Hong Kong Family Office & Capital Investment Entrant Scheme (CIES) Corporate Directory & Search

Under Schedule 16E of the Inland Revenue Ordinance, the Family-owned Investment Holding Vehicle (FIHV) must be managed by an eligible Single Family Office (SFO) in Hong Kong, satisfy the minimum aggregate net asset value threshold of HK$240 million, employ at least 2 full-time qualified staff in Hong Kong, and incur at least HK$2 million in annual operating expenditure.

Generally no, provided the SFO exclusively manages the assets of members of a single family and does not provide investment advisory or discretionary management services to external clients or third parties. If services are offered to unrelated families, an SFC Type 9 (and potentially Type 4) licence is mandatory.

Under the New CIES, applicants investing HK$30 million in permissible investment assets (such as equities, bonds, and HK$3M in the CIES Investment Portfolio) may hold permissible financial assets through an eligible wholly-owned Hong Kong private company or FIHV, creating synergy between residency and family asset management.

Through 86hc.com, you can examine the firm's Business Registration Certificate (BR), Form NAR1 Annual Return, director identities, and registered office address. While private family trusts are not publicly filed, the operating and holding corporate entities must maintain active registry status.

An SPE is typically established underneath an FIHV to hold specific real estate, private equity, or intellectual property investments. Under Schedule 16E, eligible SPEs can also benefit from tax concessions proportional to the FIHV's qualifying ownership percentage.

Private banks subject family offices to rigorous Know-Your-Customer (KYC) scrutiny. A Certified True Copy authenticated by a Hong Kong Practising Certified Public Accountant guarantees document authenticity and satisfies private wealth management AML compliance standards.

Look out for firms claiming to manage tens of billions in family wealth while registered at virtual addresses with zero capital, or firms offering retail financial products under an SFO guise without SFC licensing.