How to Choose a Licensed TCSP in Hong Kong

What is a licensed TCSP in Hong Kong?

For overseas founders running a Hong Kong company, choosing a company secretary starts with checking whether the provider is properly authorised for the trust or company services it offers. Under the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing Ordinance (AMLO), Cap. 615, a person carrying on a trust or company service business in Hong Kong generally needs a Trust or Company Service Provider (TCSP) licence administered by the Companies Registry (CR), subject to statutory exceptions.

Licensing is a threshold check, not a quality ranking. It does not establish that the provider will respond quickly, maintain records well or quote transparently. The Companies Registry’s licensing guidance explains the regime and the licensee’s ongoing obligations, including customer due diligence and record-keeping.

Ask the provider for its exact legal entity name and licence number, then independently confirm them. Captime identifies its TCSP licence number as TC010212; prospective clients should verify the current register entry rather than relying on any marketing statement, including this one.

How do you verify a TCSP licence?

Use the official Register of Trust or Company Service Provider Licensees, not a screenshot of a certificate or an advertisement. The public search supports the licensee’s name or licence number and is free to use. A name match should be checked against the entity you will actually contract with.

1. Ask for the provider’s full contracting entity name and TCSP licence number.
2. Open the public TCSP register and search by the exact name or number.
3. Compare the name, licence number, business address and any remarks displayed in the register with the proposal and contract.
4. If the brand and licensed legal entity differ, request a written explanation of which entity supplies the regulated service.
5. Ask about licence conditions and any service limitations; obtain clarification from the Registry where the public record is unclear.

A provider may operate several brands or entities. A licence belonging to one entity should not be assumed to cover a different contracting company. The official licensing portal provides the entry point to the licensing regime and related guidance.

What does a TCSP licence actually cover?

A TCSP licence relates to specified trust and company services. In practice, a provider may coordinate incorporation, company-secretarial administration, a registered-office arrangement and compliance checks, including anti-money laundering (AML) and know-your-customer (KYC) procedures. But the licence does not authorise every service a business may need.

In particular, it is not an audit-practising licence, a Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) licence, or a guarantee that a bank or payment provider will approve an account. Independent statutory financial-statement audits, where required, must be performed by appropriately authorised audit professionals. A TCSP may help coordinate documents without itself performing that audit.

What should a company secretary actually do?

The better comparison is not just “licence versus no licence” but who is responsible for the company’s recurring obligations. A local private company ordinarily files its Annual Return (Form NAR1) within 42 days after each incorporation anniversary, other than in its incorporation year. The Companies Registry’s annual-return guidance explains the requirement. The Significant Controllers Register (SCR) must also be maintained as applicable; it is not an annual return filed with the Registry. See the official SCR FAQ.

Ask whether the provider prepares filings, checks them with directors, submits them, retains acknowledgements and alerts you to changes that require separate notices. A company secretary should have a clear process for directors, shareholders, registered-office changes, statutory registers and resolutions.

How can you spot hidden year-two fees?

Compare the total first-year and second-year cost, not just the advertised incorporation offer. “Free company” promotions can be followed by expensive renewals, mail-handling charges, document retrieval fees or charges for urgent onboarding. None of these items is automatically improper; the problem is unclear disclosure before signing.

Request an itemised written quote showing government fees separately from the provider’s service charges. Ask whether statutory fees are charged at cost, included in a bundle or marked up; confirm how fee changes are passed through. The Companies Registry’s official fee schedule helps you identify relevant filing charges, but not every charge on a TCSP invoice is a government fee.

A transparent proposal should state which services are optional and what happens when the company grows, changes ownership or switches providers. Founders should compare recurring obligations with Captime’s year-two company-secretary article; add that internal link after confirming the published URL.

Does the provider offer a useful client portal?

A digital client portal is becoming an increasingly important consideration when choosing a Trust or Company Service Provider (TCSP) in Hong Kong, particularly for overseas founders managing their companies remotely.

According to the Hong Kong Companies Registry, there were 7,412 licensed TCSPs as of 30 June 2026. Yet there may be fewer than 20 providers offering dedicated digital client portals to their customers. Many traditional TCSPs still rely heavily on conventional administrative processes, including email correspondence, manual document handling and office-hour support.

In 2026, with Hong Kong companies attracting international founders, cross-border businesses and e-commerce entrepreneurs, these traditional processes can create practical difficulties. Founders operating across different time zones may need to retrieve incorporation documents, review statutory deadlines, access official correspondence or check company records outside Hong Kong business hours. Without a digital administration platform, even routine requests can become unnecessarily time-consuming.

Technology-oriented providers such as Sleek, Osome, Statrys, Air Corporate and Captime are helping modernise the company administration experience. Although their services and platform capabilities differ, they demonstrate how digital solutions can make managing a Hong Kong company more convenient and accessible.

Captime's Client Portal provides clients with access to compliance dates and reminders, corporate documents, a Digital Mailbox for registered-office correspondence, and billing records, including invoices and receipts. This enables overseas founders to retrieve important information more conveniently and stay informed about their company's administrative obligations without depending entirely on email exchanges.

Captime also offers a Hong Kong Company Chop Generator, allowing users to create and download a digital company chop online. Existing clients can access this feature free of charge through the Captime Client Portal, making it even more convenient for overseas founders to manage their company administration remotely.

However, having a client portal alone does not guarantee better service or regulatory compliance. Founders should ask for a demonstration of the platform and confirm whether they can view upcoming statutory deadlines, retrieve corporate documents, access official correspondence, download billing records and track outstanding compliance tasks. Digital convenience should complement accurate statutory filings and responsive human support.

How good is the provider’s support?

Test support before paying. During the inquiry stage, ask a practical question about NAR1, a director change or the registered office and see whether you receive a clear, jurisdiction-specific answer. A chatbot is not inherently a problem, and an offshore team is not automatically poor; the relevant questions are who handles statutory issues, whether they understand Hong Kong requirements and how urgent matters reach a responsible person.

Ask where the compliance team operates, whether there is a named contact, what hours support is available in Hong Kong time, and how the provider escalates official notices or time-sensitive filings. A fast sales response alone does not predict service quality in year two.

What should you confirm before appointing one?

Before you sign, request a written scope of work, the contracting entity’s licence details, a full renewal schedule, a sample compliance calendar, the registered-office and mail policy, and the handover procedure. Ask how quickly you can obtain original and electronic company records if you leave. These checks are more informative than a headline package price.

Use the official TCSP register to verify authorisation, then assess service depth and transparency. For context on Captime’s approach and company-secretarial support, review About Captime and its Company Secretary Services. Captime’s stated licence number is TC010212; always verify the current official entry.

Decision rule: choose a provider that can demonstrate a valid legal basis to provide the service, clearly assigned statutory responsibilities, transparent recurring fees, dependable support, and reliable access to your company’s records. No licence number, portal or low price by itself is sufficient.