SFC License Application
Securing an SFC corporate licence is essential for lawful market access—ensuring capital, governance, premises and personnel meet regulatory standards, mitigating compliance risk and enabling credible growth.
SFC Licensed Corporation Application
Application for HKEx Participantship and Trading Right
Hong Kong, as a leading global international financial centre, is home to Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited ("HKEX") – the core operator and the sole authorized exchange for its securities and derivatives markets. Any broker-dealer intending to operate a brokerage business for products available on HKEX, using the trading facilities of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited ("SEHK") and/or Hong Kong Futures Exchange Limited ("HKFE"), must be admitted and registered as an Exchange Participant of the respective exchange. This status is a mandatory prerequisite and a statutory requirement for conducting such brokerage activities and gaining direct access to the market for trading.
According to the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing Ordinance (the “AMLO”), Chapter 615 of the Laws of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department (the "Customs") is the authority for regulating the money service operators (MSO) with effect from 1 April 2012. If a person who operates or wishes to operate a money service, he or she is required to apply for a licence.
MSO New Licence
MSO Licence Renewal
Normally, the validity period of a Money Service Operator (MSO) licence granted will be 2 years. The licensee is required to apply for renewal of the licence not later than 45 days before the licence is due to expire. You will receive a reminder from the Customs to renew the licence.
Insurance Broker Licence Application
With effect from 23 September 2019, the Insurance Authority (“IA”) is the sole regulator to license and supervise all insurance intermediaries in Hong Kong. The IA is responsible for supervising insurance intermediaries’ compliance with the provisions of Insurance Ordinance (Cap.41) (“IO”),
and the relevant regulations, rules, codes and guidelines issued by the IA.
Licensed insurance intermediaries are divided into two main categories: insurance agencies and insurance broker companies.
Licensed insurance broker company is more popular among the two. It means a company which is granted a license by the IA under section 64ZA of the IO to carry on regulated activities in one or more lines of business, and to perform the act of negotiating or arranging an insurance contract
as an agent of any policy holder or potential policy holder.
Money Lender Licence Application
A person carrying on business as a money lender in Hong Kong must obtain a money lender's licence. The licensing of money lenders and regulation of money-lending transactions are governed by the Money Lenders Ordinance (MLO), Chapter 163 of the Laws of Hong Kong. The Applicant should also demonstrate that he/she has the genuine intention to carry on the business of money-lending, the necessary resources to execute the business plan and the knowledge of and readiness to comply with the provisions of the MLO, the conditions that may be imposed on the licence by the licensing court (“the Licensing Conditions”) and the anti-money laundering and counter-financing of terrorism (“AML/CFT”) requirements for money lenders.
A money lender's licence is valid for 12 months. Application for renewal of a licence should be made within 3 months prior to the expiration of the licence.
Dealers in Precious Metals and Stones (DPMS)
Effective 2023, the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing (Amendment) Ordinance 2022 introduced a mandatory registration regime for Dealers in Precious Metals and Stones (DPMS) in Hong Kong. Any person who, in the course of business in Hong Kong, deals in precious metals, precious stones, or precious products, must register with the Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department (the “HK Customs”).
As of February 2026, the Register has covered over 10,000 business premises.