List of Hong Kong Banks

If you are one of the thousands of business owners starting a company in Hong Kong, you must know by now that you need to have a bank account to operate your business activities. Being a special administrative region of China, Hong Kong is a significant business hub and financial center in the Asia-Pacific region.

Fortunately the career opportunities, the city’s reputation for having a business-friendly environment, and corporate banks all make Hong Kong one of the most dynamic places to live.

Thinking of opening a bank account in HK, but not sure which bank would be best suited for your business? This article will help you to gather all the important information about the major Hong Kong banks.

Banking in Hong Kong

As one of the world’s top financial centers, Hong Kong holds the title for the highest concentration of banking institutions. Overall, the city houses 70 of the largest 100 banks in the world. Because major Hong Kong banks have created services and products to address international and local corporate needs, they do not make setting up a new HK business bank account overly complicated.

There is a proper procedure that needs to be followed adequately to open a bank account. So, before asking to open a bank account in a specific bank, you have to be aware of your banking needs. The reason is so that you can match those demands with what each bank offers.

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In Hong Kong, 164 licensed banks, 13 deposit-taking companies, and 17 restricted license banks constitute a total of 194 authorized institutions. Moreover, 42 local representative offices of foreign banks are available in Hong Kong. The banking system of Hong Kong consists of a three-tier system that you should be aware of before embarking on the HK business market. 

Licensed Banks

In Hong Kong, licensed banks provide individuals and companies with current and savings accounts. These banks perform regular functions for companies, such as collecting cheques or accepting deposited amounts. These banks don’t have restrictions or limits on the acceptance of the deposited value. Examples of these are the big banks such as HSBC, Hang Seng Bank, DBS Bank, and others.

Deposit-taking Banks

In Hong Kong, deposit-taking banks are generally associated with deposit-taking companies. These banks deposit at least HK$100,000, with an original maturity term of at least three months. These banks do provide specialized services, including securities business and consumer finance. Examples of these are Public Finance Limited, Fubon Credit (Hong Kong) Limited, BCOM Finance (Hong Kong) Limited, and others.

Banks with Restricted License

Restricted banks in Hong Kong engage in merchant banking and capital market activities. These banks accept deposits with maturities of at least HK$500,000. Examples of these are Allied Banking Corporation (Hong Kong) Limited, Bank of America Securities Asia Limited, Citicorp International Limited, Goldman Sachs Asia Bank Limited, J.P. Morgan Securities (Asia Pacific) Limited, and others.

List of Banks in Hong Kong

If you are thinking of setting up a new business in Hong Kong, but not sure which corporate bank you should choose for your business, then check out this list of the major banks in Hong Kong. Every bank has its own requirements and procedures for opening a bank account.

Note: This list is a general guide for number of major Hong Kong banks, and the figures are subject to change. If you have any questions or suggestions on these numbers, feel free to contact us at [email protected]

List of Major Foreign Banks in Hong Kong

Foreign banks are working hard to make stronger roots by offering an array of services to companies in Hong Kong. This helps enterprises grow their business wings by offering new opportunities to businesses that local Hong Kong banks may not offer.

Banks with Dominant Global and Regional Presence

These banks are often the first choice for international companies and high-net-worth clients due to their service scope:

• Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Limited (United Kingdom / Global Network)
• DBS Bank (Hong Kong) Limited (Singapore)
• Citibank, N.A. (United States of America)
• Bank of America, National Association (United States of America)
• JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association (United States of America)
• UBS AG (Switzerland) – Currently includes Credit Suisse operations following the acquisition.
• BNP Paribas (France)
• Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft (Germany)

Other Significant Foreign Banks and Specialized Institutions

These banks also maintain an important presence, usually focusing on corporate, investment, or private banking:

• Overseas-Chinese Banking Corporation (OCBC Bank) (Hong Kong) Limited (Singapore)
• Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited (ANZ) (Australia)
• Commonwealth Bank of Australia (Australia)
• Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank (France)
• Barclays Bank PLC (United Kingdom)
• ABN AMRO Bank N.V. (Netherlands)
• ING Bank N.V. (Netherlands)
• The Bank of Nova Scotia (Scotiabank) (Canada)
• Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) (Canada)
• Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) (Japan)
• Mizuho Bank, Ltd. (Japan)
• Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Limited (ICBC) (Mainland China)

List of Virtual Banks in Hong Kong

Virtual banks deliver online banking services and are the key pillars for supporting Hong Kong’s entry into the Smart Banking Era. These virtual banks are becoming an attractive option for Hong Kong companies in managing their company funds.

Below is a list of the major virtual banks in Hong Kong:

Major Hong Kong Banks

Business owners widely recognize Hong Kong as a leading financial center that offers an extensive variety of local and international banks. If you are thinking of starting a new business in Hong Kong, you will have an array of options available to open a bank account. 

These key banks will provide you with a better idea when choosing which to open a business bank account in Hong Kong:

HSBC

HSBC is the largest bank in Hong Kong. This bank serves 3.8 million users throughout four types of businesses globally, including Retail Banking and Wealth Management, Global Banking and Markets, Commercial Banking, and Global Private Banking. 

If you are looking for a bank that can help you grow your business through its wide range of commercial services, HSBC would be best suited to fit your business requirements. HSBC offers two current corporate accounts as the BusinessVantage Plus or the BusinessVantage accounts. 

HSBC primarily focuses on the company’s growth, enabling businesses to thrive and connect customers to opportunities. If you want to open a bank account in Hong Kong, you should visit the HSBC business banking center. The bank will review your application, and if it gets approved, you would be able to operate it with ease. Despite the bank’s increasing due diligence procedures for opening a bank account, the benefit of having a corporate bank account here is worth the try. You would also get payment devices like PINs, an HSBC Token, and everything required within a few days. For more information about this bank, click here!

Hang Seng Bank

The second-largest business bank in Hong Kong is Hang Seng Bank. Owned by HSBC,  the bank deals with major business activities involving wealth and personal banking, global, commercial, and markets. Hang Seng is one of the largest listed banks in Hong Kong and serves thousands of people through its banking facilities.   It is one of the leading banks in Hong Kong that offers multiple extraordinary offerings to business founders. 

This bank also offers comprehensive banking services to businesses by catering to their financial needs, such as timely deposits, savings, time deposits, exchanges, and more. Being a large bank institution in Hong Kong with an array of options in handling your accounts, this serves as a nice alternative to HSBC. If you fall in the eligibility criteria for opening a Prestige Banking or Preferred Banking account, you can open your account via the Hang Seng Personal Banking mobile app. This bank offers online appointment services to customers with one of their branches to open a single or joint account that suits them best. For more information, check here!

Standard Chartered Bank

Standard Chartered Bank is listed as a licensed bank in Hong Kong, being a wholly-owned subsidiary of Standard Chartered PLC. This bank strives to offer comprehensive online banking services and experiences to its customers. This bank offers online banking services which are easy to use, convenient, secure and have a wide range of features designed to meet the requirements of companies in Hong Kong. 

Standard Chartered Bank offers savings and current bank accounts, cash management, wire transfers, debit and credit cards, insurance and investments, trading services, foreign exchange, and online banking. For more information about this bank, check out here!

OCBC Wing Hang

Another major bank in Hong Kong is OCBC Wing Hang. Though the main headquarters is in Singapore (OCBC), the bank operates throughout Hong Kong as well. If you want to open a business account in a bank where the setting up process is simple and straightforward, OCBC Wing Hang would be your best bet. 

It requires an initial deposit of HKD 50,000 (minimum monthly deposit HKD 100,000) and a maintenance fee of HKD 500 per month. The main advantage of OCBC Wing hang is the approval rate of this bank is quite high compared with other business bank accounts. It takes only 15 to 20 working days to complete the whole process and start using the bank account.

OCBC Wing Hang, collectively with its subsidiaries and affiliated companies, provides businesses with a comprehensive range of commercial services and banking products. This bank offers financial services like share brokerage, insurance policies, and consumer financing. OCBC Wing Hang has a network of over 80 branches and offices in Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR, and Mainland China. To get more information about this bank, check it out here!

DBS Bank

DBS is a licensed bank incorporated in Hong Kong. This bank offers services to match the requirements of SMEs, startups, and enterprises so they can scale up their business in Hong Kong. DBS bank strives to provide a large array of banking options for all companies.

One key benefit this bank offers is opportunities for companies to open a business bank account in Hong Kong online.

DBS bank will check your eligibility and then schedule an appointment to have a bank meeting, from which you will get a response about the interview in around two days. And if your application is pre-approved, you would need to courier some related documents. Check out more information about this bank here!

Bank of China (Hong Kong)

Bank of China is the leading bank for offering corporate RMB services in Hong Kong. With their extensive cross-border network, Bank of China has a professional team in cross-border trades and knowledge of regulatory requirements. Thus the main advantage of this bank is its ties with Mainland China and the ease of doing business in both jurisdictions. The bank strives to help businesses by providing a diverse range of RMB products and comprehensive financial services offerings.

This bank has a local entity in Hong Kong and offers a vast range of banking services for enterprises, suitable for any company or industry at every stage. Though the requirements for opening a business account in this bank are pretty high, you can find detailed information on their website.

China Construction Bank (Asia)

As the licensed Hong Kong platform for the China Construction Bank, CCB (Asia) offers a vital link between Hong Kong and Mainland China. The bank strategically focuses on cross-border finance and RMB services, providing SMEs and commercial clients with solutions like trade services and working capital financing.

CCB (Asia)’s strong ties to its parent company ensure robust support for businesses looking to scale within the Greater China region.

Looking to Open a Bank Account in Hong Kong? Startupr Help You!

Do you want to open a bank account in Hong Kong? Hopefully, this article has helped you gather all the important information regarding the major banks in Hong Kong. If you are interested in starting a new company in this free economy, Startupr can help! Startupr is also here to help you prepare all the documents for making a bank account opening application.

As every bank has its own requirements, search for the Hong Kong bank that suits your business and apply. We have helped hundreds of companies open their business bank account in Hong Kong and are thriving in this competitive business market. For more information, contact us today!

Last update: November 2025