National Supervisory Authority & Licensing Qualification Dossier • Asia-Pacific
Hong Kong Monetary Authority
Global JurisdictionSource / Native Reference: 香港金融管理局
- Supervisory tier
- Tier-2
- License classes
- 2
- Licensed records
- 18
- Active / regulated
- 18
Statutory Supervisory Mandate & Scope
Hong Kong Monetary Authority (Hong Kong Monetary Authority) exercises statutory authority over commercial banks, deposit-taking institutions, foreign exchange dealers, and payment service providers in Global Jurisdiction.
Prudential Tier Assessment
Tier-2Tier-2 sovereign central bank and macroprudential banking supervisor for Global Jurisdiction, enforcing Basel III capital adequacy and national payment system integrity.
National licensing qualifications & statutory authorisation classes (Hong Kong Monetary Authority)
Authorisation categories, permitted institutional and retail activities, minimum initial capital adequacy, and ongoing prudential solvency rules enforced by Hong Kong Monetary Authority in Global Jurisdiction.
| License class / code | Official designation | Permitted institutional & retail activities | Minimum initial / base capital | Ongoing prudential & solvency rule |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class A / Commercial Banking Charter | Full Commercial & Institutional Banking Licence | Deposit-taking, commercial lending, interbank FX market-making, trade finance, and institutional custody. | USD $5,000,000 – $15,000,000 equivalent statutory paid-up banking capital | Minimum Basel III Total Capital Ratio ≥ 10.5%–12.5%, CET1 ≥ 7.0%, LCR ≥ 100%, and NSFR ≥ 100%. |
| EMI / Payment & FX Institution Licence | Authorised Payment Institution / Electronic Money & FX Remittance Licence | Cross-border remittance, electronic money issuance, merchant payment acquiring, and deliverable spot FX conversion. | USD $150,000 – $500,000 equivalent paid-up capital plus statutory central bank security deposit. | 100% daily safeguarding of customer float in segregated commercial bank trust accounts. |
Investor compensation, client money segregation & digital-asset regime
Statutory counterparty protections, custody reconciliation mandates, and virtual-asset licensing status under Hong Kong Monetary Authority.
Statutory Deposit Insurance & Bank Resolution Scheme (Global Jurisdiction)
- Maximum coverage per client
- Protected up to statutory national deposit insurance ceiling per banking depositor
- Eligible counterparties & scope
- Retail depositors and eligible corporate deposit accounts held at licensed credit institutions.
Hong Kong Monetary Authority Prudential Safeguarding & Custody Directives
- Reconciliation & audit cadence
- Daily reserve and Nostro/Vostro liquidity reconciliation; 100% ring-fencing of payment institution safeguarding accounts.
- Approved custodian requirements
- Central bank reserve accounts or ring-fenced statutory trust accounts at Tier-1 correspondent banks.
Hong Kong Monetary Authority Prudential Cryptoasset Exposure (BCBS SCO60) & CBDC / Stablecoin Oversight
- Travel Rule, custody & stablecoin rules
- Full FATF Recommendation 16 Wire Transfer & Virtual Asset Travel Rule compliance across supervised banking rails.
Primary Governing Statutes & Rulebooks
- Central Bank & Banking Supervision Act of Global Jurisdiction
- Basel III Capital Adequacy (CET1 / Tier 1 / Total Capital) & Liquidity (LCR / NSFR) Prudential Standards
- National Payment Systems & Foreign Exchange Control Regulations (Global Jurisdiction)
- FATF-Aligned Anti-Money Laundering & Counter-Terrorist Financing (AML/CFT) Banking Directives
Regulatory Reporting & Audit Obligations
Monthly/Quarterly Basel III COREP/FINREP prudential capital and liquidity returns to Hong Kong Monetary AuthorityAnnual IFRS statutory financial audit by an approved central-bank-panel external audit firmReal-time large-exposure, foreign exchange position, and suspicious transaction reporting (STR)
Cross-Border Equivalence & Passporting
Requires Hong Kong Monetary Authority home-host supervisory college approval or local branch/representative office licensing for cross-border banking operations.
Supervised institutions & Hong Kong Monetary Authority licence records in our database
18 licence records referencing Hong Kong Monetary Authority (18 regulated/registered).
| Institution | Licence number | Status | Licensed legal entity | Effective date | Verification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MUFG Bank(Global network record) | Not supplied | Regulated | MUFG BANK, LTD. | — | |
| DBS Bank(Global network record) | Not supplied | Regulated | DBS Bank Limited | — | |
| HSBC(Global network record) | Not supplied | Regulated | HSBC BANK PLC | — | |
| Airstar Bank Limited(Global network record) | Not supplied | Regulated | AIRSTAR BANK LIMITED | — | |
| Ant Bank(Global network record) | Not supplied | Regulated | ANT BANK (HONG KONG) LIMITED | — | |
| Chiyu Banking(Global network record) | Not supplied | Regulated | CHIYU BANKING CORPORATION LIMITED | — | |
| Chong Hing Bank Limited(Global network record) | Not supplied | Regulated | CHONG HING BANK LIMITED | — | |
| Fubon Bank (Hong Kong)(Global network record) | Not supplied | Regulated | FUBON BANK (HONG KONG) LIMITED | — | |
| Fusion Bank(Global network record) | Not supplied | Regulated | FUSION BANK LIMITED | — | |
| HSB(Global network record) | Not supplied | Regulated | Hang Seng Bank | — | |
| Mox(Global network record) | Not supplied | Regulated | MOX BANK LIMITED | — | |
| NCB(Global network record) | Not supplied | Regulated | NANYANG COMMERCIAL BANK, LIMITED | — | |
| Standard Chartered Bank(Global network record) | Not supplied | Regulated | Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Limited | — | |
| Tai Sang Bank(Global network record) | Not supplied | Regulated | TAI SANG BANK LIMITED | — | |
| Tai You Bank Limited(Global network record) | Not supplied | Regulated | TAI YAU BANK, LIMITED | — | |
| WeLab Bank Limited(Global network record) | Not supplied | Regulated | WELAB BANK LIMITED | — | |
| ZA Bank(Global network record) | Not supplied | Regulated | ZA BANK LIMITED | — | |
| Mizuho Securities(Global network record) | Not supplied | Regulated | MIZUHO BANK, LTD. | — |
Hong Kong Monetary Authority (Global Jurisdiction): institutional licensing & due diligence FAQ
Key statutory capital, compensation, custody segregation, and verification answers for compliance teams.
What are the primary licensing classes and minimum capital requirements under Hong Kong Monetary Authority (Global Jurisdiction)?
Hong Kong Monetary Authority (Hong Kong Monetary Authority) supervises financial institutions in Global Jurisdiction under Central Bank & Banking Supervision Act of Global Jurisdiction and Basel III Capital Adequacy (CET1 / Tier 1 / Total Capital) & Liquidity (LCR / NSFR) Prudential Standards. Key statutory authorisation classes include: Class A / Commercial Banking Charter (Full Commercial & Institutional Banking Licence — min. capital: USD $5,000,000 – $15,000,000 equivalent statutory paid-up banking capital); EMI / Payment & FX Institution Licence (Authorised Payment Institution / Electronic Money & FX Remittance Licence — min. capital: USD $150,000 – $500,000 equivalent paid-up capital plus statutory central bank security deposit.). Ongoing prudential supervision requires strict adherence to capital adequacy and liquidity buffers.
Does Hong Kong Monetary Authority provide statutory investor compensation and mandatory client asset segregation?
Under Hong Kong Monetary Authority's framework, investor protection is governed by Statutory Deposit Insurance & Bank Resolution Scheme (Global Jurisdiction) with maximum coverage of Protected up to statutory national deposit insurance ceiling per banking depositor (Retail depositors and eligible corporate deposit accounts held at licensed credit institutions.). For client money and custody assets, supervised firms must comply with Hong Kong Monetary Authority Prudential Safeguarding & Custody Directives, performing daily reserve and nostro/vostro liquidity reconciliation; 100% ring-fencing of payment institution safeguarding accounts. with central bank reserve accounts or ring-fenced statutory trust accounts at tier-1 correspondent banks..
How does Hong Kong Monetary Authority regulate digital assets, crypto exchanges (VASPs/CASPs), and stablecoins?
Hong Kong Monetary Authority's digital-asset regime is structured around Hong Kong Monetary Authority Prudential Cryptoasset Exposure (BCBS SCO60) & CBDC / Stablecoin Oversight (Regulates bank custody, payment settlement rails, fiat-backed stablecoin reserve backing, and Basel SCO60 capital weights.). Custody and AML/CFT compliance obligations require: Full FATF Recommendation 16 Wire Transfer & Virtual Asset Travel Rule compliance across supervised banking rails.
How can I verify an institution's Hong Kong Monetary Authority licence number and check our 18 recorded licence entries?
Our database currently tracks 18 licence records referencing Hong Kong Monetary Authority (18 marked regulated or registered). To verify a counterparty at the primary source, open Hong Kong Monetary Authority's official public register (https://www.hkma.gov.hk/), search by the exact reference number and legal entity name, and confirm that the firm's domain and permitted activities match its statutory authorisation.
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Statutory licensing classes, base capital rules, and investor protection summaries for Hong Kong Monetary Authority (Global Jurisdiction) are maintained for institutional benchmarking and do not constitute legal advice. Always verify current rulebooks and active firm authorisations directly on Hong Kong Monetary Authority’s official public register.