Interpretation of the classification of Hong Kong financial licenses：1-10Application guide for popular licenses

Hong Kong financial licenseManagement by type of regulated activity，Among them, the licenses with higher market attention mainly include1Number、2Number、4Number、6No. and No. 9 license plates。Business scope corresponding to different licenses、Application requirements and review focus are different，Application difficulty is also different。For financial institutions planning to expand into Hong Kong and international capital markets，Accurately determine license type、ConfigurationLicensed Responsible Personand establishing a continuous compliance system，It is the core work that must be completed before applying.。

Core application requirements for Hong Kong financial licenses

Hong Kong Securities and Futures CommissionRegulation，Applying for relevant financial licenses usually requires configuration2Hong Kong licensed responsible person (RO)。Licensed responsible persons generally need to have35 consecutive years of publicly disclosed capital market performance records，and pass a series of rigorous examinations、Qualifications and fit and proper assessment。

Hong Kong Information Communication Tips：2026start of year，Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission strengthens review of IPO employees of investment banks, exacerbating the manpower shortage problem of securities companies，The shortage of ROs has become an important difficulty in applying for a Hong Kong financial license.。combineGXT-HKContinuous observation，RO monthly salary has generally risen to HKD 50,000 to HKD 60,000。

at the same time，Applicants also need to havePhysical office address，and configureExperienced management teamAssist with daily operations of the company、Internal control construction and regulatory communication。Generally speaking，Successfully obtained an independent Hong Kong financial license，It is also the company’s capital strength、Important endorsement of governance capabilities and compliance levels。

Overview of Hong Kong financial license categories

Common regulated activity license categories under the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission include the following ten categories:：

• No. 1：Securities trading
• No. 2：Futures contract trading
• No. 3：Leveraged Forex Trading
• No. 4：Advise on securities
• No. 5：Advising on futures contracts
• No. 6：Advise on institutional financing
• No. 7：Provide automated trading services
• No. 8：Providing securities margin financing
• No. 9：Provide asset management (Amended by L.N. 28 of 2011)
• No. 10：Providing credit rating services (Added from L.N. 28 of 2011)

Practical analysis of popular license plates：4No. 9 license plate

The Hong Kong market implements a financial license management system。Licensed financial institutions can carry out stock trading within the approved scope、financial derivatives、Foreign exchange, gold and other related businesses。For mainland and cross-border financial institutions，4License plates No. 9 and No. 9 are of particular strategic value.。

• 9No. Asset Management License：This is one of the hottest licenses on the market，It is a type 9 regulated business qualification license issued by the Securities and Futures Ordinance of Hong Kong.。Hold this license，It means that institutions gain important "pass”，Not only can you directly participate in overseas investment,，Can also manage and use overseas investor funds。
• 4Securities Consulting License：This is a license approved by the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission to provide securities investment consulting services.，Applicable to those who intend to provide securities-related advice to clients、Research and consulting services organization。

For domestic securities futures、asset Management、international trust、For private equity firms，Obtain relevant Hong Kong financial licenses，On the one hand, it can participate in international capital market investment more comprehensively.，Expand the scope of investment targets，Enrich investors’ product choices；On the other hand, it also helps to seize investment opportunities in overseas markets.，Improve the company's asset management capabilities and market competitiveness，Further entering the ranks of international asset management institutions。

Business advantages after obtaining a Hong Kong financial license

After receiving the financial license from the Securities and Futures Commission of Hong Kong，Companies will be eligible to offer shares to domestic and foreign institutions、fund、Various financial products and services such as bonds。Relying on the Hong Kong capital market platform，Licensed institutions can not only develop more overseas real estate funds、Stock funds and other products，You can also immigrate through investment、Investment consulting and other value-added services，Provide more diversified cross-border financial services to high-net-worth customers。

9Application conditions and compliance thresholds for an asset management license

Hong Kong financial license classification from No. 1 to No. 10，There are obvious differences in the difficulty of applying for different licenses。byHong Kong No. 9 Asset Management License Application RequirementsFor example，The Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission usually focuses on the following key requirements：

1. Licensed Responsible Person：Requires 2 Hong Kong licensed responsible persons，And relevant personnel need to have 3 to 5 years of continuous public performance records in the capital market.，and pass strict examinations and qualification reviews。
2. office space：The applicant company must have a physical office address in Hong Kong。
3. Management team：The company needs an experienced management team，To support licensed business operations、Internal control management and compliance enforcement。
4. Executive appointments：Applicant companies must have at leasttwo executivesResponsible for company management，and appoint one of them as executive director。
5. fit and proper person principle：Applicant company and its executives、Employees and shareholders must comply with the fit and proper principles stipulated by the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission。

Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission assessment dimensions

The Securities and Futures Commission of Hong Kong will comprehensively assess the applicant’s solvency and financial status.、Educational and other qualifications、Relevant experience in the proposed business、Ability to conduct regulated business activities with integrity and fairness、Company reputation and financial soundness。Before the company submits the application，Should focus on personnel qualifications、Equity structure、business model、internal control system、Systematic preparation of capital arrangements and compliance documents。

Ongoing regulatory requirements after licensing

Hong Kong financial license is not a one-time approval matter。After obtaining the license，Licensed companies still need to continue to meet capital requirements、hosting、Record、Regulatory requirements such as reporting and disclosure，Ensure long-term stable and compliant operations of the business。

• capital：Licensed companies must continue to maintain paid-in share capital and liquid capital not less than the minimum capital requirements。
• Fund custody：Licensees holding client funds must open an account with a bank in Hong Kong，And customer funds must be stored in isolation。
• financial records：All licensees must remain financially solvent、Records related to compliance and internal control systems。
• Regular declaration：Financial records must be properly maintained in accordance with internationally recognized accounting standards，and submit monthly reports、Quarterly and annual reports。
• Information disclosure：All companies must disclose financial reports to the public。

Reference article

• Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission is rumored to strengthen employee review of IPO underwriters，6The number of new license holders dropped sharply-Sina Finance
• Bloomberg: The China Securities Regulatory Commission strengthens the review of investment bank IPO employees, exacerbating the manpower shortage problem of securities firms-Hong Kong 01
• Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission official website Thirteen categories of regulated activities under the Securities and Futures Ordinance

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