This list of sources sets out the official documents, legislation and public pages of organisations cited on this site's pages, grouped by organisation. Each entry gives the organisation, title, date, link, use on this site and verification status. Organisations update their pages, so please rely on the latest version at the link; if you find a broken link or changed content, you can let us know through the contact details on this site.

Verification status: Official original = read directly from the page or PDF of the competent authority, a legal database or a bank's website; Official original (summary) = obtained from official page extracts or search summaries and not read word for word, cited only to a limited extent in the text with a note that the original prevails; Reused from sister sites = figures verified by bankaccount.sg, bankaccount.com.sg or vul.hk between 22 and 24 Oct 2026; Media report = secondary source, background only and not a basis for any rule. Anything marked "bank's own statement" represents only that bank's published position.

Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA)

Organisation Title Date Link Use on this site (citing pages) Verification status
HKMA Smart Consumers – Account Opening: Information Required (personal and corporate) Page revised 26 Aug 2019; checked 24 Oct 2026 hkma.gov.hk Reference information for personal and corporate accounts; "collect" versus "verify" for address (overview, documents, process, corporate-account, compare) Official original
HKMA Role of the HKMA (Account Opening) Page revised 8 Mar 2023 hkma.gov.hk Risk-based approach and differentiating customer risk; from Oct 2018 banks generally need only collect address; account-opening enquiry telephone and email (documents, rejections, faq) Official original
HKMA Guideline on AML/CFT (For Authorized Institutions) (AML-2) Revised May 2023 PDF CDD measures under Schedule 2 of Cap. 615 and the more-than-25% beneficial owner threshold (documents, corporate-account, rejections) Official original (summary) (paragraph numbers not checked one by one; not cited in the text)
HKMA Ordinances & Statutory Guidelines (AML/CFT) Page revised 28 Nov 2025 hkma.gov.hk Enactment and commencement of Cap. 615 (passed 2011, in force Apr 2012) Official original (summary)
HKMA Remote on-boarding of individual customers (B10/1C, B1/15C, B10/21C) 3 Sep 2026 PDF Supersedes the circulars of 1 Feb 2019 and 24 May 2021; the two principles of identity authentication and identity matching; deepfakes and money mules; tiered approach; comprehensive review of remote onboarding arrangements; the 24 Sep 2020 circular on remote onboarding of corporate customers and the 3 Jun 2020 thematic review circular continue to apply (remote-opening, process, compare) Official original (full text read 24 Oct 2026)
HKMA Expected controls for account opening and maintaining relationships with clients with investment accounts (B1/15C, G16/1C) 22 May 2026 PDF Banks to apply similar measures to Chinese Mainland investors' investment accounts; "investment account" includes the investment function of integrated accounts; non-investment accounts remain risk-based (investment-account-changes, mainland-residents, rejections) Official original
HKMA Annex 1 – Additional measures for opening and managing investment accounts of Chinese Mainland investors 22 May 2026 PDF The three measures for banks: Measure 1 carried out by banks selected by the HKMA (3-month review, then closure within 6 months); Measure 2, all banks review dormant investment accounts with a nil balance (no assets on 22 May 2026 and no customer activity in the previous 12 months), closing those not reactivated within 6 months; Measure 3, written declaration and own-name settlement for new investment accounts; eligible jurisdictions follow the SFC's "Acceptable account opening approaches" list (rejections, investment-account-changes, process) Official original (full text read 24 Oct 2026)
HKMA Annex 2 – Frequently asked questions for the circular on expected controls for account opening 22 May 2026 PDF Measures apply only to investment accounts and the investment function of integrated accounts; dormant accounts handled on a relationship basis; declarations can be obtained electronically; not applicable to corporate and institutional clients; Measure 3 also applies to investment accounts opened in person in Hong Kong (rejections, investment-account-changes) Official original (full text read 24 Oct 2026)
HKMA inSight: Embracing new opportunities and accessing banking services 27 Apr 2023 hkma.gov.hk Differentiating risk rather than refusing business accounts on a "one-size-fits-all" basis; dedicated teams or hotlines; about 13,000 Simple Bank Accounts (corporate-account, rejections) Official original
HKMA Access to banking services for corporate customers (circular) 27 Apr 2023 brdr.hkma.gov.hk Circular on corporate account opening issued the same day as the entry above (background) Official original (summary) (not read in full)
HKMA inSight: Tiered Account Services – A New Initiative on Promoting Financial Inclusion 12 Apr 2019 hkma.gov.hk Positioning, scope of service, lighter due diligence and target users of Simple Bank Accounts (corporate-account) Official original (rechecked 24 Oct 2026)
HKMA (reproducing bank announcements) Account Opening – What's New? Checked 24 Oct 2026 hkma.gov.hk Examples of bank announcements on account-opening services: BOCHK mobile account opening extended overseas (16 Jul 2020), Hang Seng remote corporate account opening extended to companies with Mainland shareholders (18 Jul 2023), several banks launching SBAs (2025), DBS Hong Kong same-day corporate account opening (1 Apr 2026) (remote-opening, corporate-account) Official original (banks' own statements; not regulatory requirements or commitments on timing)
HKMA Digital Banks (Guideline on Authorization of Digital Banks) Page revised 2 Oct 2026 hkma.gov.hk Renamed digital banks in the guideline of 25 Oct 2024; definition (remote-opening, major-banks) Official original
HKMA Report on the Review of Virtual Banks 6 Aug 2024 PDF The 8 virtual bank licences of 2019 and the list of banks; all open accounts remotely (remote-opening, major-banks) Official original (summary) (the current list is in the Register of Authorized Institutions)
HKMA The Three-tier Banking System Page revised 2 Oct 2026 hkma.gov.hk Licensed banks, restricted licence banks, deposit-taking companies (glossary, deposit-protection) Official original (summary) (checked 24 Oct 2026)
HKMA The Launch of Faster Payment System 17 Sep 2018 hkma.gov.hk FPS registration opening and full launch dates (process) Official original (summary)
HKMA FPS New Account Proxy – HKID Number 1 Dec 2020 hkma.gov.hk HKID number can be registered as a proxy ID from 6 Dec 2020 (scenarios) Official original (summary)
HKMA Cross-boundary Wealth Management Connect Pilot Scheme (circular) 24 Jan 2024 PDF Cross-boundary WMC 2.0, effective 26 Feb 2024 (mainland-residents) Official original (summary)
HKMA Implementation of first phase of enhancement measures of Deposit Protection Scheme 1 Oct 2024 hkma.gov.hk Protection limit raised from HK$500,000 to HK$800,000; second phase effective 1 Jan 2025 (deposit-protection, compare, overview) Official original

The SFC, the Hong Kong Association of Banks and other Hong Kong bodies

Organisation Title Date Link Use on this site (citing pages) Verification status
Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) Circular to licensed corporations – Expected controls for account opening and maintaining relationships with clients (SFO/IS/018/2026) and Appendices A–C 22 May 2026 PDF Definition of "Chinese Mainland investor"; the four written declarations and own-name settlement for new investment accounts; review of existing accounts carried out by firms selected by the SFC on a risk basis; consequences of forged documents; not applicable to corporate and institutional clients (investment-account-changes, mainland-residents, rejections, scenarios) Official original
Hang Seng Bank / HKEX HKIDR and OTCR; HKEX circular CT157/22 20 Mar 2023; 25 Sep 2023 hangseng.com; HKEX PDF Hong Kong Investor Identification Regime and Broker-to-Client Assigned Numbers (process, glossary) Official original (summary) (an SFC regime)
Hong Kong Association of Banks (HKAB) Frequently Asked Questions in relation to AML/CFT 30 Dec 2024 (supersedes the 5 Oct 2022 version) PDF Source of wealth generally applies only in higher-risk situations; evidence going back decades is not required; distinction between source of funds and source of wealth (source-of-funds, rejections, process) Official original
Hong Kong Association of Banks / DTC Association Code of Banking Practice (December 2023 revision); HKMA document of 19 Oct 2018 In effect from 7 Dec 2023 PDF; PDF Section 6.3: at least 30 days' notice before a change in fee levels; section 5.10: no termination fee if a customer terminates the service within the notice period after a change in terms (major-banks, faq) Official original (PDF read 24 Oct 2026)
Hong Kong Deposit Protection Board (HKDPB) Features of DPS Checked 24 Oct 2026 dps.org.hk Lists of protected and non-protected items, joint accounts, 7-day payout target, transitional protection after bank mergers, fund target size (deposit-protection) Official original (additional verification by this site)
Hong Kong Deposit Protection Board (HKDPB) DPS FAQs Checked 24 Oct 2026 dps.org.hk Compensation calculated on a gross basis, interest protected, foreign currencies paid out in HKD, display of membership sign, protection of trust and client accounts (deposit-protection) Official original (additional verification by this site)
Investor and Financial Education Council (IFEC) Deposit Protection Scheme Checked 24 Oct 2026 ifec.org.hk Foreign-currency deposits protected; non-protected items; restricted licence banks and deposit-taking companies outside the scheme (deposit-protection, compare, glossary) Official original
Companies Registry (CR) FAQ – Significant Controllers Register Checked 24 Oct 2026 cr.gov.hk Companies covered, the five conditions for a significant controller, place of keeping and NR2 notification, law enforcement agencies entitled to inspect (corporate-account, compare, glossary) Official original (rechecked 24 Oct 2026)
Companies Registry (CR) Guideline on the Keeping of Significant Controllers Registers by Companies 1 Mar 2018; updated 23 May 2025 PDF Non-compliance liable to a level 4 fine of HK$25,000 and a daily fine of HK$700; penalties for false statements (corporate-account) Official original (Chapter 9 read 24 Oct 2026)

Hong Kong Inland Revenue Department (IRD) and the HKSAR Government

Organisation Title Date Link Use on this site (citing pages) Verification status
IRD Automatic Exchange of Financial Account Information Checked 24 Oct 2026 ird.gov.hk AEOI legal framework in force 30 Jun 2016; reportable jurisdictions increased from 75 to 126 from 1 Jan 2020; self-certification (crs-tax, overview, glossary, faq) Official original
IRD 申报管辖区名单 (List of Reportable Jurisdictions) Checked 24 Oct 2026 ird.gov.hk The Chinese Mainland's first reporting period was 1 Jul 2017 to 31 Dec 2017 (crs-tax) Official original
IRD FAQ – Automatic Exchange of Financial Account Information Checked 24 Oct 2026 ird.gov.hk New accounts require a self-certification from 1 Jan 2017; an updated self-certification within 30 days of a change in circumstances; items of information exchanged; AEOI definition of individual tax resident (180 / 300 days); Hong Kong TIN is the HKID number (crs-tax, documents, compare, scenarios) Official original (additional verification by this site; /eng/faq/aeoi.htm, listed in the original plan, returned 404 on 24 Oct 2026, so this link prevails)
IRD Penalty Policy Checked 24 Oct 2026 ird.gov.hk Section 80(2E): knowingly or recklessly making a false self-certification, fine of HK$10,000 (crs-tax, faq) Official original (rechecked 24 Oct 2026)
Legislative Council Bills Committee papers (Inland Revenue (Amendment) (No. 3) Bill 2016) Apr 2016 PDF Section 80(2E) requires proof of "knowingly or recklessly" (background) Official original (summary)
IRD Inland Revenue (Amendment) (CARF and Amended CRS) Bill 2026 Gazetted 22 May 2026; checked 24 Oct 2026 ird.gov.hk Amended CRS proposed from 1 Jan 2028 and CARF from 1 Jan 2027; still "subject to scrutiny by the Legislative Council" at the date checked (crs-tax, compare, faq) Official original (rechecked 24 Oct 2026)
IRD Arrangement on automatic exchange of financial account information in tax matters between Mainland and HKSAR in force (press release) 11 Sep 2018 ird.gov.hk Hong Kong's first automatic exchanges with the Mainland and 49 other jurisdictions in Sep 2018 (crs-tax) Official original (additional verification by this site)
IRD Questions about automatic exchange of financial information (pamphlet) 2016 PDF An updated self-certification should generally be provided within 30 days of a change in circumstances (crs-tax) Official original (additional verification by this site)
HKSAR Government; IRD Exemption of interest income from profits tax (press release); DIPN 34 3 Jul 1998 info.gov.hk; DIPN 34 Interest on deposits placed with authorized institutions in Hong Kong exempt from profits tax (crs-tax, compare) Official original (summary) (individual cases decided by the IRD)
HKSAR Government 立法会通过《2024 年存款保障计划(修订)条例草案》 (LegCo passes the Deposit Protection Scheme (Amendment) Bill 2024, press release) 3 Jul 2024 info.gov.hk Legal basis for the higher deposit protection limit (deposit-protection) Official original
HKSAR Government LCQ18: Cross-boundary Wealth Management Connect 12 Jun 2024 info.gov.hk Southbound individual quota raised from RMB 1 million to RMB 3 million (mainland-residents, scenarios) Official original (summary)

Hong Kong bank websites (single-bank terms, subject to change)

Organisation Title Date Link Use on this site (citing pages) Verification status
The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) Open an HSBC Bank Account Online Checked 24 Oct 2026 hsbc.com.hk App account-opening conditions (aged 18–75, documents, designated regions); HSBC One balance of HK$10,000 for non-HKID holders and below balance fee of HK$100 a month (remote-opening, documents, process, compare, scenarios) Official original
The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) HSBC Premier Checked 24 Oct 2026 hsbc.com.hk Premier total relationship balance of HK$1,000,000 (major-banks) Official original (the below balance fee page contains a typo; the fee schedule prevails)
The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) Open Investment Account Searched 24 Oct 2026 hsbc.com.hk Chinese Mainland investors must submit the declaration before investment services can be activated (documents, investment-account-changes) Official original (summary)
Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Service Charges (version effective 1 Oct 2026); Priority Banking 1 Oct 2026; searched 24 Oct 2026 PDF; sc.com Priority Banking at HK$1,000,000 and quarterly service fee of HK$900 (major-banks, process, compare) Official original (summary)
Bank of China (Hong Kong) New Wealth Management Experience; Private Wealth Terms and Conditions Searched 24 Oct 2026 bochk.com; PDF Wealth Management at HK$1,000,000, Private Wealth at HK$8,000,000 (major-banks, compare) Official original (summary)
Hang Seng Bank Prestige Banking: Prestige eligibility Searched 24 Oct 2026 hangseng.com Prestige Banking threshold of HK$1,000,000 (major-banks) Threshold: official original (summary); monthly fee not verified, so no figure given

Singapore: MAS, IRAS, ACRA, SDIC and bank pages (for comparison)

Organisation Title Date Link Use on this site (citing pages) Verification status
MAS Notice 626 Prevention of Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism – Banks 28 Mar 2024; current version revised 30 Jun 2025 (effective 1 Jul 2025) mas.gov.sg; current version PDF Para. 6.6 minimum identification information, para. 6.29 non-face-to-face onboarding, para. 6.35 no account where CDD cannot be completed, para. 8.3 source of wealth and funds for PEPs (paragraph numbers checked against the current version of 30 Jun 2025) (remote-opening, rejections, compare, documents, source-of-funds) Official original (current version PDF read 24 Oct 2026)
MAS MAS takes regulatory actions against 9 financial institutions for AML-related breaches 4 Jul 2025 mas.gov.sg Composition penalties totalling S$27.45 million; inadequate follow-up on source of wealth (rejections, investment-account-changes) Reused from sister sites (institutions not named)
IRAS CRS Overview and Latest Developments Updated 9 Sep 2026 iras.gov.sg Exchanges since Sep 2018; amended CRS applies from 1 Jan 2027, exchanges expected from 2028 (crs-tax, compare, overview) Reused from sister sites
IRAS Basic information for account holders of Financial Institutions (CRS) Updated 19 Oct 2021 iras.gov.sg Deliberately giving false information about tax residence: fine of up to S$10,000, imprisonment of up to 2 years, or both; without a self-certification, the financial institution may report, refuse to open an account or close the account (crs-tax) Official original (rechecked 24 Oct 2026)
IRAS Individual Income Tax rates (Tax residency) Updated 27 Apr 2026 iras.gov.sg Individual tax residence tests such as 183 days (crs-tax, compare) Reused from sister sites
IRAS What is taxable: Interest Updated 15 Oct 2026 iras.gov.sg Interest on deposits with approved banks and licensed finance companies not taxed for individuals (crs-tax, compare) Reused from sister sites
ACRA Filing with the Central Register of Registrable Controllers (RORC); Identifying & sending annual notices to registrable controllers Page updated 24 Sep 2026; 29 Jan 2026 acra.gov.sg; acra.gov.sg Significant interest is more than 25% of shares or voting rights; changes lodged with the central register within 2 business days of updating the company's own register; central register in place since 30 Jul 2020, not open to the public (corporate-account, compare, glossary) Official original (rechecked 24 Oct 2026)
SDIC Deposit Insurance Scheme FAQ Checked 24 Oct 2026 sdic.org.sg S$100,000 aggregate limit (from 1 Apr 2024); foreign-currency and structured deposits not covered (deposit-protection, compare, overview, faq); other details on bankaccount.sg Official original (rechecked 24 Oct 2026)
GovTech (Singpass) Singpass Registration Guide PDF dated 29 Jun 2026 PDF Registration eligibility: citizens, PRs and FIN holders aged 15 or over (remote-opening, compare) Reused from sister sites
Singapore Police Force 40 persons to be charged for suspected involvement in scam-related money mule activities 8 Sep 2024 police.gov.sg New offences from 8 Feb 2024 for handing over control of an account or disclosing Singpass credentials, with the relevant provisions carrying up to 3 years' imprisonment, a fine, or both (rejections) Official original (rechecked 24 Oct 2026)
DBS Bank New to Singapore; Account opening documents required Checked 23 Oct 2026 dbs.com.sg Account opening for foreigners and proof of address within 3 months (comparison background) Reused from sister sites
OCBC Premier Banking – International Wealth Checked 23 Oct 2026 ocbc.com Remote Premier account opening for foreigners: aged 21 or over, S$350,000 in fresh funds (remote-opening, compare) Reused from sister sites
DBS / OCBC / UOB / HSBC SG / SC SG Each bank's priority banking page Checked 23–24 Oct 2026 DBS; OCBC; UOB; HSBC SG; SC SG Singapore priority banking thresholds tiered from S$200,000 to S$350,000 (compare, major-banks) Reused from sister sites
Organisation Title Date Link Use on this site (citing pages) Verification status
State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE), Xiamen Branch 个人外汇业务服务小贴士 (Tips on personal foreign exchange services) Oct 2021 PDF Foreign currency purchased by individuals may not be used for capital-account items not yet opened up, such as buying property, investing in securities or buying life insurance overseas (mainland-residents, scenarios) Reused from sister sites
State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) 关于印发《个人外汇管理办法实施细则》的通知(汇发〔2007〕1 号) (Notice on the Implementing Rules of the Administrative Measures on Individual Foreign Exchange, Huifa [2007] No. 1) 5 Jan 2007 PDF Article 2: annual aggregate management of individuals' foreign-exchange sales and domestic individuals' purchases, at the equivalent of US$50,000 per person per year (mainland-residents, glossary) Official original (PDF read 24 Oct 2026)
China Securities Regulatory Commission and seven other departments (reproduced on the Shanghai Stock Exchange website) 关于印发《综合整治非法跨境证券期货基金经营活动实施方案》的通知(有删减) (Notice on the Implementation Plan for Comprehensive Rectification of Illegal Cross-border Securities, Futures and Fund Business, abridged) Issued 9 May 2026; published 22 May 2026 sse.com.cn "A two-year period of concentrated rectification to clear up illegal existing business"; guiding domestic investors to invest overseas through lawful channels such as Southbound Stock Connect, QDII and Cross-boundary Wealth Management Connect (investment-account-changes, mainland-residents) Official original (reproduction, abridged; read 24 Oct 2026)
Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (reproduced in the SAT legal database) 中华人民共和国个人所得税法(2018 年第七次修正) (Individual Income Tax Law of the PRC, seventh amendment 2018) 31 Aug 2018 chinatax.gov.cn Test for resident individuals; flat 20% rate on interest, dividend and bonus income (crs-tax) Reused from sister sites
Ministry of Finance; State Taxation Administration 关于境外所得有关个人所得税政策的公告(2020 年第 3 号) (Announcement on Individual Income Tax Policy for Overseas Income, No. 3 of 2020) 17 Jan 2020 chinatax.gov.cn Overseas income declared between 1 March and 30 June of the following year (crs-tax, mainland-residents) Reused from sister sites
State Taxation Administration and five other departments 非居民金融账户涉税信息尽职调查管理办法(公告 2017 年第 14 号) (Administrative Measures on Due Diligence of Non-resident Financial Account Information, Announcement No. 14 of 2017) 9 May 2017 chinatax.gov.cn Mainland CRS measures in force 1 Jul 2017, first exchange Sep 2018 (crs-tax, mainland-residents) Reused from sister sites
OECD (China's submission) China – Information on Tax Identification Numbers 2019 PDF Mainland individuals' TIN is the Resident Identity Card number (crs-tax, documents, mainland-residents) Reused from sister sites

Media reports and secondary sources (background only, not a basis for rules)

Source Title / content Date Link Use on this site (citing pages) Nature
Caixin Global Hong Kong banks ask mainland clients to verify offshore source of investment funds 18 Aug 2026 caixinglobal.com Hong Kong banks asking existing Mainland clients to verify the offshore source of investment funds (investment-account-changes, rejections, scenarios) Media report (paywalled, not read in full)
RTHK Financial Secretary says Hong Kong still welcomes lawful inflows of Mainland funds 10 Jun 2026 rthk.hk Policy background Media report

Matters without an original source, where no figures are given

For the matters below, a primary source could not be obtained at the time of writing, or the sources conflicted. The pages concerned describe the mechanism only, without specific figures, and will be updated once verified:

Matter Primary source needed How it is handled
The SFC's list of "eligible jurisdictions" SFC "Acceptable account opening approaches" page Text says "regulated banks in eligible jurisdictions" without listing them
Hang Seng Prestige Banking monthly fee; HSBC Premier below balance fee Both banks' fee schedules No monthly fee figures given
Whether the amended CRS / CARF bill has passed its third reading IRD, LegCo agenda Described as "bill under scrutiny"
Investor eligibility details for Southbound Cross-boundary WMC Original text of the implementing rules No figures for years or asset thresholds
Whether the Financial Dispute Resolution Centre accepts cases about refused accounts fdrc.org.hk Not cited for now
Specific rules in Hong Kong deposit protection for trust and client accounts, and for aggregating joint and personal accounts Deposit Protection Scheme Ordinance Only the Board's published position is given ("protected", "generally treated as owning in equal shares"), without the aggregation method

If you would like this interpreted for your own circumstances, you can register your needs through the contact details on this site.

Sources and dates

  1. Smart Consumers – Account Opening: Information Required — Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) · 2019-08-26
  2. Expected controls for account opening and maintaining relationships with clients with investment accounts — Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) · 2026-05-22
  3. Circular to licensed corporations – Expected controls for account opening and maintaining relationships with clients (SFO/IS/018/2026) — Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) · 2026-05-22
  4. Remote on-boarding of individual customers — Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) · 2026-09-03
  5. Automatic Exchange of Financial Account Information — Inland Revenue Department (IRD), Hong Kong · 2026-10-24
  6. Features of DPS — Hong Kong Deposit Protection Board (HKDPB) · 2026-10-24
  7. Notice 626 Prevention of Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism – Banks — Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) · 2025-06-30
  8. Deposit Insurance Scheme FAQ — Singapore Deposit Insurance Corporation (SDIC) · 2026-10-24