Hong Kong Company Registration Number, BRN, and UBI Explained
The eight-digit number behind today’s company searches and forms, how it relates to the BRC, and what happened to pre-2023 CR numbers.
A Hong Kong company now uses its eight-digit Business Registration Number, or BRN, as the identifier displayed by the Companies Registry and as its Unified Business Identifier, or UBI. The BRN is the first eight digits of the number on the Business Registration Certificate. UBI describes the number’s cross-government identification role; it is not a second number issued beside the BRN.
Before December 27, 2023, companies were commonly identified at the Companies Registry by a company number or CR number. On that date, the Registry’s revamped system adopted the BRN as the identification number for companies and entities. New Certificates of Incorporation show the eight-digit BRN as the “No.” Older live companies did not receive replacement certificates; their current BRN appears in e-Search results, and the official CR No./BRN Mapping function converts between the former and current identifiers.
Key takeaways
- BRN and UBI refer to the same eight-digit identifier in this company context; UBI is the function, not an extra code.
- The BRN is taken from the first eight digits of the BRC number, so fields asking for the BRN should not automatically receive the entire certificate string.
- A former CR number remains useful for historical documents but should be mapped to the current BRN for present Registry searches and forms.
- An identifier proves which registered entity a record refers to; it does not prove licensing, tax clearance, bank status or ownership by itself.
In this article
Use one eight-digit number for BRN and UBI
The Business Registration Office of the Inland Revenue Department issues the Business Registration Number. For companies, the Companies Registry now uses that same eight-digit BRN as the Unified Business Identifier. A government or bank field labelled BRN or UBI will therefore ordinarily expect the same eight digits when it is asking for the current company identifier.
| Term | What it means | What to enter or check |
|---|---|---|
| BRN | Business Registration Number issued through the business registration system. | The first eight digits of the BRC number. |
| UBI | Unified Business Identifier role adopted for company/entity identification across the Registry’s system. | The same eight-digit BRN, not a new standalone number. |
| BRC number | Number printed on the Business Registration Certificate, with certificate/payment context. | Read the field instructions; do not assume the full printed sequence equals an eight-digit BRN field. |
| Former CR No. | Historic Companies Registry company number used before the UBI implementation. | Map it to the BRN for current searches and filings. |
The terminology “company registration number” remains common in contracts, onboarding forms and older guidance. Ask which system and date the writer means. In a current Hong Kong Companies Registry context, the expected identifier is generally the eight-digit BRN. In a historic document, the same phrase may refer to the former CR number. The label alone is not enough to decide which digits should be copied.
Crosswalk the identifiers before changing a record
Match the BRC, current e-Search result, post-2023 certificate number and any former CR number before a form, contract or KYC file is updated.
Understand the December 2023 identifier change
The Companies Registry implemented the BRN as the UBI in full on December 27, 2023, when the revamped Integrated Companies Registry Information System launched. From that date, the BRN replaced the former company number as the identification number used for companies and entities on the Registry’s public system and revised forms.
Companies incorporated on or after the implementation date receive a Certificate of Incorporation whose “No.” is the eight-digit BRN. The Companies Registry incorporation FAQ confirms this certificate treatment. A company incorporated before the change keeps its original Certificate of Incorporation; the Registry did not issue a fresh certificate solely to show the new identifier.
Old certificate, current identifier
A pre-December 27, 2023 certificate can remain valid evidence of incorporation even though it displays the former number. Use the current e-Search result or official mapping information to link that historic number to today’s BRN.
- Do not alter an old certificate to replace its printed number.
- Do not treat the absence of a replacement certificate as a missing UBI.
- Preserve both identifiers in historical transaction files where each appears in authentic source documents.
Map a former CR number to the current BRN
Use the Companies Registry e-Search Quick Search function labelled CR No./BRN Mapping to convert a known former company or CR number to the corresponding BRN, or a BRN back to the former number. The Registry also provides downloadable mapping lists for companies and entities registered before December 27, 2023. Those are the authoritative public conversion routes; a search-engine result or third-party directory can be stale.
- Take the former number from the original document and note the legal company name and document date.
- Open the official e-Search service and select the CR No./BRN Mapping function.
- Enter the known identifier without guessing leading zeros or converting the format manually.
- Match the returned BRN and legal name with the current Company Name Search result.
- Save the mapping result or dated note with the historic document and use the BRN for current Registry fields.
Mapping proves the relationship between the two identifiers; it does not prove that the company is live, that its name is unchanged or that a contract remains valid. After converting the number, run the current company search and obtain the particulars or document images appropriate to the decision. A former name or status change can otherwise make a correct number look inconsistent.
Find the BRN on certificates, searches and forms
The most direct source is the Business Registration Certificate: take its first eight digits as the BRN. For companies incorporated since the 2023 change, the same number appears as the “No.” on the Certificate of Incorporation. The current Company Name Search and Company Particulars Search also display the BRN for the company record.
Revised Companies Registry forms ask for BRNs where older versions asked for company or CR numbers, including when identifying a corporate director, corporate secretary or another company/entity. The presenter should use the current form and verify the number by official search. Copying the number from an old form without mapping can cause validation errors or attach the filing to the wrong entity.
Current incorporation certificate
Check the eight-digit “No.” and match it to the e-Search record and BRC.
Pre-2023 certificate
Keep the historic printed number and use official mapping to document the current BRN.
Counterparty form
Read whether the field asks for BRN/UBI, full BRC number, former CR number or another tax/account identifier.
A BRN can also appear in tax, account-opening, invoicing, service-provider and government interactions because the unified identifier reduces duplicate numbering across systems. That convenience does not merge the systems’ legal effects. A bank remains responsible for its customer decision, the IRD for business registration and tax, and the Companies Registry for company records.
Repair a mixed BRN and CR-number data set
Create one sourced entity master record and label each historic or current number so forms and systems stop failing automated matches.
Avoid identifier errors in contracts and KYC
Identifier errors usually arise from mixing a former CR number, the eight-digit BRN and the full BRC certificate number in one data field. A contract may quote the historic number, a bank form may ask for UBI, and an invoice template may use the full certificate string. The underlying company can be the same, but automated matching can fail unless each value is labelled and placed correctly.
| Error | Why it matters | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Full BRC string entered as BRN | A field expects eight digits and cannot match the value. | Use the first eight digits after checking the source certificate. |
| Former CR number used on a current Registry form | The revised system expects the BRN/UBI. | Run official mapping and use the returned BRN. |
| Numbers match but company names differ | The company may have changed name or the wrong entity was selected. | Build a dated name and identifier chronology from official records. |
| BRN treated as proof of licence or tax status | The identifier establishes entity reference, not regulatory approval. | Obtain the separate current licence, BRC validity or tax evidence required. |
Maintain an entity master record containing the exact current legal name, Chinese name where used, BRN/UBI, former CR number where applicable, incorporation date, registered office and source/date for each item. Do not overwrite the former number in historical contracts or audited records; add the current identifier and mapping explanation. This lets systems reconcile old and new documents without falsifying the original record.
Use the BRN as an identity key, not an approval
Use the eight-digit BRN as the current identifier for a Hong Kong company wherever a form, search or counterparty request calls for the BRN or UBI. Preserve the former CR number for pre-2023 records and link it through the official mapping function. When a field says only “company registration number,” confirm its system and intended format before entering data.
Close an identifier check only when the number, legal name and current Registry record agree. Then obtain the separate evidence needed for the actual question—valid BRC, company status, ownership, director authority, charge, sector licence or bank acceptance. A correct BRN prevents entity confusion; it cannot replace the approval or status document that the transaction requires.
Pair the BRN with the evidence the decision needs
Use the identifier to locate the right entity, then obtain the separate certificate, particulars, authority or licence record required for the transaction.
Frequently asked questions
