Hong Kong sits between the two extremes.
The UK gives you everything for free, including who owns the company. Delaware gives you a free search that never reveals an owner. Hong Kong gives you a free search that confirms a company exists, then charges HK$22 the moment you want to know anything useful about it.
That boundary is the whole subject, and most guides bury it. Here it is first.
Free or paid, at a glance
| Search type | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name Search | Free | Whether the company exists, its status, its name history |
| Document Index Search | Free | The list of documents filed, without the documents |
| Charges Index Search | Free | The list of registered charges over company assets |
| Company Particulars Search | HK$22 | Directors, company secretary, registered office, share capital |
| Image records and certified copies | HK$22 to HK$340 | The filed documents themselves |
The free tier answers "does this company exist and is it alive". The paid tier answers "who runs it and what has it done". For a HK$22 outlay, the paid tier is rarely worth skipping.
- 1Company Name SearchFree. Does the company exist, what is its status, and what names has it used before?
- 2Document Index and Charges IndexFree. What has it filed, and is there any security registered over its assets?
- 3HK$22 gateEverything below this point is paid, per company.
- 4Company Particulars SearchHK$22. Directors, company secretary, registered office and share capital.
- 5Image records, optionalHK$22 to HK$340. The filed documents themselves, rather than the index of them.
The portal moved, and half the guides did not
Since 27 December 2023, searches run on the Companies Registry e-Services Portal at www.e-services.cr.gov.hk.
It replaced two separate systems: the Cyber Search Centre, live since 2005, and the e-Registry, live since 2011. The revamped ICRIS merged them.
ICRIS stands for Integrated Companies Registry Information System. You will see the name everywhere in Hong Kong corporate documentation, and it refers to the underlying system rather than to a website you visit.
If a guide tells you to go to the Cyber Search Centre, it was written before the migration. The information may still be broadly right. The navigation will not be.
What the free search tells you
The free Company Name Search is more useful than its name suggests.
| Field | Available free |
|---|---|
| Company name, in English and Chinese | ✅ |
| Company number (CR number) | ✅ |
| Date of incorporation | ✅ |
| Company status | ✅ |
| Company type | ✅ |
| Former names and date of change | ✅ |
| Directors and secretary | ❌ |
| Registered office address | ❌ |
| Share capital | ❌ |
Name history matters more in Hong Kong than in most jurisdictions. A company that has changed name twice in three years is a fact you get for free, and it is often the reason to spend the HK$22.
What the HK$22 buys
The Company Particulars Search returns the operational picture: directors, company secretary, registered office address, and share capital.
Two Hong Kong specifics make this worth understanding.
Every Hong Kong company must have a company secretary, and that secretary must be resident in Hong Kong or be a body corporate with a Hong Kong registered office. Seeing who fills that role tells you which service provider the company uses.
A single-director company cannot have that same person as secretary. If the particulars show one director and a corporate secretary, that is the standard non-resident structure, not an anomaly.
The two numbers people confuse
This is the single most common mistake among founders dealing with Hong Kong for the first time.
| Number | Issued by | What it identifies |
|---|---|---|
| Company Number (CR number) | Companies Registry | The legal entity, from incorporation |
| Business Registration Number (BRN) | Inland Revenue Department | The business activity, for tax purposes |
They were different numbers, from different bodies, on different certificates. That changed on 27 December 2023.
Since that date the Companies Registry has used the Business Registration Number as the Unique Business Identifier (UBI) for all entities it administers. For a company incorporated on or after 27 December 2023, the 8 digit BRN is the number printed on the Certificate of Incorporation. There is no separate 7 digit company number.
| Incorporated | Certificate of Incorporation shows |
|---|---|
| Before 27 December 2023 | A 7 digit company number, plus a separate 8 digit BRN from the IRD |
| On or after 27 December 2023 | The 8 digit BRN, serving as the UBI |
So the answer depends on the company's age. For anything older, expect two numbers. For anything newer, expect one. Either way, the eight digits of the Business Registration Number are what most counterparties actually want.
Identifies the legal person.
- Issued once, at incorporation
- Never changes, even if the name does
- The key to the Companies Registry search
Identifies the taxable business activity.
- Renewed every year, or every three years
- Displayed at the place of business by law
- What tax and banking forms usually want
Checking whether a company is still trading
Company status in the free search is the first signal, but Hong Kong has a second one that matters more in practice.
A Hong Kong company must renew its Business Registration Certificate every year or every three years, and must file an annual return (form NAR1) with the Companies Registry. A company that has stopped doing either is a company that has stopped being maintained, whatever its registry status still says.
The Document Index Search is free, and it shows you whether the annual returns are being filed. If the last NAR1 is three years old, you have your answer without spending anything.
Name availability before incorporating
The free Company Name Search doubles as the availability check.
Hong Kong will refuse a name identical to one already on the register, and names that require consent or are considered offensive. It will also refuse names too similar to an existing one, which is a judgement call rather than a rule you can test in advance.
Two practical points.
Search both the English and the Chinese name. A company can register either, or both, and they are treated separately.
A free search result is not a reservation. Hong Kong does not operate a name reservation system in the way some jurisdictions do. The name is yours when the incorporation is approved, not before.
How Hong Kong compares
| Hong Kong | United Kingdom | Delaware | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic search | Free | Free | Free |
| Directors visible | HK$22 | Free | ❌ Never |
| Beneficial owners visible | ❌ Not publicly | ✅ PSC register | ❌ Never |
| Accounts available | ❌ Not filed publicly for private companies | ✅ Free PDFs | ❌ |
| Documents | HK$22 to HK$340 | Free | Paid |
Two things stand out for anyone running due diligence across the three.
Hong Kong private companies do not file public accounts. They must be audited annually, but the audited accounts go to the shareholders and the Inland Revenue Department, not onto a public register. You cannot pull a Hong Kong company's financials the way you can pull a UK company's.
Hong Kong has a Significant Controllers Register, but it is kept at the company's registered office and made available to law enforcement on demand. It is not a public database you can search.
So Hong Kong sits closer to Delaware than to the UK on ownership transparency, while being far more open than Delaware on directors.
When the company does not come up
Wrong script. An English search will not find a company registered only under a Chinese name, and the reverse. Try both.
The name changed. Search the company number instead. It does not change.
It is a branch, not a company. A non-Hong Kong company operating in Hong Kong registers as a registered non-Hong Kong company, held in a separate part of the register.
It is a sole proprietorship or partnership. Those hold a Business Registration Certificate from the Inland Revenue Department but are not incorporated companies, so they do not appear in the Companies Registry.
The summary
| You want to | Answer |
|---|---|
| Confirm a company exists | ✅ Free, Company Name Search |
| See its status and former names | ✅ Free |
| See what it has filed | ✅ Free, Document Index |
| See registered charges | ✅ Free, Charges Index |
| See directors and secretary | 💰 HK$22, Company Particulars |
| See the registered office | 💰 HK$22 |
| Get the filed documents | 💰 HK$22 to HK$340 |
| See beneficial owners | ❌ Not public in Hong Kong |
| See financial accounts | ❌ Private companies do not file publicly |
Frequently asked questions
Is the Hong Kong company search free?
Partly. Company Name Search, Document Index Search and Charges Index Search are free. A Company Particulars Search, which shows directors, secretary, registered office and share capital, costs HK$22.
What is ICRIS?
The Integrated Companies Registry Information System, the Companies Registry's electronic platform. Since 27 December 2023 searches run through the e-Services Portal at www.e-services.cr.gov.hk, which replaced the older Cyber Search Centre and e-Registry.
Can you see who owns a Hong Kong company?
Not from the public register. Hong Kong companies must keep a Significant Controllers Register at their registered office and make it available to law enforcement, but it is not publicly searchable. The paid particulars search shows directors, which is not the same as owners.
What is the difference between the Company Number and the Business Registration Number?
The Company Number is issued by the Companies Registry and identifies the legal entity. The Business Registration Number is issued by the Inland Revenue Department and identifies the taxable business. Every Hong Kong company has both.
Can you see a Hong Kong company's accounts?
No, not for a private company. Hong Kong companies must be audited annually, but the audited accounts go to shareholders and the Inland Revenue Department, not onto a public register.
How much does a company search cost in Hong Kong?
Free for name, document index and charges index searches. HK$22 for company particulars. Image records and certified copies range from HK$22 to around HK$340 depending on the document.
How do I check a Hong Kong company is still active?
Look at company status in the free search, then check the Document Index for recent annual returns. A company whose last NAR1 is several years old has stopped being maintained, whatever the status says.
Can I reserve a company name in Hong Kong?
No. The free name search tells you whether a name is taken, but Hong Kong does not operate a reservation system. The name is secured when the incorporation is approved.
Does the search cover branches of foreign companies?
Yes, but separately. A non-Hong Kong company operating there registers as a registered non-Hong Kong company, held in its own part of the register.
Sources
Portal structure, the December 2023 migration, the free and paid search types and the HK$22 company particulars fee reflect the Companies Registry's published services as of August 2026. Fee ranges above HK$22 vary by document type and volume. Verify current fees on cr.gov.hk before relying on them for budgeting.