regulatory agency
Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC)
The specific acceptance units and authorities shall be subject to the latest public information of the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC).。
Check business boundaries by type of regulated activity、Responsible person、Financial resources and SEC application documents。
The SFC corporate license is based on the regulated activities listed in the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Chapter 571)。When applying, you cannot just write "Application for SFC license",Instead, each product should be、client、trading role、Investment decision-making power、Client asset exposure and automated systems mapped to specific regulated activities and required license conditions。
Common licenses include Type 1 Securities Trading、Type 2 Futures Contract Trading、Category 4 Advising on securities、Category 6: Advising on corporate finance、Category 7 provides automated trading services and Category 9 asset management。Categories 11 and 12 still involve over-the-counter derivatives systems that have not yet been fully implemented.;Application documents should be based on SFC’s current classification and effective arrangements.。
Important tips:SFC has different types of regulated activities,One "SFC license" cannot be used to summarize all permissions。
Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC)
The specific acceptance units and authorities shall be subject to the latest public information of the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC).。
Apply for corresponding regulated activity licenses under the Securities and Futures Ordinance
SFC has different types of regulated activities,One "SFC license" cannot be used to summarize all permissions。
License Scope and Ongoing Obligations
The content has been combined with the disclosure rules of regulatory agencies、Cross-check application material structure and actual business process。
The following content is used to delineate the scope of projects for SFC license application from the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission;The final decision should be based on actual business and official approval.。
Application documents should describe the products for securities trading or consultation、client、channel、transaction process、Revenue model and controls。
Application documents should describe futures、Products for leveraged foreign exchange or automated trading services、client、channel、transaction process、Revenue model and controls。
Application documents should describe products for asset management and other regulated activities、client、channel、transaction process、Revenue model and controls。
The Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) usually obtains、personnel、Review of business authenticity and risk control;Material depth will vary from project to project。
official information:Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC)。The latest form should be double-checked before submission.、cost、Timeframes and technical requirements。
An itemized description of the proposed securities transactions or consultations、futures、Leveraged foreign exchange or automated trading services、Asset management and other regulated activities,including customers、area、channel、Products and funding flows。
Disclosure Shareholders、ultimate controller、Directors and key personnel,and be prepared to be honest、Proof of experience and financial resources。
Establish division of responsibilities、conflict of interest、complaint、outsourcing、business continuity、Cybersecurity and financial controls。
Establish customer due diligence based on risk assessment、Continuous monitoring、Sanctions Screening、suspicious transaction report、Record keeping and training mechanisms。
There is no unified capital figure for SFC licenses。Minimum paid-up share capital and liquid capital depend on the type of regulated activity,and whether the applicant is allowed to hold client assets;The Securities and Futures (Financial Resources) Rules should be checked item by item。
Normally at least two responsible officers must be approved for each regulated activity,At least one of them shall be an executive director;At least one responsible officer shall be available to supervise the relevant activities at all times。Actual requirements also depend on personnel experience、Exam exemption、Available time and management functions in Hong Kong。
office、Registered address and record keeping location should be checked separately。If the regulatory authority requires local substance,A mail-only virtual address must not be used as a substitute for actual management、customer service、System control and file access arrangements。
The budget should differentiate between statutory expenses、Capital or margin、Company and premises costs、Personnel costs and professional service fees。If there is no official basis, do not write a fixed total price or guarantee the betting period.。
| budget items | Billing basis | Checkpoints |
|---|---|---|
| Regulatory application and annual fees | By license type、Scope of authority、Number of applicants and key personnel,and calculation of the current fee schedule of the competent authority.。 | Only quote the current fee schedule of the competent authority;Third-party service fees must not be packaged as government fees。 |
| capital、Security deposit and insurance | There is no unified capital figure for SFC licenses。Minimum paid-up share capital and liquid capital depend on the type of regulated activity,and whether the applicant is allowed to hold client assets;The Securities and Futures (Financial Resources) Rules should be checked item by item。 | Capital is not a service fee,Nor shall it be satisfied by temporary borrowings or funds from unexplained sources.。 |
| Company establishment and statutory maintenance | According to registration place、share capital、registered agent、secretary、Registered address、Separate quotations for annual reports and tax returns。 | The establishment of a company does not mean the approval of a license or the opening of a bank account.。 |
| Office and personnel | by lease、deposit、area、use、local salary、Visa and residency requirement accounting。 | First confirm the substantive requirements for regulatory acceptance,Sign a new lease or hire staff。 |
| system、Systems and professional services | AML/KYC calculation based on business complexity、Sanctions Screening、Transaction monitoring、network security、audit、legal advice、Translation and notarization。 | The quotation should specify the scope、hypothesis、Third-party fees and number of replacement parts。 |
The length of the process depends on the complexity of the business、Data completeness and inquiries from the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) or receiving agencies,It is not appropriate to promise a fixed time for approval。
put product、client、area、Channels and capital flows are mapped to the permitted scope of applications for corresponding regulated activity licenses under the Securities and Futures Ordinance。
Determine the applicant、Equity、director、key personnel、Office space and outsourcing arrangements。
Prepare business plan、financial forecast、Organizational structure、Risk assessment and various compliance policies。
Submit an application to the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC),Reply to addendum、Interview、System demonstration or on-site inspection。
Check license conditions,Complete capital before starting business、personnel、system、Client assets and reporting arrangements。
After being licensed, you must continue to be a fit and proper person、Competence、financial resources、customer assets、Conduct、audit、Continuing professional training and regulatory reporting requirements。controlling shareholder、Responsible person、core business、address、When the system or customer asset model changes,You should first determine whether prior SFC approval is required.。
The SFC Licensing Manual should be used before submission in 2026、Competency Guidance、Financial resource rules and various codes of practice shall prevail.。The more license combinations do not mean the business is more complete;Apply for additional licenses beyond actual personnel and capital capacity,Instead, it will increase the review and ongoing compliance burden。
Official verification entrance:Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission:Intermediary licensing system。
Information update instructions:regulatory scope、capital、personnel、cost、Time limits and continuing obligations subject to adjustment,Before formal application, the current rules of the competent authority should be followed、The form and case approval shall prevail.。
The SFC corporate license is based on the regulated activities listed in the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Chapter 571)。When applying, you cannot just write "Application for SFC license",Instead, each product should be、client、trading role、Investment decision-making power、Client asset exposure and automated systems mapped to specific regulated activities and required license conditions。 Common licenses include Type 1 Securities Trading、Type 2 Futures Contract Trading、Category 4 Advising on securities、Category 6: Advising on corporate finance、Category 7 provides automated trading services and Category 9 asset management。Categories 11 and 12 still involve over-the-counter derivatives systems that have not yet been fully implemented.;Application documents should be based on SFC’s current classification and effective arrangements.。
A licensed corporation must generally be a Hong Kong company or a registered non-Hong Kong company,and appoint at least two responsible officers for each regulated activity,At least one of them shall be an executive director。business plan、Organizational structure、Resume of person in charge、capital、customer assets、AML/CFT、complaint、conflict of interest、Outsourcing and system controls must produce consistent evidence。
After being licensed, you must continue to be a fit and proper person、Competence、financial resources、customer assets、Conduct、audit、Continuing professional training and regulatory reporting requirements。controlling shareholder、Responsible person、core business、address、When the system or customer asset model changes,You should first determine whether prior SFC approval is required.。
The SFC Licensing Manual should be used before submission in 2026、Competency Guidance、Financial resource rules and various codes of practice shall prevail.。The more license combinations do not mean the business is more complete;Apply for additional licenses beyond actual personnel and capital capacity,Instead, it will increase the review and ongoing compliance burden。 See the latest rulesHong Kong Securities and Futures Commission:Intermediary licensing system。
The system should be based on the company's customers、Country or region、product、Channel and transaction characteristics shape enterprise risk assessment,and fall to customer due diligence、Beneficial owner identification、Continuous monitoring、Sanctions and PEP Screening、Suspicious transaction escalation and reporting、record keeping、Staff training and independent testing。Directly apply common templates、There is no threshold basis or the operation record cannot be displayed,Usually insufficient to prove that the system can actually operate。
Don’t judge based on just a single number。Legal minimum capital should be distinguished、regulatory capital、margin、Insurance、Protection of customer assets and sufficient financial resources to sustain operations,And check the current rules of the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) according to the scope of application and business scale。Source of funds、Financial forecasts and stress scenarios should also be interpretable and verifiable。Special attention should also be paid to this project:SFC has different types of regulated activities,One "SFC license" cannot be used to summarize all permissions。
The answer depends on local laws、Eligibility to apply for corresponding regulated activity licenses under the Securities and Futures Ordinance、Planned activities and outsourcing model。Even if the rules do not uniformly provide for a certain position or area,Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) may still pay attention to the decision、Record、customer service、Whether risk management and regulatory communications have sufficient local substance;Before leasing space or hiring personnel,Case requirements should be checked first。
Review time is subject to application completeness、business complexity、Key personnel qualifications、Regulatory inquiries、Interviews or system demonstrations and third-party attestation of impact,It is not appropriate to promise a fixed date for approval。The project plan should separately list preparation、submit、Supplementary parts、Technical rectification and post-approval commissioning phase,and retain sufficient buffering;Only the competent authority can decide whether to accept and approve。
Usually not。Applicants should complete supplier due diligence,Describe data flow、service level、Audit right、Subcontract、information security、Business continuity and exit arrangements,and retain the rules、threshold、Alarm handling and major accident supervision capabilities。Whether outsourcing is ultimately allowed and what notification or approval is required,Should be checked in accordance with the current regulations of the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC)。
Already submitted、Company registration under review or completion is described as approved。Formal commencement of regulated activities、Actively solicit customers、Before collecting client funds or issuing potentially misleading licensing claims,It should be confirmed that the license has taken effect、The business does not exceed the approved scope,And also check the cross-border marketing rules of the target customer’s location。
Common matters include renewal or annual fees、Regulatory filing、Financial or compliance audit、training、record keeping、Complaint handling、Client Assets and Capital Monitoring,and equity、director、key personnel、address、Business scope、System and major incident notification or prior approval。A compliance calendar and change approval process should be established,and get regular rule updates from the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC)。
should beHong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC)Current regulations issued、Application form、guidelines、The fee schedule and announcement shall prevail。88MSO page is used to help organize questions and materials,Not representing regulatory agencies,Nor can it replace local lawyers、Opinions from tax consultants or competent authorities on individual cases。
You can continue reading based on project boundariesHong Kong No. 9 license application、Hong Kong MSO Money Services License。These pages are used to compare different regulatory pathways or supporting services;Do they need to be processed at the same time?,real product、Customer area、The contracting entity and capital flow shall prevail.。
Government or competent authority fees should correspond to official fee schedules、Payment notice or receipt;capital、margin、Insurance、office、personnel、system、audit、law、Translation and consulting services are independent budget items。Formal quotations should specify the currency、taxes、third party expenses、Applicable Assumptions and Exclusions。
The applicant should be confirmed first、Legal registered address、actual management location、Differences Between Customer Reception Locations and Record Keeping Locations,Recalculation of registration fees、agent or secretary、rent、deposit、furnish、communication、Insurance、Visas and local personnel。Rent an office first and then determine regulatory boundaries,May cause unrecoverable costs。