What are the procedures for changing the name of a limited company? Three steps to change the new company name

What if the proprietor of a limited company wants to change the company name? In fact, it is not as difficult as you think. The fact is that it only takes three steps (and some precautions) to successfully change your name. The following are the procedures you need to change the company name:

According to the website guidelines of the Companies Registry, if you want to change the name of a limited company, you can follow the following procedures:

1. Step 1) Draw up a new name and search to ensure it is unique

The Company’s Registry is reminded that when formulating a new company name, proprietors should refer to the “Guidelines for the Registration of Company Names in Hong Kong” to avoid the situation where the company name is not allowed to be registered, for example, avoid using words regulated by the ordinance such as “office”, “Bureau” and so on.

Secondly, the proprietor must ensure that the new company name is different from the company name existing in the Companies Registrar’s Index of Company Names, so as not to be denied permission to change the name because the name is being used by another company and infringes the intellectual property rights of others, even incur civil sanctions.

The proprietor of the company may conduct a search through any of the following channels:

1. Log in to the “Online Search Centre”;

2. Log in to the “Company Search Mobile Version” service;

3. Go to the public search center on the 13th floor of Queensway Government Offices in person, and conduct a free search in the “full name search” mode to ensure that the new company name is unique; at the same time, you can check the intellectual property rights in the trademark registration record.

2. Step 2) Submit the Notice of Change of Company Name

A limited company must pass a special resolution to change the company name. In addition, the company must deliver a completed Notice of Change of Company Name (NNC2) form (the form can be downloaded from the Companies Registry website) within 15 days after the special resolution is passed:

1. Log on to the “e-Registry” of the Companies Registry;

2. Log in to the “CR Trading Form” mobile app;

3. Mail to the “Company Registry, 14th Floor, Queensway Government Offices, 66 Queensway, Hong Kong”;

4. Submit the completed form in hard copy form and the registration fee ($295) in person to the Shroff Office on the 14th floor of Queensway Government Offices.

It should be added that if it is mailed and delivered in person, the form must be delivered together with the change of registration fee – HK$295 (please pay by cheque, do not send cash.), otherwise the company registry will not be processed, and once the new company name is wrong or If registration is not approved, the prescription may refuse the application and the related fee will not be refunded.

3.  Step 3) Receive the Certificate of Change of Company Name

If the change of company name is approved, the proprietor can download the “Certificate of Change of Company Name” from the Internet or in person.

If you apply in a hard copy form, the whole process will take about 4 working days. When the hard copy of the certificate is issued, the bureau will notify the submitter by fax to collect it at the Companies Registry and must present the fax notification and identification documents. If entrusting another person to collect it, the recipient must present a power of attorney signed by the submitter.

For online application, the certificate will be sent to the user’s message box and registered email address within 1 hour at the earliest for the applicant to download.

Depending on the form of delivery, the certificate may be issued in electronic form or hard copy, both of which have the same legal effect.

The above information is for reference only. If you have any questions about tax declaration and accounting, we welcome your inquiries.