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Tips to Select Your Hong Kong Company Names
The step of naming your new company is as important as having a business plan for your new company. Just like many jurisdictions, you need to have a proposed company name in order to form a limited company in Hong Kong. Below is a summary to guide you on how to select your Hong Kong company name. We provide guidance on select the right Hong Kong company name format, checking on Hong Kong company name restrictions, assist in Hong Kong company name change, before you get any Hong Kong company name ideas from the Hong Kong company name generator.
Registration of Company Name for Hong Kong Company
1. General requirements for Hong Kong company name format:
- A company name (that is to be registered in Hong Kong) can be in English or Chinese.
- The company name cannot be a combination of English words/letters and Chinese characters.
- For an English company name, it must end with the word “Limited”
- For the Chinese company name, it must end with the characters “有限公司.”
- The Chinese company name should contain traditional Chinese characters (繁體字) that can be found in the following dictionaries
- Dictionary of Kang Xi (康熙字典) or Dictionary of Ci Hai (辭海), and
- the ISO 10646 international coding standard.
- The Chinese company name with simplified Chinese characters will NOT be accepted.
2. Circumstances that a company name will not be registered (Hong Kong company name restrictions):
- it is the duplication of a name appearing in the Registrar’s Index of Company Names;
- it is the duplication of a name of a body corporate incorporated or established under an Ordinance;
- the company name would constitute a criminal offence; or
- the company name is offensive or otherwise contrary to the public interest.
3. The conditions of similarities between proposed company name and existing name:
Words and expressions below are regarded as the same –
- “and” and “&”
- “Hong Kong” , “Hongkong” and “HK”
- “Far East” and “FE”
Example: 3E Hong Kong Limited = 3E Hongkong Limited = 3E HK Limited)
When examining a proposed company name (Hong Kong company name ideas from Hong Kong company name generator), you should be very careful if your proposed company name will end up in a dispute or complaint as being similar to an existing company name or Hong Kong company name format.
Registration of Company Name for Non Hong Kong Company
Non-Hong Kong company refers to a non Hong Kong incorporated company that set up a place of business in Hong Kong. The company must apply to the Registrar of Companies for registration as a registered non Hong Kong company within one month after the establishment of the place of business.
1. General requirements:
- A “corporate name” refers to a domestic name (or a translated domestic name) that has been registered in the Hong Kong Companies Register by a registered non Hong Kong company.
- A “domestic name” refers to the name or names that have been registered by a non-Hong Kong company in its place of incorporation.
- Generally, a non-Hong Kong company’s the domestic name(s) will be entered upon registration in the Companies Register as the corporate name(s) of the registered non-Hong Kong Company with the exception that the domestic name is/are neither in Roman script nor in Chinese.
In such case, a certified translation of the domestic name in English or Chinese, or both, will be so entered.
2. Registration of a certified translation of a domestic name:
While a non-Hong Kong company could apply for registration of a certified translation of a domestic name in English or Chinese, or both (if it does not have a domestic name or a corporate name entered in the Companies Register in that language), it is advised that the non Hong Kong company applies for registration of the English name or Chinese name as a domestic name in the place where it is incorporated.
Company Name That Needs Approval/Permission Before Registration
There are certain proposed company names (include Hong Kong company name change) that require the Registrar’s prior approval before registration. Before the application, you should always seek the advice of the Registrar about the types of names (that will be mentioned below) and the application should be done in writing. The Applications will be submitted to the New Companies Section of the Companies Registry.
- Names that would possibly give the idea/impression that the company is linked in any way with the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Central People’s Government, any department or agency of either Government. As such, the company name will be permitted only where it is verified/justified that the company has a considerable connection with the Central People’s Government or the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.The word’s usage like “Department,” “Government,” “Commission,” “Bureau,” “Federation,” “Council,” “Authority,” would generally constitute government-linked connection and it will not usually be authorized.
- Company name that contains any of the expressions (or words) designated in the Companies
Company Name Search on Hong Kong company name ideas
To rule out the possibility of duplication or having similar company name (as the existing companies), you will need to run a name search (on your Hong Kong company name ideas) free of charge via:
Company Name Change
In the event you intend to change the company name after incorporation, the company name can be changed by special resolution. The company have to produce to the Registrar for registration notice of the company name change under section 107(2) of the Companies Ordinance, within 15 days after the date of claiming the special resolution.
Under section 622 of the Companies Ordinance, the requirement to deliver a copy of the special resolution to the Registrar for registration does not apply to cases of company name change. Please note that the Registrar does not require the delivery of a notice of alteration of articles and a certified copy of articles (as altered under section 88(5) of the Companies Ordinance) about company name change.
Restoration of a Company Name
In the event of company restoration (a company is restored to the Companies Registrar after dissolution), the said company will be restored under the same name that it was registered before its dissolution. That said, within 12 months of company restoration, the Registrar may direct the company to change name by notice in writing, within the period specified in the notice, if the name appears to be similar or have appeared in the Index of Company Names; or it is similar to the name of a body corporate incorporated or established under an Ordinance.
Naming your new company is not an easy task without proper guidance and research. If you need more details about company name registration in Hong Kong, feel free to contact us!
