Guide to Establishing Partnership in Hong Kong

Introduction to Partnership

A partnership refers to businesses that are established and co-owned by two or more people with a sharing of profits. In Hong Kong, a partnership can have most 20 partners, or it would be otherwise advised that the business should register as a company. Please note that partnership, by its nature, is a sharing of responsibilities among partners. Therefore, there is no separate legal identity for a business registered as a partnership, and the partners should shoulder all the liabilities and debts of the business personally.

Classifications

General partnership A general partnership is a form of partnership that requires all the partners to be held responsible for the debts and liabilities of the business, and the actions done by other partners.
Limited partnership A limited partnership is a form of partnership that has both general and limited partners, where the latter is only liable to limited liabilities, which are in proportion to their capital contribution. The limited partners may be restricted from the decision-making process.

How to Register a Limited Partnership

Required Documents & Fees

Form 1 – Application for registration of a limited partnership. Downloadable here.
Registration fee: HK$340
Extra fee: HK$8 for every HK$1000 contributed by limited partners

How and Where to Submit

All documents should be delivered to the Shroff of the Companies Registry, on the 14th floor of the Queensway Government Offices.

Issuance

The successful applicants will acquire a Certificate of Registration of a Limited Partnership.
It normally takes 5 working days to process an application.
Applicants must go to the Shroff of the Companies Registry in person to pick up the certificate.