Change of Registered Office (Hong Kong)

Change of Registered Office in Hong Kong is a statutory notification made to the Companies Registry under Section 658 of the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 622), recording a change in the physical address of a company’s registered office within Hong Kong. Every company incorporated under Cap. 622 must maintain a registered office in Hong Kong and must notify the Companies Registry of any change in that address within 15 days of the change taking effect.

The Companies Registry is Hong Kong’s central authority for company registration and maintains the public register of companies under Cap. 622. The registered office address recorded in that register is the legally recognised address for service of documents, statutory notices, and legal proceedings on the company. Third parties — including the Inland Revenue Department, the Labour Department, courts, and commercial counterparties — rely on the registered address to serve documents and to communicate with the company.

The notification is made using Form NR1, filed electronically through the e-Registry portal at eregistry.cr.gov.hk or in paper form at the Companies Registry counter at 14/F, Queensway Government Offices, 66 Queensway, Hong Kong. The e-Registry system processes electronic filings faster than paper submissions and charges a lower filing fee. The Companies Registry publishes its current fee schedule on its website at cr.gov.hk.

A registered office address in Hong Kong must be a physical address within the territory — not a post office box. The address may be the company’s own premises, or the address of a solicitor, accountant, or licensed Trust or Company Service Provider (TCSP) under the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing Ordinance (Cap. 615). Virtual office addresses provided by serviced office operators in commercial buildings in Central, Admiralty, Wan Chai, Tsim Sha Tsui, or other business districts are widely used as registered office addresses by smaller companies and offshore companies with Hong Kong registrations.

Section 659 of Cap. 622 requires the registered office address to appear on specified business documents — including business letters, emails, order forms, invoices, receipts, and the company website. After changing the registered office, the company must update all these documents to reflect the new address. Failure to display the correct registered office address on business documents is an offence under Cap. 622.

The registered office serves a distinct function from the company’s principal place of business. A company’s offices, factories, shops, or warehouses may be located at a different address from the registered office. The Business Registration Ordinance (Cap. 310) governs the registration of the business address, which may also need to be updated separately with the Business Registration Office when a company moves premises.

For listed companies on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (HKEX), the Listing Rules impose additional disclosure obligations when the registered office changes, including an announcement to HKEX and publication on the HKEX website. Non-listed companies have no equivalent public announcement requirement but must update the Companies Registry register within the 15-day statutory window. Section 92 of the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 622) requires that the registered office address appear on the company's annual return filed with the Companies Registry at Queensway Government Offices; the Business Registration Office of the Inland Revenue Department at Revenue Tower, Wan Chai, must also be notified of address changes under Section 7 of the Business Registration Ordinance (Cap. 310).

Change of Registered Office notification in Hong Kong is required within 15 days of any change in the physical address used as the company’s registered office. The following circumstances each trigger the obligation to file Form NR1 with the Companies Registry under Section 658 of the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 622).

Physical relocation of business premises: When a company moves its offices, factory, or operations to a new address in Hong Kong and simultaneously changes its registered office to the new location, Form NR1 must be filed within 15 days of the move.

Change of corporate secretary or TCSP: When a company changes its company secretary or Trust or Company Service Provider, and the registered office address is the address of the outgoing secretary or TCSP, the company must file Form NR1 to record the new registered office address — which will typically be the address of the incoming secretary or TCSP.

Change of solicitor or accountant acting as registered office: When a company changes its legal or accounting advisers who have been providing registered office services, the registered office change must be notified to the Companies Registry within 15 days.

Tenancy expiry or landlord termination: When the lease or licence agreement for the premises used as the registered office expires or is terminated, the company must move its registered office to a new address and notify the Companies Registry promptly.

Corporate restructuring: When a group restructuring results in a different group company or shared service centre taking over the registered office function for related entities, each affected company must file a separate Form NR1.

Startup phase changes: Early-stage companies that initially used a founder’s home address or a co-working space as the registered office frequently change to a professional TCSP or solicitor’s address as the company grows — each such change requires a Form NR1 filing.

For companies operating across multiple jurisdictions, the Hong Kong registered office change filing is separate from and independent of any similar notification requirements in other jurisdictions such as the British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, or Singapore where the group may have other registered entities.

Change of Registered Office notification for Hong Kong companies must include the following key elements to satisfy the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 622) and to be accepted by the Companies Registry.

Company Identification: The full registered company name exactly as it appears on the Companies Registry register, together with the company registration number assigned at incorporation. Both must match the Registry’s records precisely — any discrepancy will cause the filing to be rejected by the e-Registry system or at the paper counter.

Existing Registered Office Address: The current registered office address as recorded in the Companies Registry register. This confirms that the form relates to the correct company and provides the baseline from which the change is recorded.

New Registered Office Address: The complete new registered office address in Hong Kong, including the unit number, floor, building name, street number and name, district, and postal code. The address must be a physical location in Hong Kong — not a post office box. If the new registered office is at a TCSP’s premises, the TCSP’s registered business address should be used.

Effective Date of Change: The precise date on which the company’s registered office changed to the new address. This date is critical for calculating the 15-day filing deadline under Section 658 of Cap. 622 and for determining the date from which the new address is legally recognised as the registered office for service of documents.

Board Resolution Reference: While the board resolution authorising the change is not submitted with Form NR1, the company’s records should include a board resolution (or written resolution) specifying the new address and the effective date. This provides an internal audit trail for compliance purposes under Cap. 622.

Authorised Signatory: Form NR1 must be signed by a director or the company secretary of the company. Electronic filings via e-Registry require authentication using the company’s e-Registry account. Paper filings require a wet signature from an authorised officer.

Filing Fee: The prescribed Companies Registry filing fee must accompany the paper submission or be paid electronically. The current fee schedule is published on the Companies Registry website. Electronic filings attract a lower fee than paper submissions and are processed faster.

Post-Filing Actions: After filing Form NR1 and receiving confirmation of the updated register, the company should update its business letters, email signatures, invoices, order forms, website, Inland Revenue Department records, Business Registration Certificate (if the business address also changes), and any other documents or registrations showing the company’s address. Forms-legal.com provides free templates to support Hong Kong companies in managing statutory compliance, including the related hk-statutory-declaration and hk-change-of-directors forms.

The Change of Registered Office notification for Hong Kong must be filed with the Companies Registry within 15 days of the change taking effect under Section 658 of the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 622).

1. Pass a board resolution. The board resolves to change the registered office, specifying the new Hong Kong address and the effective date. Shareholder approval is not required unless the Articles impose a specific restriction. Retain the signed resolution in the minute book.

2. Confirm the new address qualifies. The new registered office must be a physical address within Hong Kong — a post office box does not satisfy Section 658 of Cap. 622. The address may be the company's own premises or the address of a licensed Trust or Company Service Provider (TCSP) under Cap. 615.

3. Complete Form NR1. Enter the company's full registered name and company registration number as they appear on the Companies Registry register. State the current registered office address exactly as recorded. Enter the full new address — unit, floor, building, street, and district — and the effective date of the change.

4. File electronically through the Companies Registry e-Registry portal. Log in, select the NR1 option, enter all particulars, and pay the prescribed fee per the Companies Registry's current fee schedule. Electronic filing is faster and cheaper than paper. Retain the confirmation as evidence of timely compliance. Alternatively, submit a signed paper Form NR1 with the prescribed fee at the Companies Registry counter at 14/F, Queensway Government Offices, 66 Queensway, Hong Kong.

5. Update all business documents. Under Section 659 of Cap. 622, the registered office address must appear on all business letters, emails, order forms, invoices, receipts, and the company website. Update stationery, email signatures, and templates immediately after the change.

6. Notify the Inland Revenue Department if the business address also changes. File with the Business Registration Office of the IRD under Section 7 of the Business Registration Ordinance (Cap. 310) within one month — a separate obligation from the Companies Registry filing.

7. Notify banks and other regulators. Provide the updated address to the company's bankers for KYC records and to any regulatory body that holds the address on file.

8. Retain all records for at least seven years under the Inland Revenue Ordinance (Cap. 112). Keep the board resolution, the filed NR1 confirmation, and updated business documents. Filing outside the 15-day window exposes the company and every responsible officer to a fixed penalty under Cap. 622.