- A business registration search does two things: confirms a Hong Kong business is on an official register, and gives you its Business Registration Number. It’s not a credit check.
- There are two tracks: Limited companies sit on the Companies Registry e-Services Portal. Sole proprietorships and partnerships sit with the Inland Revenue Department.
- Looking up a BR number on GovHK is free. Official IRD documents cost HK$20 to HK$27.
- Since 27 December 2023, the BR number is also the Unique Business Identifier for companies under the Registrar..
- Most “not found” results mean you’re on the wrong track or searching the wrong name, not that the business is fake.
- Checking a limited company? Companies Registry e-Services Portal.
- Checking a sole proprietor or partnership? GovHK Business Registration Number Enquiry, free.
- Only have a shopfront name? Ask for the certificate first, then search.
- Need an official document? Order a Business Register extract on GovHK once you have the number.
About to pay a new supplier? A business registration search in Hong Kong tells you whether they are on an official register before money leaves the account, and most searches that come back “not found” are looking in the wrong place.
Hong Kong doesn’t put every business behind one search box. Limited companies sit with the Companies Registry. Sole proprietors and partnerships sit with the IRD, or on the Business Registration Certificate on the wall. Pick the wrong door and the register looks empty even when the business is real.
The same search works in reverse if you need your own BR number for a bank form or loan pack.
In this guide, you’ll learn:
- Which registry to use, and why “not found” is usually a track mistake
- How to run the search, step by step
- What’s free and what you pay for
- What a BR search can and can’t prove
- When it’s the right check, and when it isn’t
What is a business registration search, and when do you need one?
A business registration search checks whether a Hong Kong business is registered and whether its registration is currently valid. Limited companies are searched through the Companies Registry’s e-Services Portal, while sole proprietorships and partnerships are registered with the Inland Revenue Department’s Business Registration Office.
Since 27 December 2023 the Business Registration Number is also the entity’s Unique Business Identifier, so one number does the work that two used to.
Three situations account for most searches:
- Counterparty due diligence: A supplier or contractor wants a deposit or payment terms, and you want proof the business exists before you commit.
- Vendor onboarding: Finance records a verified BR number in the vendor file so invoices match a real registered entity.
- Your own paperwork: Banks, landlords and insurers all ask for your BR number, and it is rarely to hand.
If you want the meaning of the number rather than a lookup, what the BRN is, and how it relates to the UBI covers that properly.
The old ICRIS Cyber Search Centre closed on 22 December 2023. Use the e-Services Portal instead. Any guide that still says "open ICRIS and click Company Name Search" is out of date.
Where do you search: Companies Registry or the Inland Revenue Department?
Limited companies go to the Companies Registry. Everything else goes to the IRD. That split is where most failed searches start.
The Companies Registry only holds entities incorporated under the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 622), so a neighbourhood shop trading as a sole proprietorship was never in there to begin with. The IRD is the broader net. Every business trading in Hong Kong has to register with it under the Business Registration Ordinance (Cap. 310), incorporated or not.
| What you’re checking | Where the record sits | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Limited company (Ltd) | Companies Registry e-Services Portal | Name, status, directors, registered office, charges |
| Sole proprietorship or partnership | IRD Business Registration Number Enquiry, via GovHK | The BR number and whether registration is valid |
| Branch of an existing business | IRD Business Registration Number Enquiry, via GovHK | Branch registration certificate details |
| Non-Hong Kong company with a local presence | Both registries | A Companies Registry record plus a BR number |
Not sure which you’ve got? Look at the name. Limited, Ltd or 有限公司 means Companies Registry. Anything else, start with the IRD.
What changed in December 2023
Two dates, three changes.
- 22 December 2023: The Cyber Search Centre and the old e-Registry closed for good.
- 27 December 2023: The e-Services Portal replaced them, at e-services.cr.gov.hk.
- 27 December 2023: The eight-digit BR number became the Unique Business Identifier, replacing the CR number that used to sit alongside it.
Still being sent to icris.cr.gov.hk? That guide is out of date. Background in ICRIS and the e-Services Portal.
How do you check a business registration number, step by step?
A BR check is a short sequence, not one click. Gather the registered name, pick the right track, run the matching search, record the BRN, then save what you found before you pay anyone. Six steps, and most checks take under 10 minutes.
Step 1: Gather what you already have
Collect the strongest identifiers before you open any portal:
- Registered business name, in English and Traditional Chinese, from a contract, invoice or certificate, not a shopfront or Instagram name
- Any number already on the paperwork: an eight-digit BRN, or an older Company Registration Number
- Business address or district (Hong Kong, Kowloon or New Territories), which matters most for sole proprietorships
- The structure: limited company, or sole proprietorship or partnership
Step 2: Choose which track you are on
| If this is true | Go to |
|---|---|
| Name ends in Limited, Ltd or 有限公司, or they mention directors and a company secretary | Step 3 (Companies Registry) |
| Sole proprietor, partnership, or “no company number, only BR” | Step 4 (GovHK / IRD) |
| You are on site, or they can email a PDF certificate | Step 6, then confirm online |
| You are unsure | Try Step 3 first; if nothing useful appears, go to Step 4 |
Step 3: For a limited company, run a company search
For incorporated companies, the official lookup is the Companies Registry e-Services Portal. Our Hong Kong company search guide covers login options, name-search modes, the Document Index and paid records in full.
For a BR check you need only three things back:
- The registered company name
- Whether the company is live, dissolved or deregistered
- The BRN to record on invoices and contracts
If the paperwork still shows an old Company Registration Number, map it to the current BRN on the portal, then skip to Step 7.
Step 4: For a sole proprietor or partnership, use the GovHK BRN Enquiry
Sole proprietorships and partnerships will not appear on the Companies Registry the way a limited company does, so use the IRD Business Register instead.
- Enter the full registered name, in English or Traditional Chinese. Partial names, nicknames and trading names often fail, so take the spelling from an invoice, contract or certificate.
- Select the business location: Hong Kong, Kowloon or New Territories. A wrong district is a common miss even when the name is right.
- Record the eight-digit BRN exactly as shown.
Three things worth knowing on this track:
- Paper is gone. Since 4 September 2023, the online GovHK service has fully replaced paper applications for the public Business Register search.
- You can also search in person, on the computers at the Business Registration Office, 2/F Inland Revenue Centre, Kai Tak.
- If the online enquiry fails, call the IRD helpdesk or use the counters at Kai Tak. Thin public visibility on this track is normal, and is not by itself proof the business is fake.
Step 5 (optional): Order an official document if you need one
Skip this step if the number is all you need. If a bank, auditor or onboarding team needs documentary proof, you can order Business Register documents on GovHK from HK$20 once you have the BRN and registered name. See the next section for the full breakdown.
Step 6: Read the certificate when you are on site
If you are in the supplier’s office, or they can email a scan:
- Ask for the current Business Registration Certificate, hard copy or PDF.
- Read the eight-digit BRN and registered name printed on it.
- Confirm that name online on the matching track: company search for limited companies, GovHK for sole proprietorships.
If they can’t produce a valid certificate, most onboarding teams treat that as a hard stop.
Step 7: Cross-check, then file it before you pay
Before you treat the search as done, confirm that:
- The legal name on the register matches the invoice and contract, not just the trading name
- The BRN you will record is the current identifier, with any old CR number mapped across
- The status is live enough for your risk policy, since a dissolved or deregistered company needs a pause
- The certificate, invoice and online record all tell the same story
Then file the pack with the contract before money leaves the account:
- The search result screenshot, or the paid extract PDF
- Legal name, BRN, status and search date
- Any mismatches, and how you resolved them
Electronic extracts on a sole proprietorship or partnership come with a declaration. Since 1 November 2021, the IRD requires you to declare that you will use the data only to check registration particulars under the Business Registration Ordinance, and that you will handle any personal data in line with the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance. Build that step into your onboarding process before you reach the payment screen.
What’s free, and what do you pay for in a business registration search?
Most people never pay anything. The number itself is free, and the number is what invoices, contracts and bank forms actually ask for.
You pay only when someone else needs to see the evidence, and only once you already have the number and the registered name.
| What you need | On GovHK, ask for | Cost | How fast |
|---|---|---|---|
| Just the number | Business Registration Number Enquiry | Free | Instant |
| To read the current details yourself | Uncertified extract of information | HK$27 | Instant, yours for 7 days |
| To show the full filing history to a bank or auditor | Certified extract of information | HK$27 | Next working day |
| An officially attested copy of the certificate | Certified copy of a valid BRC / branch certificate | HK$27 | Next working day, on paper |
| A quick PDF of the certificate for your own file | Duplicate of a valid BRC / branch certificate (electronic) | HK$20 | Instant, retrievable for 2 months |
Certified or uncertified? Uncertified is for your eyes only. Certified carries an official attestation, which is what a bank, an auditor or a court will want to see. That difference is also why the HK$20 duplicate lands instantly while the HK$27 certified copy takes until the next working day.
Both certificate options need a valid certificate: one that has not expired and whose fee has been paid or exempted under section 9 of the Business Registration Ordinance.
Three limits worth knowing before you pay:
- The fee does not buy verification. The IRD records what businesses declare and checks it only summarily, which is why it labels Business Register information as being for reference only. HK$27 buys you an official copy of an unverified claim.
- Some records are not there at all. You will find nothing for a business that ceased 10 or more years ago, or a registration still working its way through.
- Fees change. Confirm them on GovHK on the day.
What other ways can you look up a BR number?
You’re probably here because something didn’t work. Match the wall you’ve hit to the way round it.
| Where you’re stuck | What to try |
|---|---|
| All you have is an old company number from historic filings | The CR number mapping tool on the e-Services Portal converts it to the current BR number |
| The name looks right but nothing comes back | Switch language, then call the IRD on 187 8088. Staff can try variants you can’t guess at |
| You’d rather not do this online | Terminals and counters at the Business Registration Office, 2/F Inland Revenue Centre, Kai Tak |
| You’re checking dozens of counterparties, not one | A third-party database or API, then re-verify every hit against GovHK or the Companies Registry |
One rule for third-party data: Aggregators work from periodic snapshots, so they lag status changes and routinely miss sole traders altogether. Treat a hit as a lead, not a confirmation.
What can a business registration search prove, and what can’t it?
| What it confirms | What it doesn’t |
|---|---|
| The business is on an official register | Whether they can afford to pay you |
| The BR number to put on contracts and invoices | Whether your contact actually runs the company |
| Live or dissolved status, for limited companies | Who owns the brand or the trademark |
| That someone filed a form and paid a fee | That anyone checked what they filed |
Treat the search as step one of due diligence. Pair it with the certificate, the contract paperwork, and whatever banking or compliance checks your risk policy demands. If you need credit history, sanctions screening or proof of who signs, those are separate jobs.
Why does a business registration search come back empty?
Most failures come down to the wrong name or the wrong track, rarely because the business doesn’t exist.
You’re searching the shopfront name
Fix: Try English and Traditional Chinese, then a shorter fragment. Pull the exact spelling off an invoice or contract. Neon signs and Instagram handles don’t have to match the register.
It’s a sole trader or partnership
Fix: Switch to the GovHK enquiry, or ask for the certificate. These never appear on the Companies Registry the way a limited company does, and thin public visibility is normal rather than suspicious.
The record looks inactive
Fix: Check the status field on the e-Services Portal, then ask for a current certificate. Deregistered, dissolved, struck off and lapsed all still show up with their status attached, so this is information, not absence.
The file is too old or too new
Fix: Ask the business directly. The Business Register holds nothing for businesses that ceased 10 or more years ago, or registrations still in progress, so a blank can simply mean the file isn’t there yet.
The certificate and the online record disagree
Fix: Ask for the latest certificate and compare the two. Particulars are meant to be updated with the IRD after any change, so a mismatch usually means somebody’s behind on admin. Raise it before you pay.
Your paperwork shows an old CR number
Fix: Use the portal’s mapping tool to convert it. Under the UBI regime the BR number is the current identifier for companies under the Registrar. BRN vs CRN covers the distinction.
How Sleek helps with business registration and renewals
Verified your counterparty, or dug out your own details? The ongoing work is the part that bites: renewals, address changes, the statutory calendar.
Sleek handles company setup, the Business Registration Certificate, renewing your business registration, and day-to-day corporate secretarial services including a registered office address.
With Sleek, you can:
- Register cleanly: Incorporate and get the certificate without stitching portals together.
- Stay current: Renewals tracked, so the certificate doesn’t lapse mid-contract.
- Keep one address: A compliant Hong Kong registered office that doesn’t move when you do.
- Hand off the filings: Company secretarial runs the recurring calendar.
We don’t do investigations, and we don’t replace paid Companies Registry reports when you need director or charge detail. We handle the registration and the compliance once you know what you’re dealing with.
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FAQs about business registration search in Hong Kong
No. The enquiry is only for finding the number. If you already have the BRN and the registered business name, go straight to GovHK to apply for an extract or a certificate copy/duplicate.
No. A BRN match confirms the business appears on the Business Register under that name and district. It does not, by itself, prove the current certificate is unexpired or that the prescribed fee has been paid. For a still-valid certificate, ask for the certificate itself, or buy a duplicate / certified copy of a valid BRC on GovHK.
Pick by what your file needs, not by which screen looks official:
- Uncertified extract: current particulars for a quick onboarding pack
- Certified extract: fuller official trail when you need the application history and later amendments
- Duplicate BRC: electronic copy of a still-valid certificate for emailing or filing
- Certified copy of a valid BRC: paper certified copy when a hard-copy official document is required
Current prices sit in the fees section above and on the IRD List of Current Charges.
Yes. Each separately registered business needs its own registration and BRN. A separately registered branch also has its own branch registration particulars. When you apply for Business Register documents on GovHK, you may need both the BRN and the branch number. Do not assume one BRN covers every trading line or every branch.
Treat it carefully. Some entities that never held a normal Business Registration Number were assigned a dummy BRN with an alphabetic prefix under the UBI rollout. Those dummy numbers do not map to Business Register extract or duplicate-certificate records. If the number has a letter prefix and GovHK extracts fail, you are usually outside a normal business registration search. Check BRN vs CRN and the Companies Registry record instead.
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No. Carrying on business without the required registration is an offence under the Business Registration Ordinance (Cap. 310), and failure to comply carries a maximum fine of HK$5,000 and up to a year’s imprisonment. Every business that must register should hold a valid certificate showing its number.
