64Financial service activities (except insurance and pension funding)
金融服務活動(保險及退休基金除外)
This division encompasses a wide range of financial service activities that do not include insurance or pension funding. It includes services such as banking, investment, and other financial intermediation activities that facilitate the flow of funds and capital in the economy.
Groups in this division
Licences and approvals
What this activity needs to operate
Activities under this code trigger the following licensing regimes. Emerhub prepares and files each application on your behalf.
Banking Licence (Licensed Bank)
Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA)
Required for institutions carrying on banking business in Hong Kong, meaning taking deposits of any size and maturity from the public and operating current and savings accounts. Licensed banks form the top tier of the three-tier banking system under the Banking Ordinance (Cap. 155).
- Capital requirement
- Minimum capital of HKD 300M
Official sourceVerified 2026-07-14
Deposit-taking Company Authorization
Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA)
Authorization for companies engaged in specialised activities such as consumer finance, trade finance or securities business that take deposits from the public. Deposit-taking companies may only take deposits of HKD 100,000 or above with an original term to maturity of at least three months, forming the third tier of the banking system under the Banking Ordinance (Cap. 155).
Applies where a finance company funds lending with public deposits
- Capital requirement
- Minimum capital of HKD 25M
Official sourceVerified 2026-07-14
Money Lenders Licence
Licensing Court (with the Companies Registry as Registrar of Money Lenders)
Required under the Money Lenders Ordinance (Cap. 163) for any person carrying on business as a money lender in Hong Kong other than exempted persons such as authorized institutions. Applications are lodged with the Companies Registry, which processes them for determination by the Licensing Court; the licence is valid for 12 months and must be renewed annually.
Official sourceVerified 2026-07-14
Money Service Operator (MSO) Licence
Customs and Excise Department (C&ED)
Required under the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing Ordinance (Cap. 615) for any person operating a money changing service or remittance service in Hong Kong. Licensees, their directors and ultimate owners must pass a fit and proper person test and the licence is valid for two years.
Official sourceVerified 2026-07-14
Restricted Licence Bank Authorization
Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA)
Authorization for institutions engaging mainly in merchant banking and capital market activities that take deposits from the public. Restricted licence banks may take deposits of any maturity of HKD 500,000 or above and form the second tier of the three-tier banking system under the Banking Ordinance (Cap. 155).
Second-tier authorization for merchant banking and capital market business
- Capital requirement
- Minimum capital of HKD 100M
Official sourceVerified 2026-07-14
SFC Licence for Type 9 Regulated Activity (Asset Management)
Securities and Futures Commission (SFC)
Required for corporations providing discretionary management of securities or futures portfolios or real estate investment schemes, including fund managers, hedge funds and private equity managers with discretionary mandates. Managers that do not hold client assets can operate under a licensing condition with reduced financial requirements.
Fund vehicles themselves are typically managed by a licensed Type 9 manager
- Capital requirement
- No paid-up capital requirement + HKD 100K liquid capital if subject to the licensing condition not to hold client assets; otherwise HKD 5M paid-up + HKD 3M liquid capital
- Processing time
- Approximately 15 weeks for a licensed corporation application (SFC published estimate)
Official sourceVerified 2026-07-14
Stored Value Facility (SVF) Licence
Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA)
Required for issuers of stored value facilities such as e-wallets, prepaid cards and other prepaid payment instruments under the Payment Systems and Stored Value Facilities Ordinance (Cap. 584). The Monetary Authority grants a licence only if all minimum criteria, including capital, fitness and propriety and float safeguarding, are met; licensed banks are deemed to be granted an SVF licence.
Applies to e-wallet and prepaid payment instrument issuers
- Capital requirement
- Paid-up share capital of not less than HKD 25M (or equivalent financial resources); HKMA may impose higher requirements
Official sourceVerified 2026-07-14
Standard compliance
Compliance every Hong Kong company shares
Beyond anything specific to this activity, every Hong Kong company handles two-tiered profits tax, the annual return (Form NAR1) within 42 days of its incorporation anniversary, audited accounts, MPF enrolment for staff, and a company secretary. Emerhub runs all of it on your behalf.
See the full Hong Kong compliance calendarIncorporate in Hong Kong
Starting a financial service activities (except insurance and pension funding) business in Hong Kong?
Emerhub incorporates your company, registers the business nature above with the IRD, files every licence application, and runs your company secretary and compliance calendar. You provide the documents; Emerhub handles every government interaction.
Start incorporation with Emerhub