KYC Checklist for Hong Kong Global Account Setup
Opening a Global Account for a business registered in Hong Kong requires completing a Know Your Customer (KYC) verification process. KYC, mandated by regulators, ensures that financial services are provided responsibly by verifying and maintaining information about businesses and connected individuals.
Below is a detailed guide to the documents required, organised by business structure:
1. Required Documents by Business Type
Limited Company Account
Certificate of Incorporation
ID of Authorised Person
ID of Ultimate Beneficial Owner (UBO)
Sole Proprietorship Account
Business Registration
ID of Authorised Person
ID of UBO
Partnership Account
Business Registration
Partnership Disclosure & Declaration Form
ID of Authorised Person
ID of UBO
File Submission Guidelines
Ensure all documents are clear and readable.
File size must not exceed 10MB.
Accepted formats: PDF, Word, JPG, JPEG, PNG, BMP.
2. Business Information
Business Registration
Provide a copy of the company's valid business registration certificate.
Sample Business Registration Certificate:
Certificate of Incorporation
Provide a copy of the company’s Certificate of Incorporation.
Sample Certificate of Incorporation:
Partnership Disclosure & Declaration Form
For partnerships, submit a partnership disclosure and declaration form that clearly states each partner’s capital contribution percentage.
Ownership Structure Chart
A shareholder register or ownership diagram meeting the following requirements:
Include full legal name and shareholding percentage of UBOs (Ultimate Beneficial Owner - individuals holding 25% or more ownership or voting rights).
Provide the registration country and shareholding percentage of intermediary shareholding entities.
If there are no UBOs, declare this in the shareholding register and provide information on the key controller.
Ensure the document is signed and dated by a director, with their printed name included (handwritten or electronic signatures like DocuSign and Adobe Sign are acceptable).
Ensure the document is signed within the last 12 months and is unaltered.
Sample Ownership Structure Chart:
3. Industry-Specific Questionnaires
Live Streaming Questionnaire
If you operate a live-streaming business, please complete the following questionnaire to comply with Airwallex's internal compliance requirements.
Online Marketplace Onboarding Questionnaire
If you operate an online marketplace business, please complete the following questionnaire to comply with Airwallex's internal compliance requirements.
Financial Institution Onboarding Questionnaire
If the Global Account will process funds on behalf of underlying clients, please complete the following questionnaire and provide all requested supporting documents.
4. Authorisation Letter
If the applicant is not a legal representative, director, or UBO, submit a letter of authorisation stating they have the authority to act on behalf of the business.
The letter must be signed by a company director.
If your business has multiple legal entities registered across different countries/regions and would like to onboard them simultaneously, you can use the Global Authorisation Letter Template instead of submitting a separate template for each location.
If the applicant is a channel partner opening an account on behalf of clients, submit an Authorisation Letter for Channel Partners.
5. Personal Information
Authorised Person
An authorised person is designated to act on behalf of the business.
Ultimate Beneficial Owner (UBO)
A UBO is:
An individual holding 25% or more of share capital; or
An individual exercising 25% or more of voting rights.
Personal ID Requirements
Provide government-issued photo ID for both the Authorised Person and UBO:
Accepted IDs: Passport, National ID, or Driver’s License.
For Chinese citizens, only the Chinese Resident Identity Card is acceptable (both front and back sides required).
Sample Chinese Resident Identity Card:
Examples of Valid IDs
1. Passport - All Countries
Sample:
2. National ID - e.g. HONG KONG PERMANENT IDENTITY CARD
If Non-Permanent, provide passport instead.
Sample:
3. Driver's License - e.g., Australian Driver License
Sample:
ID Submission Guidelines
Ensure the ID photo is clear, with no occlusion, reflection, or watermark.
Place the document flat in a well-lit area and shoot vertically.