Hong Kong KYB is built on the Companies Registry, which holds structured data on every registered company and runs the Significant Controllers Register (SCR) regime. Hong Kong is a major gateway for mainland China and wider Asian capital, so onboarding routinely involves cross-border ownership and structures whose ultimate control sits outside the territory.
Business verification (KYB)
First Mile Labs retrieves the Companies Registry record — company number, status, registered office, and directors — and draws beneficial ownership from the Significant Controllers Register where it is accessible. Because Hong Kong's SCR is held by the company rather than fully public, the platform supplements with document-based ownership evidence and flags where ultimate control cannot be confirmed.
Identity verification (IDV)
Hong Kong directors and beneficial owners are verified using the HKID card or passport, with document authentication, liveness, and face-match. Cross-border individuals are verified against their home-jurisdiction passport, and the platform validates HKID security features specifically.
Sanctions, PEP & adverse media (AML)
Hong Kong entities and individuals are screened against the UN sanctions implemented under Hong Kong regulations, OFAC, and further watchlists, with PEP and adverse-media checks running continuously. Given the mainland-China nexus, adverse-media screening is given particular weight.
From our compliance team
Hong Kong is where cross-border control is the whole question. The Companies Registry will tell you the local directors cleanly, but the Significant Controllers Register is company-held and the real control frequently sits across the border or offshore. We never accept the local directorship as a proxy for ultimate control and require ownership evidence that resolves who actually directs the company.
Hong Kong onboarding — FAQ
Is Hong Kong beneficial ownership public?
Not fully — the Significant Controllers Register is held by the company rather than published openly. First Mile Labs uses it where accessible and supplements with document-based ownership evidence, flagging where ultimate control cannot be confirmed.
How does the platform handle the mainland-China nexus?
It treats local Hong Kong directorship as distinct from ultimate control, follows ownership across the border where evidence allows, and gives adverse-media and PEP screening particular weight for these structures.
Which identity documents are accepted in Hong Kong?
The HKID card or Hong Kong SAR passport, with home-jurisdiction passports accepted for cross-border individuals — each authenticated and matched to a live selfie.
Coverage in other markets
Onboarding customers in Hong Kong?
Book a demo and we'll walk you through a full Hong Kong case — registry, identity, screening, and decision.
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