General

You can conduct online company searches :

1. at the Companies Registry's Cyber Search Centre at www.icris.cr.gov.hk; or
   
   
2. via Company Search Mobile Service at www.mobile-cr.gov.hk; or
   
   
3. onsite at the Companies Registry's Public Search Centre on the 13th floor of the Queensway Government Offices, 66 Queensway, Hong Kong.

No. You can conduct company searches at the Companies Registry's Cyber Search Centre or via Company Search Mobile Service at www.mobile-cr.gov.hk as an Unregistered Online User. You can also conduct searches as an Onsite user at the Companies Registry's Public Search Centre on the 13th floor of the Queensway Government Offices, 66 Queensway, Hong Kong.

You can select "Service Fees" under "About e-Search" on the menu after you have logged on to the Companies Registry's Cyber Search Centre or Company Search Mobile Service for details of the search fees payable. An information pamphlet ‘Price Guide to Main Services’ is available for download at the Companies Registry's website (www.cr.gov.hk).

Most of the search results can be viewed online, for example, searches on Company Name Index, Charges Index, Document Index, Directors Index and Disqualification Orders Index. In addition to online viewing, image records can be downloaded. Certified copies of records ordered online can only be collected in hard copy form. If you conduct searches onsite at the Companies Registry's Public Search Centre, search results are mainly issued in the form of hard copies.

You can first conduct an Image Record Search. After identifying the required document from the Document Index, you can place order by clicking the appropriate icon or button for the selected document entry. You can also place order for downloading the image records or obtaining certified copies of all documents of a company filed in a specific year by clicking the "Order all documents filed in a specific year" icon.

For online search on image records of documents with more than 200 pages (bulky documents), you can choose to download the records or place an order to have the records delivered in the form of a CD-ROM. The ordered CD-ROM can be collected at the Public Search Centre or delivered to you by post or by courier subject to payment of handling charges.

If the image records of bulky documents are ordered at the Public Search Centre, they will only be provided in CD-ROM for collection at the Public Search Centre.

The ordered items can normally be available for download within 5 minutes after payment.

The ordered image records will be kept in the download area for seven calendar days.

You may select "Download Ordered Items" under "Shopping" on the menu. For Registered Online Users, a list of all orders available for download will be displayed for selection. For Unregistered Online Users, you must input the Order Number and Order Enquiry Reference Number which are printed on the digital receipt before you can retrieve your order.

No. The Companies Registry will not issue a fresh certificate. You may place order for a certified copy of the relevant certificate or a Certificate of Continuing Registration. You may refer to the information pamphlet ‘Certificate of Continuing Registration’ which is available for download at the Companies Registry's website (www.cr.gov.hk).

No. However, the system will log out your connection in 20 minutes if no search action is detected. You log in again anytime.

A free enquiry function is available for Registered Online Users (principal account holders only) to check their daily transaction statements and monthly statements of account. The respective charges, the opening and closing balances of the accounts are also included in the statements. Besides, a transaction listing statement showing the transaction details including the search keys and the charges for each transaction can be ordered at a cost by all users. Registered Online Users can order the transaction listing statement for a specified month up to the last three months. Unregistered Online Users and Onsite Users will be asked whether they want to order this statement for the log-in session before they log out the system.

No. Any omission will lead to different search results.

No. Entering the full name of a company will lead to different search results.

The total number of records available will be shown on the first page of the Company Name Search result screen. For a company name search using the 'Left Partial Search' mode, search result of up to 500 records will be displayed. You may enter a longer character string to get a more specific search result.

No. You can save or print out the results first before you proceed to search the next 500 records. As the first 500 records have already been delivered and the transaction has been completed, you cannot go back to view them again once you have proceeded to search the next 500 records.

Yes. All the documents that have been delivered to the Companies Registry and are pending registration will be shown in the respective Document Index of a company. Documents pending registration will be displayed at the top of the list and will be denoted by "(pending)" at the end of the document names. However, the image records of the pending documents will not be available for search.

By searching the Document Index, you can obtain a list of documents filed by a company for your selection. Information on the names of documents, filing dates, file size and processing status of documents will be shown.

A number of commonly-used Document Groups are also available under the Document Index Search to facilitate your selection. For example, by selecting the Document Group 'Directors, Company Secretary and Authorized Representatives', a list of all the documents of the company reporting the appointments, cessations and changes in particulars of directors, company secretaries and authorized representatives will be displayed.

Registered and Unregistered Online Users may contact the Help Desk of the e-Search Services at Tel: (852) 8201 8273; Fax: (852) 8300 1004; Email: cr.helpdesk@icris.cr.gov.hk or write to the Companies Registry direct for assistance. Onsite users may contact the staff at the Information Counter of the Public Search Centre on the 13th floor of the Queensway Government Offices to make the search request. The Companies Registry's staff will follow up and notify you of the investigation results.

Registered and Unregistered Online Users may contact the Help Desk of the e-Search Services at Tel: (852) 8201 8273; Fax: (852) 8300 1004; Email: cr.helpdesk@icris.cr.gov.hk or write to the Companies Registry to report the discrepancies. Onsite users may report to the staff at the Information Counter of the Public Search Centre on the 13th floor of the Queensway Government Offices. Documentary support, such as copies of the image records in question, the digital receipt and digital order should be provided by online users. For onsite users, the relevant hard copies and the order form with payment receipt record should be provided. The Companies Registry's staff will investigate and rectify the errors and notify you of the investigation results.

Yes. You can place order for a Company Particulars Report which gives a summary of the key particulars of a selected company. In addition to basic company information, the Report provides information on the company's registered office address (for local companies), address of principal place of business in Hong Kong and particulars of authorized representatives (for registered non-Hong Kong companies), share capital structure, name(s) of current director(s) and reserve director(s) (if any), particulars of company secretary, particulars of receiver(s) and manager(s) and liquidator(s) (if any). You may select "Company Particulars" under "Search" on the menu for placing your order. You can select to view the Report online or place order for a certified copy of the Report.

The company particulars report is only available for local companies or registered non-Hong Kong companies. It is not available for :-

1. Companies which had been dissolved or ceased to have a place of business in Hong Kong before 1 January 1999.
2. Companies which requested to be struck off before 1 February 1998.

In addition to basic company information, a company particulars report will provide company information such as the company’s registered office address (for local companies), address of principal place of business in Hong Kong and particulars of authorized representatives (for registered non-Hong Kong companies), share capital structure, name(s) of current director(s) and reserve director(s) (if any), particulars of company secretary, particulars of receiver(s) and manager(s) (if any) and particulars of liquidator(s) (if any).

You can obtain a company particulars report at a fee of HK$22 each.

No. You can refer to the image records of Incorporation Form, Returns of Allotment and Annual Returns (with a list of members) to obtain shareholders' information of a company limited by shares.

You can obtain a list of all current director(s) and reserve director(s) (if any) of a company (company-based search), a list of companies of which a person is currently a director or reserve director (director-based search) or the particulars of a specified current director or reserve director (if any) of a company (director particulars search).

You can obtain a director index search report at a fee of HK$11 per company (for company-based search) or HK$22 per director or reserve director (for director-based search); and a director particulars search report at a fee of HK$11 per director or reserve director.

You can obtain a list of all registered charges of a company. Basic information of each charge such as a brief description, the charge registration number, and the dates of creation and registration will also be provided. You can choose to view the names of the documents relating to the registered charges on the list. You may also choose to place orders for the image record(s) of the document(s) after paying the service fee(s).

A Registered Online User can enjoy the following benefits:-

1. conduct company name search by using keyword search mode at a cost;
   
   
2. obtain image records of registered documents at lower fees;
   
   
3. settle service fees with the prepayment in his account without the need to effect payment every time before obtaining the search result; and
   
   
4. order transaction listing statements showing the search keys for each transaction for a specified month up to the last three months.

Registered Online User of the Companies Registry’s Electronic Search Services can use their login IDs to conduct searches at the Cyber Search Centre (www.icris.cr.gov.hk) or the Company Search Mobile Service (www.mobile-cr.gov.hk).

You can submit an online application through the hyperlink on the home page of the Companies Registry's Cyber Search Centre (www.icris.cr.gov.hk) or Company Search Mobile Service (www.mobile-cr.gov.hk). You can also submit the application form to the Companies Registry by post after obtaining the application form from the 'Electronic Services' – 'Electronic Search Services at the Cyber Search Centre' section of the Companies Registry's website (www.cr.gov.hk). An email notification of commencement of services will be sent to you after the Companies Registry has received the completed application form and the payment of the initial annual fee.

An annual fee of HK$500 for a principal account and HK$100 for a subsequent account will be charged. The initial annual fee will be calculated on a pro-rata daily basis.

Any customer can register with the Registrar of Companies as a Registered Online User and a principal account will be assigned to him. A Registered Online User can apply for additional subsequent accounts and assign them to different users in his organisation. A maximum of 15 subsequent accounts are allowed for one principal account. The principal account holder can submit his application online to increase the number of his subsequent accounts through the function "Maintain Subsequent Account Login and Password" under "My Account" on the menu.

As a Registered Online User, you are entirely free to set your own level of prepayment. You can submit an online request for Increase in Prepayment and make payment by the following methods:-

1. through online payment channels using:
   
   
   1. credit card (VISA/Mastercard/JCB/UnionPay);
      
      
   2. digital wallet (Apple Pay/Google Pay) (only applicable to the Company Search Mobile Service); or
      
      
   3. PPS Shop&Buy Service (only applicable to the Cyber Search Centre);

   
   
2. by direct internet bank transfer (from the bank accounts of the HSBC, Hang Seng Bank and member banks of JETCO);
   
   
3. by depositing an e-Cheque issued by any bank which offers e-Cheque issuance service through the e-Cheque Bill Payment Service provided by Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited;
   
   
4. by posting or delivering a cheque to the Financial Services Division of the Companies Registry on the 29th floor of the Queensway Government Offices (QGO) together with the payment advice; or
   
   
5. in person at the Shroff Office of the Companies Registry’s Public Search Centre on the 13th floor of the QGO together with the payment advice.

[Note: Cheques should be made payable to “Companies Registry”]

You may use the “Online Request” function under “My Account” on the menu to submit the request. You can also submit an online request for Decrease in Prepayment to reduce the amount of prepayment. Once you have submitted an online request, your available account balance will be adjusted accordingly. A cheque covering the reduced amount will be sent to you by post after the request has been processed. You may use the “Online Request” function under “My Account” on the menu to submit the request.

The available account balance will be displayed on each screen. In addition, there is an enquiry function "Enquiry for Account Balance" for you to check the account balance.

The monthly Statement of Account will show the transaction breakdowns of each subsequent account. Conversely, you may use the function "Payment Summary" to check their daily transactions. In addition, you may order the Transaction Listing Statement of a specified month to check the detailed transaction records, including the search keys used.

You can top up the prepayment by online means using:

1. credit card (VISA/Mastercard/JCB/UnionPay);
   
   
2. digital wallet (Apple Pay/Google Pay) (only applicable to the Company Search Mobile Service); or
   
   
3. PPS Shop&Buy Service (only applicable to the Cyber Search Centre).

You may also login as an Unregistered Online User and pay the Unregistered Online User charges to continue the searches.