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Significant Controllers Register

Keeping your Significant Controllers Register up to date, with designated representative services available.

HK$ 500

Annual fee

HK$500 a year

Enquire nowLicensed company service provider · TC008771
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Services and fees

Significant Controllers Register

$500

Annual fee

HK$500 a year

Enquire now
  • Identifying the significant controllers
  • Keeping the Significant Controllers Register for inspection by law enforcement officers
  • Updating the register and entering the particulars
  • Issuing notices to significant controllers and other persons

Designated representative

$1,000

Annual fee

HK$1,000 a year

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  • WS ICON, a TCSP licensee, acts as the company's designated representative
  • Assisting law enforcement officers on matters relating to the register

Service details

Our service

We identify the significant controllers and keep and update the register for HK$500 a year. As a Trust or Company Service Provider licensee (licence TC008771) we can also act as your company’s designated representative for HK$1,000 a year. The register service can be arranged together with our company secretary service.

The company’s duties

  • Keep a Significant Controllers Register for inspection by law enforcement officers
  • Identify the significant controllers
  • Keep the register up to date
  • Enter the particulars in the register
  • Issue notices to significant controllers and other persons

Documents required

  • Certificate of Incorporation
  • Business Registration Certificate
  • Annual Return or incorporation form
  • Articles of Association
  • Identity cards or passports and proof of address of the directors and shareholders
  • Due diligence information, such as the region of business

Statutory requirement

To improve the transparency of beneficial ownership and meet Hong Kong’s international obligations, the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 622), as amended, requires every company incorporated in Hong Kong to obtain and keep up-to-date information on its beneficial ownership and to keep a Significant Controllers Register for inspection by law enforcement officers. The Companies (Amendment) Ordinance 2018 came into force on 1 March 2018.

The register must be kept at the company’s registered address or at a prescribed place. The company must also designate at least one person as its representative to assist law enforcement officers on matters relating to the register.

Penalties

Under the Companies Ordinance as amended, a company that fails to keep a Significant Controllers Register at its registered address or a prescribed place commits a criminal offence. The company and each responsible person is liable to a level 4 fine of HK$25,000. The court imposes the fine according to the circumstances, and may also impose a further fine of HK$700 for each day the offence continues.

Full service details and requirements

The Companies Ordinance (Cap. 622), as amended, requires every company incorporated in Hong Kong to obtain and keep up-to-date information on its beneficial ownership, to keep a Significant Controllers Register at its registered address or a prescribed place where law enforcement officers can inspect it, and to designate at least one person as its representative.

Failing to keep the register is a criminal offence: the company and each responsible person is liable to a level 4 fine of HK$25,000, and may also be fined HK$700 for each day the offence continues. We identify the significant controllers and keep and update the register for HK$500 a year, and act as designated representative for HK$1,000 a year.

WS ICON LIMITED · Trust or Company Service Provider licence TC008771 · Updated September 2026

Common questions

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Who is a significant controller?
A person who meets any one of the following conditions has significant control over the company: holds, directly or indirectly, more than 25% of the issued shares; where the company has no share capital, holds, directly or indirectly, a right to share in more than 25% of its capital or profits; holds, directly or indirectly, more than 25% of the voting rights; holds, directly or indirectly, the right to appoint or remove a majority of the board of directors; has the right to exercise, or actually exercises, significant influence or control over the company; or has the right to exercise, or actually exercises, significant influence or control over the activities of a trust or a firm that is not a legal person.
What must the company do?
Every company must keep a Significant Controllers Register for inspection by law enforcement officers; identify its significant controllers; keep the register up to date; enter the particulars in the register; and issue notices to significant controllers and other persons.
What is a designated representative, and who can act as one?
Besides keeping the register, every company must designate at least one person as its representative to assist law enforcement officers on matters relating to the register. The designated representative must be a shareholder, director or employee of the company who is a natural person resident in Hong Kong, or an accounting professional, a legal professional or a TCSP licensee. We hold a Trust or Company Service Provider licence and can act as designated representative for HK$1,000 a year.
What happens if the register is not kept?
Under the Companies Ordinance as amended, a company that fails to keep a Significant Controllers Register at its registered address or a prescribed place commits a criminal offence. The company and each responsible person is liable to a level 4 fine of HK$25,000, imposed by the court according to the circumstances, and may also be fined HK$700 for each day the offence continues.
What documents are needed to apply for the service?
The Certificate of Incorporation; the Business Registration Certificate; the Annual Return or incorporation form; the Articles of Association; the identity cards or passports and proof of address of the directors and shareholders; and due diligence information, such as the region of business.
When did this requirement come into force?
The Companies (Amendment) Ordinance 2018 came into force on 1 March 2018 and introduced the requirement for companies to keep a Significant Controllers Register.

Other services

Company Registration

We obtain the Certificate of Incorporation (CI) and the Business Registration Certificate (BR).

Company Secretary

Company secretary services for annual returns, company changes and statutory records.

Accounting & Tax

Bookkeeping, financial statements and organised records to support your tax reporting.

Virtual Office

Business and registered addresses, mail handling and optional telephone answering services.

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