Changing a Hong Kong Company's Name: How Long It Takes and Who to Tell Afterwards (2026)

At a glance

The easiest thing to get wrong: file the NNC2 and the business registration certificate updates automatically — but if you also trade under a business name different from the company name, that one has to be notified to the IRD yourself, within 1 month.

What are the steps?

Three. First, the members pass a special resolution — a name change is not something the directors can simply decide; the law requires a special resolution of the members, which can be done at a general meeting or, if the articles allow, by written resolution. Second, file Form NNC2 within 15 days of the resolution, with the fee, to the Companies Registry — online or in hard copy at 14/F, Queensway Government Offices. Third, wait for the Companies Registry to issue the Certificate of Change of Name. The special resolution does not have to be filed with the form, and if the only change to the articles this time is the name, the amended articles do not have to be filed either.

How long from filing to certificate?

Filed electronically, the certificate generally issues within 1 hour, with the Companies Registry emailing you to download it. Filed in hard copy, it generally issues within 4 working days, with notification by fax to collect it. If you are in a hurry to open an account, sign a contract or print cards under the new name, electronic filing is a great deal faster.

Generally the new name only takes effect once the certificate is issued, so until it is out, signing documents and issuing invoices under the old name is the safer course.

Does the business registration certificate have to be changed separately?

No — the Companies Registry passes it across. Under section 8(2B) of the Business Registration Ordinance, the Companies Registry transmits the new company name to the Business Registration Office, which generally issues the updated business registration certificate and branch registration certificates automatically on the next working day after the certificate is issued.

But here is where owners get caught: the company name and the business name are not necessarily the same. If you also trade under a different business name (a shop or trading name) and that name is changing too, you have to notify the Business Registration Office separately, in writing, within 1 month of the change, stating the business registration number, the old and new business names, the business address and the date of change. Failing to do so is an offence, with a maximum fine of $5,000 and one year’s imprisonment.

After a name change, do old contracts and the bank account still stand?

They do. Changing the name does not turn your company into a different company. Section 110 of the Companies Ordinance is explicit: a change of company name does not affect any of the company’s rights or obligations, nor does it render defective any legal proceedings by or against the company; proceedings that could have been begun or continued under the old name may be continued under the new one.

Contracts signed, debts owed and assets held before the change all remain valid without re-execution, and the company registration number does not change. What has to be done in practice is helping other parties reconcile the two — banks, customers and suppliers will all want to see the certificate, so keep several copies to hand.

Once the certificate arrives, who else has to be told?

The business registration certificate updates itself; nothing else does. The list to work through usually includes:

• The bank — account name, chequebook, online banking, payment collection settings; most will want a copy of the certificate
• Licensing authorities — if the business is licensed, the name on the licence has to be updated too
• The MPF trustee — if you have staff, the employer record needs the new name
• Customers and suppliers — invoice headings, contracts, your name in their systems
• Your own materials — chops, letterhead, website, business cards, signage, social media pages

None of these is “illegal the moment you don’t do it”, but miss one and it usually resurfaces at the least convenient moment. The safest approach is to draw up the list before filing the NNC2, and tick items off as soon as the certificate arrives.

Want to change the name without loose ends?

The name change itself is not hard; what is hard is choosing the name beforehand and tidying up afterwards. A name that collides with the Registry’s naming rules means the NNC2 comes back and a round of waiting is wasted, so read the company name rules before starting. If the address is moving at the same time, changing the registered office is a separate form on a separate deadline; and if the directors are changing, changing directors carries the same 15-day deadline.

We provide company secretarial services, and can handle the resolutions, forms and deadlines in one pass. Get started, or talk to us.

The procedures, deadlines and penalties described here are as most recently published by the Companies Registry and the Inland Revenue Department; government fees are revised from time to time and the official publication governs. This is general information only and does not constitute professional advice; for individual situations, consult a professional.