Can I move my company to Hong Kong

Can I Move My Company to Hong Kong?

Yes. Eligible companies can move their legal seat to Hong Kong through inward re-domiciliation under the Companies (Amendment) (No. 2) Ordinance 2025, which took effect on 23 May 2025. The process preserves the company's legal identity without requiring a winding up or court order. You move your company to Hong Kong while the entity continues as the same legal person, only now governed by Hong Kong law.

Inward Re-Domiciliation Hong Kong

Hong Kong law only permits inward re-domiciliation. There is no outward regime for a Hong Kong company to re-domicile to another jurisdiction. The Companies (Amendment) (No. 2) Ordinance 2025 introduced the framework, and the Companies Registry administers applications under the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 622). A re-domiciled company files its annual return from the anniversary of re-domiciliation, not incorporation.

Re-Domiciliate Company to Hong Kong

To re-domiciliate a company to Hong Kong, the entity must meet several conditions. The company type under the law of the original domicile must be the same or substantially the same as the Hong Kong type applied for. Members must consent to the re-domiciliation. The application must be made in good faith and not to defraud existing creditors. The law of the original domicile must permit outward re-domiciliation.

Companies (Amendment) Ordinance 2025

The Companies (Amendment) (No. 2) Ordinance 2025 created the inward re-domiciliation regime. It came into force on 23 May 2025. The Ordinance amends the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 622) to allow companies incorporated outside Hong Kong to continue as Hong Kong companies. The process is court-free. No application to the court is required.

Continuation of Legal Identity Hong Kong

The key benefit of re-domiciliation is the continuation of legal identity. The company does not wind up, does not transfer assets by sale, and does not change its contractual relationships. It continues as the same legal person under Hong Kong law. The company must deregister in its original domicile within 120 days of re-domiciliation. Failure to do so may result in the re-domiciliation being revoked.

Eligible Company Types

Four types of company are eligible for inward re-domiciliation: private companies limited by shares, public companies limited by shares, private unlimited companies with a share capital, and public unlimited companies with a share capital. The company type under the original domicile must correspond to one of these Hong Kong types.

Application Process

The company applies to the Companies Registry with the required documents. These include evidence of members' consent, a declaration of good faith, and proof that the original domicile permits outward re-domiciliation. The Registrar issues a certificate of continuation. The company then has 120 days to deregister in the original domicile and provide evidence of that deregistration to the Companies Registry.

Benefits of Re-Domiciliation

Re-domiciliation avoids the cost and complexity of winding up the original company and incorporating a new Hong Kong entity. Contracts, intellectual property, employment relationships and bank accounts can remain in the same legal person. The company becomes subject to Hong Kong's territorial source taxation, two-tiered profits tax rates, and the ongoing compliance requirements of the Companies Ordinance.