors and/or Authorized Representatives) of a foreign (parent) company
• Document, authorizing to use of the registered office address (Copy of the Rental Agreement, Authorization Letter from the Owner, Certificate on Property)