Description, not a licence list
Selecting Your Business Activities in Hong Kong
Hong Kong has no activity list to choose from. What you write still matters — to regulators and, far more, to banks.
GCC business setup specialists
No list, but it still matters
Unlike the Gulf, Hong Kong does not make you pick from coded activities. You describe your business on the Business Registration and the incorporation form. That description is what a bank reads during onboarding, and what determines whether a sector licence applies.
- Description written for regulators and banks alike
- Licensed sectors identified before you file
- No invented activity-code process
20+
Mainland, free zone and offshore jurisdictions we file in — so the recommendation is based on your activity, not on which authority we happen to be registered with.
7,000+
Companies successfully established.
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What the description decides
Why your stated activity matters
Four consequences follow from what you write.
| It affects | How |
|---|---|
| Sector licensing | Certain descriptions put you squarely in a regulated sector. |
| Bank onboarding | Banks read it closely; vague or high-risk wording causes refusals. |
| Business Registration | The nature of business is recorded on the certificate. |
| Profits tax | The activity informs where profits are sourced. |
| Counterparty due diligence | Customers and payment providers assess it too. |
| Insurance and contracts | Cover and terms can turn on the stated activity. |
Hong Kong does not operate an activity-code licensing system. Sector licensing is specific and changes; your activity is checked before filing. Company secretarial and registered office services in Hong Kong must be provided by a licensed trust or company service provider. We co-ordinate your engagement with a licensed Hong Kong provider and manage the process end to end; the regulated filings are made by them.
How it works
Getting the description right
Ten minutes here prevents a bank refusal later.
01
Describe the business
What you sell, to whom, and how it is delivered, in plain words.
02
Check against licensed sectors
Whether anything in that description falls into a licensed sector such as financial services, money services or food.
03
Write it for the audience
A description that is accurate, specific and readable by a bank, used consistently across incorporation, Business Registration and onboarding.
To get this right
What we will ask you
Specificity helps; vagueness causes bank refusals.
- What exactly you sell
- Goods, services or both
- Who your customers are and where
- Who your suppliers are and where
- Whether you handle client money
- Whether you deal in securities or investments
- Whether you remit money or exchange currency
- Whether you hold stock, and where
- Whether you have any Hong Kong presence
- Expected transaction volumes
- Any activity refused elsewhere
- Equivalent licences held in other countries
Scope
What is included, and what is not
Stated plainly, so nothing is added once the engagement starts.
Included in the service fee
- Business description drafted for filing and onboarding
- Check against licensed sectors
- Identification of any regulator involved
- Consistent wording across incorporation and registration
- Guidance on bank-facing description
- Advice where a description will cause difficulty
- Amendments where the business changes
- One adviser co-ordinating it
Not included, quoted separately
- Government fees, paid at cost
- Sector licensing applications, quoted separately
- Market or competitor research
- Business plan writing beyond the description
- Trademark searches
- Product testing and certification
- Bank onboarding decisions
- Regulated filings, made by the licensed local provider
Verify independently
Official Hong Kong authorities
We file directly with these bodies on your behalf.
Companies RegistryInland Revenue DepartmentImmigration DepartmentMandatory Provident Fund Schemes AuthorityIntellectual Property DepartmentCustoms and Excise Department
Questions
Choosing Hong Kong business activities — FAQs
Do I choose from an activity list?
No. Hong Kong has no activity-code list of the kind used in the Gulf. You describe your business, and that description carries weight.
Why does the wording matter so much?
Because banks read it during onboarding. Vague or high-risk descriptions are a common cause of refusal for non-resident companies.
Can I describe several activities?
Yes, though a sprawling description reads badly to a bank. Specific and coherent beats comprehensive.
What if my activity is licensed?
Then licensing comes before trading, and in financial services that is a substantial process in its own right.
Can I change it later?
Yes, the nature of business can be updated. A move into a licensed sector brings that sector’s requirements with it.
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