Open a Company Bank Account in Hong Kong

We will be pleased to provide guidance on the choice of bank for your new Hong Kong company helping you to select a bank that is best aligned with your intended business activities.

Our below guide highlights some points to consider when opening a bank account in Hong Kong and provides a step by step guide to the account opening process.

Some Points to Consider

When applying to open a company bank account in Hong Kong the following points should be noted

• • you will need to provide the bank with details of the intended business activity of your new company and details of your business experience which must be related to the intended activity of your new company.
  • any shareholder owning 10% or more of the shares of the new company and a majority of the board of directors must attend a pre-arranged account opening meeting with the bank in Hong Kong.
  • to arrange your account opening meeting you will need to follow the below process and complete an online account opening application for the banks pre-approval in advance of the bank arranging the meeting. It usually takes the banks up to 3 working days to complete the pre-approval process and confirm your meeting. It is not possible to open accounts with Hong Kong banks on a “walk-in” basis.
  • it is also not possible for you to authorise ourselves or any 3rd party to liaise with the bank to arrange your meeting or open an account as the banks will only liaise with the company’s owner and director.

The Process

The following is a step by step guide to the process to open a company bank account in Hong Kong:

1. 1. We will seek details from you of the intended business activity of your new Hong Kong company and details of your business background in order we can propose a bank best suited to your business requirements.
   2. We will provide you with contact details for the bank and a link to the banks website for you to submit your account opening application. You cannot liaise with the bank until your new company has been incorporated as the banks require your new company registration documents before they will consider your account opening application.
   3. You will need to complete the banks online account opening application which requires you to upload your company registration documents and provide your personal details, details of the intended business activity of your new company and details of your business experience.
   4. The bank will review your online account opening application and will usually contact you within 3 working days to arrange a time for the account opening meeting. The scheduling of the meeting is subject to the banks availability but it is usually possible to attend the meeting with the bank within 1 to 2 weeks of submission of your online application.
   5. You will need to meet with ourselves at least 1 hour prior to your meeting with the bank to collect the original CPA certified true copies of the company incorporation documents you need to present to the bank.
   6. You will attend your pre-arranged account opening meeting at the bank to explain your intended business activities to the bank and provide the bank with relevant documents to support your intended activities and your business experience. The meeting with the bank usually requires around 1 hour.
   7. The bank will usually require around 2 to 4 weeks to process your account opening application after the completion of the meeting. If you live overseas it is not necessary for you to stay in Hong Kong during this period as any follow up questions can be dealt with by email.
   8. The bank will provide the new bank account details to you by email and will request you to arrange a transfer of funds to activate the account. The bank will send the internet banking device to you by courier once your funds to activate the account have been received by the bank.

It should be noted the banks in Hong Kong will usually only open accounts if your new company will be selling to or buying from companies in Asia (preferably Hong Kong or China) or holding investments in Asia. If your company will have no business activity in Asia we suggest to open a bank account with an offshore bank.

It is also important to take the time to ensure you are properly prepared before submitting your account opening application to the banks as failure to provide the required information and documents can lead to delays and possible rejection of the account opening application. We take the opportunity to refer you to our general guide to the account opening requirements for details of the information and documents required.

Please note the banks can change their account opening requirements and account opening process without notice.