- A Hong Kong company search retrieves official Companies Registry records for incorporated companies (Ltd): status, incorporation date, registered address, directors, charges and filed documents.
- Since 27 December 2023, you search on the Companies Registry e-Services Portal at www.e-services.cr.gov.hk. It replaced the separate Cyber Search Centre (2005) and e-Registry (2011) portals when the revamped ICRIS went live.
- Basic name and index searches are free. Deeper particulars and document images are paid (confirm on the portal before you pay).
- A company search is not a business registration search. They’re two separate registries, but since 27 December 2023 they share one identifier: the Unique Business Identifier (UBI), which is the Business Registration Number (BRN).
- Where: Companies Registry e-Services Portal at www.e-services.cr.gov.hk (live since 27 December 2023).
- Free? Yes for Company Name, Document Index and Charges Index searches. A Company Particulars Search is HK$22.
- Account needed? No for free public search. A registered e-Search account is optional (HK$500/year principal).
- Identifier: Search by UBI / BRN. The former company registration number was replaced from 27 December 2023.
A Hong Kong company search is an official lookup of an incorporated Hong Kong company (Ltd) on the Companies Registry’s public register. It returns registration status, incorporation date, registered address, directors, company secretary, registered charges and filed documents. Basic name and index searches are free; a Company Particulars Search costs HK$22.
Since 27 December 2023 you run that search on the Companies Registry’s e-Services Portal at www.e-services.cr.gov.hk, which replaced the separate Cyber Search Centre (2005) and e-Registry (2011) portals when the revamped Integrated Companies Registry Information System (ICRIS) went live. If a guide still sends you to the Cyber Search Centre, that route no longer reaches a working search.
In this guide, you’ll learn:
- What a company search shows, and what it cannot tell you
- How a company search differs from a business registration search
- What’s free and what you pay for, with current fees
- How to run the search step by step, and how to read the results for due diligence
What is a Hong Kong company search, and what can you actually see?
A Hong Kong company search is a lookup of a company’s official record on the public register. It’s the first check to run before you sign, onboard or pay a counterparty.
That register is maintained by the Companies Registry (公司註冊處), the government department responsible for incorporating and regulating companies under the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 622). You search it through the e-Search services on the Registry’s e-Services Portal.
What you can see, and what it costs:
| What you want to see | Cost |
|---|---|
| Name, UBI/BRN, status, incorporation date, company type, name history | Free |
| The document list and the charges list (both indexes) | Free |
| Registered office, share capital, directors, company secretary, shareholders | HK$22 (Company Particulars Search) |
| A full filed document, such as Form NAR1 or Form NNC1 | From HK$9 (image record) |
An image record is a scanned copy of a document the company actually filed. A summary report, by contrast, is something the Registry generates for you.
One reason searches come up empty: sole proprietors and partnerships may hold a BRN but have no incorporation record at the Companies Registry. For them, a business registration search with the Inland Revenue Department is the right tool.
What a company search cannot tell you
Four limits, because they decide whether this search is enough for your decision:
- Solvency: A “Live” status confirms the company exists on the register. It says nothing about whether the company can pay you.
- Financial performance: Private-company financial statements aren’t generally public in Hong Kong. You won’t find revenue, profit or bank balances.
- Litigation history: The register holds no court records. Published judgments sit with the Judiciary, and even those aren’t a complete litigation database.
- Operational licences: Being incorporated isn’t the same as being licensed to run a regulated business.
Company search vs business registration search: what’s the difference?
A company search covers the Companies Registry and only incorporated companies. A business registration search covers the Business Registration Office (商業登記署) under the Inland Revenue Department, and covers every business that holds a Business Registration Certificate — including sole proprietors and partnerships. They are two searches on two registers, run by two departments, for two different purposes.
Since 27 December 2023 they share one identifier: the Unique Business Identifier (UBI), which is the Business Registration Number (BRN), defined as the first eight digits of the Business Registration Certificate number.
|
Company search |
Business registration search (IRD) |
|
|---|---|---|
|
Register |
Companies Registry (公司註冊處) |
Business Registration Office (商業登記署, under the IRD) |
|
Where you search |
e-Services Portal |
IRD business registration enquiry |
|
What you get |
Incorporation status, registered address, directors, charges, filed documents |
Business Registration Certificate details and validity |
|
Who it covers |
Incorporated companies (Ltd) |
All businesses, including sole proprietors and partnerships |
|
Identifier |
UBI, which is the BRN (since 27 Dec 2023) |
BRN |
|
Cost of a basic check |
Free |
Fee applies |
One-line takeaway: two registers, two searches, one shared number since December 2023.
A letter at the front of the UBI means there is no IRD record to find.
Entities registered before 27 December 2023 that never held a Business Registration Number were assigned a dummy BRN with an alphabetic prefix. The IRD is explicit: these entities have no records in the Business Register, and the dummy number will not work for a business registration application or a duplicate certificate.
So a letter-prefixed identifier is not a flaw in the data. It is your answer. Skip the business registration check and move on.
What’s free on a Hong Kong company search, and what do you pay for?
Four searches are free of charge on the e-Services Portal and need no account: Company Name Search, Document Index Search, Register of Charges Index Search, and Register of Disqualification Orders Index Search. Between them they tell you whether a company exists, whether it is still live, when it was incorporated, what it has filed and whether lenders hold security over its assets — enough for most first-pass counterparty checks.
Fees below follow the Companies Registry Major Fees schedule. Confirm on the portal’s Service Fees page before you pay.
|
Service |
Fee (HK$) |
|---|---|
|
Company Name Search (left partial or exact match) |
Free |
|
Document Index Search |
Free |
|
Register of Charges Index Search |
Free |
|
Register of Disqualification Orders Index Search |
Free |
|
Company Particulars Search (per company) |
22 |
|
Directors Index Search, company-based (per company) |
11 |
|
Director Particulars Search (per director) |
11 |
|
Directors Index Search, director-based (per director) |
22 |
|
Disqualification Order Particulars Search (per person) |
11 |
|
Image record: annual returns and specified forms (per document) |
16 to 30 |
|
Image record: prospectuses, charge instruments, accounts, financial statements (per document) |
21 to 35 |
|
Image record: any other document (per document) |
9 to 20 |
|
Certified copy — certifying fee (document fee charged separately) |
130 |
|
Certificate of Continuing Registration |
170 |
|
e-Search annual subscription |
500 principal account, 100 each additional |
Start free. Pay only when you need particulars, director detail or a filed-document image.
Download the document. Don't read it on screen.
An annual return costs HK$16 to download and HK$21 to view online. That gap runs across every document type, so downloading and opening the file locally saves HK$3 to HK$6 each time.
Thinking about the HK$500 subscription? Run the numbers first. Registered users save only HK$1 to HK$3 per image record, so fee savings alone need roughly 170 to 500 documents a year to break even. Subscribe for keyword search and a prepayment account, not for the per-document discount.
How do you search a Hong Kong company step by step?
Open the portal, run a free search, and buy detail only if the deal needs it. All you need to start is a company name or a UBI/BRN.
Step 1: Open the portal (free)
Go to www.e-services.cr.gov.hk and pick English or Chinese. Works on desktop, smartphone or tablet.
Step 2: Skip the sign-up (free)
Choose Unregistered User Services. You get free searches and one-off paid reports without an account.
- The Registry confirms no account or e-Search subscription is needed to run a company search
- No Hong Kong identity card required
- Log in only if you already hold a Registered Online User account
Step 3: Search by name or number (free)
Two free name-search modes:
- Left Partial Search: type the start of the name and drop endings like “Limited” or “有限公司”. Use it when you’re unsure of the exact legal name.
- Exact Name Search: type the full registered name, including punctuation, spacing and ending.
Keyword mode is chargeable and limited to Registered Online Users. For a one-off lookup, stay with left-partial or exact match.
Only hold a pre-2023 CR number? The portal converts a CR No. to its BRN and back.
Step 4: Open the right record (free)
- Left Partial Search returns up to 500 records, with the total on the first page. Type more of the name to narrow it.
- Open the company and read the free basics: status, incorporation date, name history, company type, UBI/BRN.
- If the status is dissolved or struck off, pause the deal until you understand why.
Step 5: Check the two free indexes (free)
Document Index: every filing the company has made, with dates, file sizes and processing status. Use a Document Group (a pre-set bundle like “Directors, Company Secretary and Authorized Representatives”) to jump straight to change notices or annual returns.
Register of Charges Index: worth checking if credit risk matters. A charge is security a lender holds over the company’s assets. The free index gives you each charge’s description, registration number, and dates of creation and registration. Buy the document itself only if you need the terms.
Step 6: Buy detail only if you need it (from HK$9)
Company Particulars Search, HK$22. Registered office, share capital structure, shareholders, current and reserve directors, company secretary. Shareholder details come from the company’s filed NNC1, NAR1 or NSC1.
Image record, from HK$9 per document. For one specific filing. Choose download over online view for the lower price.
Pay by:
- Credit card (VISA, Mastercard, JCB, UnionPay)
- Digital wallet (Apple Pay, Google Pay)
- Faster Payment System (FPS)
- PPS Shop&Buy
Orders are normally ready within five minutes.
One gap to know about: the Company Particulars Search isn’t available for companies dissolved or that ceased business in Hong Kong before 1 January 1999, or struck off before 1 February 1998.
Step 7: Save before you close the screen
The portal clears your results the moment you leave the screen. There’s no history to return to, so save or print first.
Three deadlines that catch people out:
- Order Number and Download Code: keep both from the digital receipt. You can’t re-download without them.
- Seven calendar days: how long image records stay in the download area.
- 20 minutes: inactivity before the portal logs you out, so don’t leave a paid order half-finished.
Prefer to search in person? The Registry’s e-Services Centre is on the 13th floor, Queensway Government Offices, 66 Queensway.
How do you check if a company name is available?
Run a free Company Name Search on the e-Services Portal before you incorporate. It’s the fastest way to find out whether your name is already taken.
The search covers current and previous names of every company on the register, including dissolved ones. That’s how it finds clashes a web search misses.
It won’t reserve the name for you, and it won’t tell you whether the Registrar of Companies will accept it. Separate rules apply to identical names, restricted words and misleadingly similar names. Treat a clear search as encouraging, not final.
How do you read the results before you deal with a company?
Run the free checks first. Buy particulars before you sign a contract or wire funds.
1. Is it still a company? (free)
Read the current status: Live, Dissolved, Struck off, or a winding-up entry.
Live means the company exists on the register. It does not mean the company can pay you. Dissolved or struck off needs an explanation before the deal goes any further.
2. How long has it existed under this name? (free)
Check the incorporation date and every previous name.
A new company or a run of renames isn’t a red flag by itself. It’s a question worth asking before you commit.
3. Does the address match your paperwork? (HK$22)
Compare the registered office against your contracts and invoices.
A professional registered office address is normal in Hong Kong, so the address type tells you nothing. Consistency does, and so does whether changes were filed on time.
4. Are you dealing with who you think you are? (HK$22)
Confirm your contacts appear as directors or company secretary on the Company Particulars Search. Director names are public here. That’s normal Companies Registry disclosure, not a privacy failure.
If a director’s history matters, add a Disqualification Order Particulars Search for HK$11.
5. Has a lender already claimed the assets? (free)
The Register of Charges Index shows any security held over the company’s assets, and it costs nothing to check.
Buy the charge document (HK$21 to HK$35) only if you need lender, collateral or priority detail.
6. Do they keep up with deadlines? (free)
Scan the Document Index for late or missing annual returns. A Hong Kong private company must file Form NAR1 within 42 days of its incorporation anniversary.
Gaps and unexplained director changes are real risk signals, though not a credit score on their own.
Which other registers should you check?
A Companies Registry search does not cover operational licences, regulator enforcement or court judgments. Once you’ve done the Registry check, use the register that matches your counterparty’s business.
| If you’re dealing with… | Check |
|---|---|
| A fund manager, broker or investment adviser | The SFC public register of licensed persons and registered institutions, plus SFC enforcement actions |
| A bank, restricted licence bank or deposit-taking company | The HKMA Register of Authorized Institutions |
| An insurer or insurance intermediary | The Insurance Authority registers of authorised insurers and licensed intermediaries |
| A company secretary, incorporation agent or registered office provider | The TCSP public search, the Companies Registry’s free register of licensed Trust or Company Service Providers |
| Any material contract or litigation risk | The Judiciary Legal Reference System for published judgments. Note this is not a complete litigation database |
When Sleek isn’t the right fit, and when it is
For a one-off lookup of someone else’s company, go straight to the e-Services Portal. Sleek isn’t a search bureau.
Skip us if:
- You only need to confirm a business registration. Use the IRD tools, or our business registration search guide
- You need credit scoring or listed-company research. That’s specialist data provider territory, and it comes after the Registry check
Sleek is the right fit when the record you care about is your own:
- You want your Companies Registry record kept current after director, address or share changes
- You’re consolidating company secretary, registered office and filings under one licensed provider
- You’re incorporating and want the public register correct from day one
- You’d rather not chase Registry deadlines yourself every year
How Sleek helps with filings and compliance
Searching someone else’s company is a one-off task. Keeping your own record accurate is the recurring one, and it’s your record that counterparties, banks and investors pull up when they check you out.
Sleek is a Hong Kong-licensed Trust or Company Service Provider (TCSP licence TC006483).
With Sleek, you can:
- Incorporate cleanly: register a Hong Kong company with every filing lodged correctly from day one.
- File changes fast: new director, new address, new shares. We lodge it, so the register never lags behind reality.
- Never miss an annual return: your company secretary tracks the 42-day window and files the NAR1 for you.
- Use one local team: company secretary, registered office address, plus accounting and audit when you need them.
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FAQs about Hong Kong company search
Use the portal’s CR No. to BRN mapping lists, then search by the current UBI/BRN.
The former company registration number stopped being the Registry’s main identifier on 27 December 2023, and older certificates weren’t re-issued with the new number on the face of the document. So if a contract, invoice or court order still shows a pre-2023 CR No., map it before you search rather than guessing the BRN.
Full identifier rules: BRN and the Unique Business Identifier.
Because they’re withheld on purpose, not missing. Home addresses (the statutory term is “usual residential address”) and full identity document numbers are classified as Protected Information and don’t appear in ordinary public results.
What you get and don’t get:
- You will see director and reserve director names on a paid Company Particulars Search
- You won’t see a home address or an ID number from a routine Registry lookup
The dates behind this: particulars filed from 24 October 2022 are automatically protected. Directors can also apply to withhold residential addresses filed before that date, and applications lodged from 27 December 2023 may hide those earlier details too.
Yes, through a paid director-based search. A director-based Directors Index Search costs HK$22 per director on the e-Services Portal and returns the companies where that person is currently a director or reserve director.
It’s useful when you know who you’re dealing with but not which Hong Kong company they sit behind. If you already have the company name or UBI/BRN, start with the free Company Name Search instead.
