Hong Kong has opened a route that did not exist before: a foreign company can now move its legal home to Hong Kong without winding up and starting again. The inward re-domiciliation regime came into force on 23 May 2025, and take-up has been steady enough that it is worth understanding — especially if you hold a BVI, Cayman or Bermuda company with real business ties to Asia.
What re-domiciliation actually does
Re-domiciliation is not the same as setting up a new Hong Kong company and migrating assets across. Under the new Part 17A of the Companies Ordinance, an eligible overseas company transfers its domicile to Hong Kong while keeping the same legal identity. Its contracts, assets, rights, obligations, liabilities and any ongoing legal proceedings continue unbroken. From the re-domiciliation date, the company is treated as Hong Kong-incorporated for all purposes under the Companies Ordinance.
Who qualifies
The company must be of a type that matches one of four Hong Kong forms — broadly, a private or public company limited by shares, or a public or private unlimited company with a share capital. The law of its original jurisdiction must permit it to leave (outward re-domiciliation). Notably, there is no minimum revenue, asset or employee threshold, and there is no economic substance test to satisfy. Where the company's own rules do not otherwise require it, the move must be approved by at least 75% of eligible shareholders.
The process, in outline
Application is made to the Companies Registry with a re-domiciliation form, proposed articles, and the supporting documents specified in the Ordinance, along with notice to the Business Registration Office. After the Hong Kong certificate is issued, the company must deregister in its original jurisdiction and submit evidence of that to the Registrar, generally within 120 days. It must also maintain a registered office in Hong Kong and meet its ongoing Companies Ordinance obligations like any local company.
Take-up so far
The regime is being used. By the end of June 2026 the Companies Registry had received 70 applications, with 42 companies successfully re-domiciled — including two insurance companies and a listed company. More recently, the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury indicated the regime had drawn over 80 applications with around 50 approved. The companies moving in have come largely from the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Bermuda and Luxembourg, across financial services, real estate and leasing.
Why a company might do this
For a group that already operates or is listed in Hong Kong, re-domiciliation removes the cost and friction of being regulated in two places at once — its offshore place of incorporation and Hong Kong. It also places the company inside Hong Kong's territorial tax system and full-foreign-ownership environment, without the disruption of transferring a business into a brand-new entity. It is a consolidation tool, not a tax scheme — and it only makes sense where there is genuine substance and a real reason to be in Hong Kong.
How GERAI helps
GERAI provides Hong Kong company registration and ongoing statutory compliance — advising on whether re-domiciliation or a fresh incorporation fits your situation, preparing the application, and handling the Hong Kong filings and registered-office requirements afterwards. See our Hong Kong jurisdiction page for the full picture, and our guide to the Hong Kong Significant Controllers Register for the ongoing obligations that follow. We work on a compliance-first basis and do not provide nominee director/shareholder or company secretary services, or tax advice.
For the official position, see the Hong Kong Companies Registry.
Related reading: BVI jurisdiction · Cayman jurisdiction · Singapore jurisdiction
This article is general information about regulatory developments, not legal or tax advice. Figures, fees and deadlines change and vary by entity type — confirm your own position with us or a qualified adviser before acting.