FAQ – Credit Report in Hong Kong
How often is the Hong Kong company database updated?
Our Hong Kong company database is updated daily for company searches. Company search in Hong Kong is available by CRN, BRN and legal name. When preparing a Credit Report (Full report), we collect all information in real time from official sources, including the business registry, courts, and other authorities, ensuring maximum accuracy.
What is CRN and BRN?
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CRN (Company Registration Number) – the unique number assigned to a company by the Companies Registry when it is incorporated. It’s the company’s official ID in the registry. However, the CRN has been deprecated and is no longer the primary identifier.
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BRN (Business Registration Number) – the number issued by the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) under the Business Registration Ordinance. It identifies a business for tax and business registration purposes. Since 2018, the BRN has replaced the CRN as the standard identification number for companies.
How many companies are included in your Hong Kong database?
Our database covers more than 2 500 000 legal entities in Hong Kong. Among them, financial statements are available for over 2 600 companies, mainly joint-stock companies listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
Which companies in Hong Kong have publicly available financial statements?
Only joint-stock companies listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange are required to publish financial statements. For private companies, such as limited liability companies, financial data is not publicly available.
What data sources are used for preparing a Hong Kong Credit Report?
We rely on 14 unique data sources, including:
- HKSAR Government – company registration, shareholders, directors, bankruptcy, liquidation, pledges
- Hong Kong Stock Exchange – joint-stock company data and financial statements
- Inland Revenue Department – company activity and tax data
- Local courts – court cases and litigation records
- National Institute of Intellectual Property – trademarks
- Maritime shipping databases – foreign trade data
- Internal database – director/shareholder relations, employee data, business links abroad
- Our own system – credit opinion, sanctions check (446 lists, 203 unique sources), economic forecasts
Can I check litigation history of Hong Kong companies?
Yes. We provide access to finished court cases where a judgement has already been received. This includes the Court of Final Appeal, High Court (Court of Appeal and Court of First Instance), Competition Tribunal, District Court (including Family Court), Lands Tribunal, and other courts in Hong Kong.
Do Credit Reports in Hong Kong include sanctions and risk checks?
Yes. Every Hong Kong Credit Report includes sanctions screening across 446 lists from 203 unique sources, a credit opinion, as well as economic forecasts and country development indicators to assess risk more comprehensively.
📊 Our Hong Kong Data Coverage at a Glance
more than 2 500 000
legal entities
more than 2 600
legal entities with financial statements
14
Unique sources
446
Sanctions Lists from 203 unique sources
Below are the sources we rely on when preparing a freshly investigated (real-time) Full Report (Credit Report) on companies in Hong Kong:
| Data Type | Source | Direct link to source |
|---|---|---|
| Company registration details, shareholders, directors, directors' connections in other companies, branches, bankruptcy and liquidation check, commercial pledges | The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) | https://www.gov.hk/en/residents/ |
| Trademarks | National Institute of Intellectual Property | - |
| Business relations of directors and shareholders in foreign companies | Internal database | - |
| Data on Joint-stock Companies listed on the stock exchange (including financial statements) | Hong Kong Stock Exchange | https://www.hkex.com.hk/ |
| Foreign economic activity data (export/import, clients/suppliers) | Maritime shipping databases | - |
| Number of employees | Social media, manual research | - |
Court cases (only finished court cases, where judgement is already received) in Hong Kong:
|
Local courts in Hong Kong | - |
| Field of activity of the company | Inland Revenue Department (IRD) | https://www.ird.gov.hk/ |
| Credit opinion, Sanctions check (446 lists, 203 unique sources), economic forecast and country development indicators | Own system | - |
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| Start Companies Search | Order Credit Report | Sample Credit Report |
Keywords
The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), National Institute of Intellectual Property, Hong Kong Stock Exchange, Local courts in Hong Kong, Inland Revenue Department (IRD)
