Why do Hong Kong companies require a certificate of incorporation?

General Facts About a Certificate of Incorporation

The certificate of incorporation is an important document which is required of every company based in Hong Kong. By providing the authorities with one, a business owner will have evidence that the company in question has had its incorporation officially authorized. A certificate of incorporation is issued by the Hong Kong Companies Registry after the conclusion of the incorporation process.

This certificate specifically pertains to applications for the establishment of any limited liability company in Hong Kong. Thus, the main reason why Hong Kong companies require a certificate of incorporation is to satisfy the authorities’ requirements and prove that the companies in question are genuine and legitimate.

Every certificate of incorporation in Hong Kong is of a standard design as mandated by the authorities. The text displayed on the certificate is written in both English and traditional Chinese. There is various information mentioned within the certificate which are important for any company. The most important of this information states that the company has officially been incorporated in accordance with the Companies Ordinance, the primary company law of Hong Kong. Other facts which are contained within a Hong Kong company’s certificate of incorporation are its name, its company number, and its official date of incorporation.

It is a legal requirement for companies which have been incorporated in Hong Kong to possess a certificate of incorporation. Therefore, those who are planning to involve themselves with business activities involving other Hong Kong companies ought to request a copy of the certificate before engaging in business with such companies.

It is sometimes the case that a company based in mainland China might be in possession of a Hong Kong certificate of incorporation. This is because the legal, tax, and corporate laws of Hong Kong are different to those of mainland China. Since these laws are often more favorable to business owners than are mainland China’s, many business owners from there choose to incorporate a company in Hong Kong.

If you are interested in emulating the business owners just mentioned by incorporating a Hong Kong company of your own, we at Paul Hype Page & Co are ready to be of assistance. We will take you through the process of company incorporation in Hong Kong until your company is ready for operation. Should you require us to contact any government authorities on your behalf, we will do so as well.

Verification of a Hong Kong Certificate of Incorporation

Some might mistakenly believe that only the government and related authorities are allowed to verify a certificate of incorporation. However, such is not the case. Anyone who has Internet access is able to verify the authenticity of a certificate of incorporation.

To do so, one must access the Integrated Companies Registry Information System (ICRIS). ICRIS is an online system owned by the Companies Registry of Hong Kong. This system is to be used to verify that any company has a genuine certificate of incorporation. However, there is one flaw with the system. This flaw is that companies which only have a Chinese name can only be searched in Chinese. Similarly, companies which only have an English name can only be searched in English. Therefore, to overcome this problem, some might choose to enlist the services of third-party service providers. After paying the necessary fee, these service providers will conduct research on the company in question before sending a report to the one who requested it.