What a Hong Kong virtual office costs, and what's extra
Headline prices for a Hong Kong virtual office are easy to compare and tell you little. The address is the cheap part. What you pay over a year depends on mail, forwarding, identity checks and what happens when you move. Here's what the base price should cover, what's usually extra, and our own price list as a worked example.
Updated 29 October 2026 · by LAULEGA LIMITED, licensed TCSP (TC000573)
Search for a virtual office in Hong Kong and you'll find annual prices that differ several times over. Some of that is location and brand. Much of it is what's left out of the headline number. Two quotes for "a registered address" can describe quite different services once the mail starts arriving.
This guide is about cost. For the legal requirements a registered office has to meet, and the questions to ask about them, see the 818HI registered office guide. For which address does which job, see our guide to your company's addresses.
What the base price should cover
- The address itself, as your company's registered office in Hong Kong (Cap. 622 s.658).
- Your company name on display. This is a legal requirement, not an optional sign: the name must be displayed continuously and legibly at the registered office (Cap. 622B s.3). At an address shared by more than six companies, a screen counts only if each name shows for at least 15 seconds in every four minutes, or within four minutes of a request. If a quote lists the display as an extra, ask why.
- Official mail, handled. A document left at or posted to your registered office counts as served on your company (s.827). At the very least you should hear, quickly, when a Registry, tax or court letter arrives. Better, it's opened and scanned to you.
A registered office service is not the same as a company secretary. Some providers bundle the two and some sell them separately. Compare like with like (see business support for what a secretary does).
The usual extras
These are the lines that turn a cheap address into an expensive year. Not every provider charges for all of them, but every quote should say how each is handled.
| Item | What to ask | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Scanning | Which mail is scanned free? Is the rest charged per page or per item? | Bank statements and payment-provider letters can run to many pages |
| Forwarding | Postage at cost, or cost plus a handling charge? How often is mail sent? | Courier to another country costs far more than local post |
| Parcels | Are parcels accepted at all? Is there a size limit or storage fee? | A mail address isn't a warehouse |
| Storage | How long is unscanned mail held before it's returned or destroyed? | Holding periods differ between providers |
| Deposit | Is there a deposit held against mail charges, and is it refundable? | Changes the cash you pay up front |
| KYC | Is identity checking in the price, or a separate fee? Is it charged again each year? | Licensed providers must check you; see below |
| Moving in or out | Who prepares and files the change-of-address notice, and is it included? | It's due within 15 days of the change |
| Renewal | Is the year-two price the same as the first-year price? | An introductory discount can make year one look cheaper than it is |
KYC: why you're asked for documents, and why it may cost extra
Providing a registered office or business address is a licensed "trust or company service" in Hong Kong, and licensees must carry out customer due diligence under Schedule 2 of the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing Ordinance (Cap. 615):
- Before the business relationship starts (Sch. 2 s.3(1)(a)).
- Identifying and verifying the customer from reliable, independent sources, identifying any beneficial owner, and understanding the purpose of the relationship (s.2(1)(a) to (c)).
- Keeping it up to date while the relationship lasts (s.5(1)(a)), with additional measures where the customer hasn't been physically present for identification (s.5(3)(a)).
So a provider that asks for passports, proof of address and a short call isn't being difficult; it's the law. The work is ongoing, and checks on people outside Hong Kong usually take more of it, which is why some providers charge a separate or annual KYC fee. A quote that asks for nothing at all deserves a second look, along with the provider's entry on the Companies Registry's TCSP register.
Moving in and moving out
Switching address has deadlines of its own. The change of registered office must be notified to the Companies Registry within 15 days (s.658(3)), and a change in your business registration particulars within one month (Cap. 310 s.8). Ask whether the new provider prepares and files the notice and whether that's in the price. If you file it yourself, our free change of registered office tool drafts the board resolution.
On the way out, remember that the old address stays your registered office until the change is filed. Until then, letters left there still count as served. Ask your old provider what happens to mail that arrives after the contract ends.
A worked example: our own price list
Here is LAULEGA's published price list, line by line, so you can see what a full quote looks like and compare others against it.
| Item | LAULEGA price (published) |
|---|---|
| Registered office address, Hong Kong residents | HK$1,000 a year |
| Registered office address, non-Hong Kong residents | HK$1,500 a year (includes the HK$500 annual KYC fee) |
| Company name on display at the address | Included |
| Government mail (Companies Registry, Inland Revenue and other departments), opened and scanned to your portal within one business day | Included |
| Other mail, scanned on request | HK$3 a page; held for three months |
| Forwarding | Postage or courier cost plus 20% |
| Collection in person in Tin Hau | Free |
| Mail and scanning deposit | HK$800 a year, held against the charges above |
| In the first year of our incorporation package | Address included for twelve months |
What a year might cost (invented example)
A founder living outside Hong Kong takes the address for a year. Government letters are scanned free. The bank sends 30 pages of statements and notices that the founder asks to have scanned, and one courier envelope is forwarded at a cost of HK$200.
- Address with KYC fee: HK$1,500
- Scanning, 30 pages at HK$3: HK$90
- Forwarding, HK$200 plus 20%: HK$240
- Total for the year: HK$1,830
Run the same numbers against any other quote; the headline price alone won't tell you.
How to compare two quotes
- Price a whole year, using your own likely mail: how many letters, how many pages, how often you want things forwarded.
- Check that name display and government mail handling are in the base price.
- Ask about KYC fees, especially if you or another owner live outside Hong Kong.
- Compare the renewal price, not just the first year.
- Ask who files the change of address when you join, and what happens to mail when you leave.
A price list with nothing hidden
A Hong Kong registered office for HK$1,000 a year (HK$1,500 for non-residents, KYC included). Your name is on display, and government mail is scanned to your portal free within one business day. Every extra is on the published price list.
See the virtual office All pricesFrequently asked questions
How much does a virtual office cost in Hong Kong?
Prices vary widely between providers and locations, and the headline figure usually covers only the address. Compare the cost of a full year with your own likely mail. LAULEGA's registered office address is HK$1,000 a year for Hong Kong residents and HK$1,500 for non-residents, including the annual KYC fee.
Should company name display be included in the price?
It should be. Displaying the company name at the registered office is a legal requirement under Cap. 622B s.3, not an optional extra. Ask how it is done: a sign, a board, or a screen that meets the 15-seconds-every-four-minutes rule for shared addresses.
Why does a virtual office provider need my passport and proof of address?
Providing a registered office or business address is a licensed trust or company service. Licensees must identify and verify their customers and beneficial owners before starting, and keep the information up to date, under Schedule 2 of Cap. 615.
Why do non-Hong Kong residents sometimes pay more?
Identity checks on people living outside Hong Kong usually take more work, and the checks continue for as long as the service does. Some providers include that cost; others, LAULEGA among them, charge an annual KYC fee (HK$500 at LAULEGA).
Who files the change of registered office when I switch provider?
The company is responsible, and the notice is due within 15 days of the change (Cap. 622 s.658(3)). Many providers prepare and file it for you; ask whether it's in the price. Changes to business registration particulars are due within one month (Cap. 310 s.8).
Is a company secretary included in a virtual office?
Not necessarily. They're separate services that some providers bundle. At LAULEGA the registered office address is sold on its own, and the company secretary is available separately or in the annual renewal package.
This guide summarises the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 622), Cap. 622B, the Business Registration Ordinance (Cap. 310) and the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing Ordinance (Cap. 615) as published on e-Legislation on 29 October 2026. LAULEGA prices are those published on laulega.com on that date. The yearly cost example is invented. It is general information, not legal advice; for your own facts, ask your adviser. Written and reviewed by LAULEGA LIMITED, a licensed trust or company service provider (TCSP licence TC000573).