Certified Copy Documents

The Hong Kong Company Registry will only issue the certificate of incorporation once. If you misplace or lose your documents, the Hong Kong Company Registry will not issue the document again. Hence, you must safe-keep your original business license, certificate of incorporation, incorporation form NNC1 and other related documents in a good place. If you choose our incorporation service, we will scan you an e-copy so there will always be a back-up in our email record.

What if I destroy the original certificate by mistake?

Sometimes there can be accidents. Documents can be destroyed or lost. In this type of situation, we can order and retrieve a certified true copy from the Hong Kong Company Registry record. Alternatively, our in-house practicing CPA or Chartered Secretary can prepare and arrange the certified copy document based on the back-up in our email record.

When do I need to show my original certificates?

Depending on your business nature and business activities, you may need to present your original certificates to different government bodies, buyers or suppliers during contract signing. In some circumstances, some buyers and suppliers may want additional guarantee and they might require certified copy documents instead of the original.

For example, when you open a corporate bank account in Hong Kong, some banks may ask for the certified copy documents. Certified documents normally bear the signature of a professional person and the person is usually a Hong Kong Certified Public Accountant (CPA), a Hong Kong Practising Lawyer, or a Hong Kong Chartered Secretary recognized by the HKICS.

What is a certified copy document?

The document will bear a declaration – “I, the undersigned, do hereby certify that I have examined the document with its original and the same is a true and complete copy of the original”. This declaration generally makes a document more reliable and trustworthy because the document was examined by a professional person. The professional person is regulated by a professional association and they have to follow strict guidelines set by the association.

How long does it take to arrange certified copy documents?

Certified copy documents can be arrange within 1 – 7 business days. For example, if you need to arrange a certified copy passport and address proof, you have to visit our office in Central. Our in-house CPA can certify the document for you within an hour. If you lose your certificate of incorporation and you need a certified certificate for contract signing, our CPA can visit the Hong Kong Companies Registry to retrieve a copy and certify it on your behalf. The time frame is usually 3 business days. If your buyer or seller require the certified copy documents to be prepared by the Hong Kong Company Registry, we can also liaise with the Government department and retrieve the document on your behalf. The time frame usually takes around 5 – 7 business days. If you are interested in our service, you can contact us at info@getstarted.hk and the cost to arrange certified copy documents starts at US$80 depending on complexity and number of documents needed.