Hire in Hong Kong without a local company
If you want a first hire before registering a company, an Employer of Record employs the person for you. You can set up your own entity in parallel and transfer the employee later.
Common use cases
- Test a first position (sales, representative, country manager) before setting up an entity in Hong Kong;
- Secure a hire while your local entity is being registered;
- Employ a single employee in a secondary market without setting up a dedicated structure.
What your EOR partner handles
- Employment contract under the Employment Ordinance;
- Payroll and MPF pension contributions;
- Salaries tax filing support;
- Employment visa support for non-local hires.
What it costs to employ someone in Hong Kong
Beyond gross salary, several items must be budgeted. They vary by city and by role. We detail them systematically before any mission starts.
- MPF pension: Mandatory contributions of 5% from the employer and 5% from the employee, subject to a monthly cap.
- Salaries tax: Paid by the employee, on a progressive scale.
- 13th month: Customary in many companies, often paid as 'double pay'.
- Severance and long service payments: Governed by the Employment Ordinance.
- EOR fee: A percentage of gross monthly salary, quoted per hire.
Work authorisation for foreign hires
Non-local professionals usually apply for an Employment visa under the General Employment Policy (GEP). We check eligibility before the offer, because a visa refusal costs weeks.
