What's the use of my green box? I haven't thought about it for several years since I started the company

Does Hong Kong company registration require a green box?

After registering a company in Hong Kong, the green box seems to be more symbolic than practical. In the past, secretarial companies would traditionally provide a green box after registering a limited company for their clients, commonly known as the "green box," which contained important company documents such as articles of association, registration certificate, and company seal. These documents are vital to the future operations and management of the company. With the popularity of digitalization, many people ask: is the green box actually required to start a company? And what happens if you don't have one? This article covers both.

What's inside the green box?

The "green box" is a container for important documents related to your business — note that it's the documents inside that matter, not the box itself. The company green box generally includes:

• Articles of association
• Company steel seal
• Company signature seal
• Company circular seal
• Stock book
• Statutory record book

After the company is incorporated, these documents are handed to the company's registered agent or company secretary for safekeeping. The green box is simply the storage box for these important documents, which must be kept properly and available for review at any time.

In order to support environmental protection and help everyone save startup costs, Chinglink's basic company opening plan no longer includes the green box. If you need one, you can add it on through Chinglink's limited company service.

Is a green box actually required to start a company?

According to the new Companies Ordinance, the company formation procedures in Hong Kong have been simplified, and companies can now choose whether to keep and use a corporate seal (section 124(1)). As a result, many new companies no longer need a physical green box — it was never a statutory requirement, just a traditional practice among secretarial firms.

What happens if you don't have a green box?

Even without a physical green box, companies are still required by law to properly preserve and safeguard their important documents and records — the articles of association, stock book and statutory record book are still legally required, they just don't have to sit in a physical box. In other words, "no green box" doesn't mean "no need to keep records" — electronic filing still has to be complete, and you still need to be able to produce these documents when a bank or auditor asks.

How should a deregistered company handle the green box?

Under the new Companies Ordinance, documents of a deregistered company must be retained for at least six years after the business has ended. During this period, any documents or items within the green box may not be used for commercial purposes, as they remain the property of the company. Unauthorized use of these documents or items is unlawful and may result in legal liability.

What is a company seal?

In Hong Kong, a company seal (Common Seal) gives formal and legal effect to business documents. However, as of 2014, using a company seal is no longer compulsory.

Does my company really need a company seal?

Under the old regulations, every Hong Kong company was required to have a seal engraved with the company's name, used to execute contracts and issue shares. That requirement was abolished with the new regulations in 2014 — companies established since then no longer need to have a company seal.

How is a company seal used under the current regulations?

If a company chooses to keep a seal, it can only be used for signing agreements or company documents with the consent of the company's directors and their authorized persons, per the company's articles of association. For example, when issuing shares, only the company's directors can stamp the shares.

To learn more about the company formation process, see The Most Complete Guide to Hong Kong Limited Companies: Company Registration Process, Incorporation Fees $4,795 Including Government Fees and Bank Account Opening Tutorial (2026 updated version).

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