# How to Set Up a Single Family Office in Hong Kong

> Setting up a Hong Kong single family office takes 3–6 months. Step-by-step: structure, incorporation, tax exemption, staffing — with costs and 2026 policy notes.

URL: https://www.china-family-office.com/en/articles/education-research/how-to-set-up-single-family-office-hong-kong/

Published: 2026-08-25 · by China Family Office Research Team

A single family office (SFO) is a professional organisation serving one family. Hong Kong, the world’s largest cross-border wealth centre in 2026 (BCG), hosts 3,380+ SFOs (InvestHK / Deloitte). This is a practical step-by-step setup guide.

## Step 1: Define objectives and asset scale

Self-setting an SFO usually makes sense above US$100 million of investable assets; families between US$10m and US$100m often start with MFO services at 0.2%–0.5% of assets per year.

## Step 2: Choose the legal structure

A common combination is a private limited company plus family trust plus investment holding company. MOF & STA Announcement No. 15 of 2026 applies a 20% rate to offshore trust arrangements of Chinese tax residents — complete a tax impact assessment before establishing.

## Step 3: Incorporation and licensing

A company serving only its own family generally needs no SFC licence; managing external assets triggers Type 4/9 assessment. Incorporation at the Companies Registry usually takes 1–2 weeks.

## Step 4: Tax and banking

Apply for offshore fund exemption (Hong Kong’s analogue to Singapore’s 13O/13U) and open private banking accounts — the CIES route, with its residential threshold cut to HK$30 million in 2025, offers family members a residency pathway.

## Cost and timeline reference

| Item | Range | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Legal setup | HK$200k–800k | Depends on structure |
| Annual running cost | 0.5%–1% of assets | Including payroll |
| First hire | 1–2 months | Recruit or outsource |
| Full setup | 3–6 months | End to end |

## Key data

China’s wealth management market reached RMB 179.33 trillion in 2025, second globally (Sina Finance, 2026).

The global family office market was US$20.6bn in 2025, projected US$38.1bn by 2035 (Research Nester, 2025).

The market is projected to grow at a 7.1% CAGR from 2026 to 2035 (Research Nester).

Hong Kong hosted 3,380+ single family offices by end-2025 (InvestHK / Deloitte).

Cross-border wealth in Hong Kong is projected to grow 9% a year 2025–2030, first globally (BCG, 2026).

## References

- [InvestHK FamilyOfficeHK](https://www.familyofficehk.gov.hk)
- [HK Government News](https://www.info.gov.hk)

## Related Guides

Explore [the Complete Guide](/articles/education-research/china-family-office-complete-guide-2026/) and [the Hong Kong vs Singapore comparison](/articles/compare/hong-kong-vs-singapore-family-office-2026/) on China Family Office\u2019s site, or see the [FAQ](/faq/).

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Education & Research · China Family Office (https://www.china-family-office.com/en/)