Complete Guide to Companies Registry Filing Fees in Hong Kong: Form Costs and Late Payment Charges
Find all Hong Kong Companies Registry filing fees, including late charges for forms like NAR1, with clear tables and deadlines.
Companies Registry Filing Fees Hong Kong Form Costs and Late Charges
Every statutory form submitted to the Companies Registry attracts a registration fee set out in the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 622) and its subsidiary legislation. For most forms the fee is fixed and modest. For the annual return, miss the deadline and the charge escalates sharply. Knowing the exact hong kong companies registry filing fees before you file lets you budget accurately and avoid the higher registration fee that applies to late delivery.
Registration Fee by Form
The table below shows the standard registration fee for the most commonly used Companies Registry specified forms. All fees are payable on delivery of the form, whether you file on paper or through the e-Services portal.
| Form | Purpose | Standard registration fee |
|---|---|---|
| NNC1 (with IRBR1) | Incorporation, company limited by shares | HK$1,545 (includes business registration fee) |
| NNC1G (with IRBR1) | Incorporation, company not limited by shares | As above |
| NNC2 | Change of company name | HK$295 |
| NAR1 | Annual return (private company, on time) | HK$105 |
| ND2A | Appointment or cessation of director / secretary | Nil |
| ND2B | Change of particulars of director / secretary | Nil |
| ND4 | Resignation of director / secretary | Nil |
| NR1 | Change of registered office address | Nil |
| NR2 | Location of registers and company records | Nil |
| NSC1 | Return of allotment of shares | Nil |
| NSC2 | Return of share redemption or buy-back | Nil |
| NDR1 | Application for deregistration | HK$420 |
| NM1 | Statement of particulars of charge | HK$340 |
Forms marked "Nil" carry no registration fee at the time of filing. The company remains liable for the annual return fee each year and for any late filing charges that may arise.
What Is the Higher Registration Fee?
The higher registration fee is the term used in Cap. 622 for the late-filing penalty on the annual return. It is not a separate penalty notice. It is the fee the Registry charges when Form NAR1 is delivered after the statutory deadline. The fee increases in bands based on how late the form is.
Companies Registry Form Costs Hong Kong: Filing on Time Versus Late
The largest single filing cost for an active private company is the annual return. File on time and the companies registry form costs Hong Kong are straightforward: HK$105. That figure is the lowest registration fee for any continuing compliance form on the schedule. File more than 42 days after the return date and the fee rises to a higher registration fee. The bands are:
| Period of lateness | Registration fee payable |
|---|---|
| On time (within 42 days) | HK$105 |
| More than 42 days but within 3 months | HK$870 |
| More than 3 months but within 6 months | HK$1,740 |
| More than 6 months but within 9 months | HK$2,610 |
| More than 9 months | HK$3,480 |
These amounts are set by the Companies (Fees) Regulation under Cap. 622. Filing just one day past the 42-day window moves the fee from HK$105 to HK$870.
Hong Kong Annual Return Late Fee Bands Explained
The hong kong annual return late fee structure is designed to encourage prompt filing. The bands are tied to the number of months past the return date, not to the date the Registry processes the form. The return date is the anniversary of incorporation (or re-domiciliation for a non-Hong Kong company).
Take a company incorporated on 15 March 2022. Its annual return for 2026 is due within 42 days after 15 March 2026 , by 26 April 2026. Filing on 27 April triggers the HK$870 band. Filing on 15 June (within 3 months but beyond 42 days) still costs HK$870. Filing on 16 September (within 6 months but beyond 3 months) costs HK$1,740. The company must also pay any business registration fee renewal that falls due in the same period. That is a separate charge payable to the Inland Revenue Department and not part of the registration fee.
Companies Registry Late Filing Charges Hong Kong: Other Forms
Most specified forms other than NAR1 carry no additional fee for lateness. The Registry may still refuse to accept a form delivered outside the statutory period. A change of director reported on ND2A more than 15 days after the event may still be accepted, but the company commits an offence under Cap. 622 and is liable on conviction to a penalty. The companies registry late filing charges hong kong on non-NAR1 forms are therefore legal penalties rather than higher registration fees. The Registry does not impose an escalating fee schedule for ND2A, NR1 or NSC1. The company and every responsible officer , the directors , risk prosecution. A conviction can result in a fine of up to HK$50,000 per offence and a further daily default fine.
Electronic Versus Paper Filing Costs
The registration fee for a given form is the same whether you file by paper or through the e-Services portal. There is no discount for electronic delivery. The cost difference is indirect: electronic filing reduces the risk of postal delay or lost documents, and the e-Services portal provides immediate confirmation of receipt. The e-Services portal accepts most specified forms for local companies and registered non-Hong Kong companies. Register for an account on the portal before filing. Paper forms are accepted by post or by hand at the Companies Registry counter.
Dormant Company Exemption
A private company that has declared itself dormant under Cap. 622 is exempt from filing the annual return. No registration fee is payable and no higher registration fee can arise. The company must have passed a special resolution to become dormant and filed a copy of that resolution with the Registry. Dormant status does not exempt the company from filing a profits tax return (BIR51) unless the Inland Revenue Department also agrees that no return is due.
Practical Points
- The registration fee for NAR1 is HK$105 only if the form is delivered within 42 days after the return date.
- Any lateness beyond 42 days triggers the higher registration fee, starting at HK$870.
- The fee bands are cumulative. You cannot pay the lower band if you skip the first deadline.
- Late filing of forms other than NAR1 does not attract a higher registration fee but carries legal penalties.
- Check the current fee schedule on the Companies Registry website at www.cr.gov.hk.
Sources
More on the forms library.