In May 2026, the Hong Kong regulatory authorities took actions one after another, causing considerable shock in the financial circle:

On May 22nd, the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) of China issued a significant circular, aiming to rectify the 12 cases of misconduct in securities industry account opening.

On May 27th, Caixin reported on the synchronized regulatory actions of the Monetary Authority: For individual investment accounts of mainland investors, three new regulatory measures were introduced and will come into effect on May 22nd.

Many customers have been inquiring: Will my personal investment account be shut down? Is my company's bank account safe? Can the new company still open an account normally?

First, let's reassure the compliant users:

Don't be scared by the "enhanced supervision" - opening an account with us is actually simpler than you think.

The strict supervision targets fake documents, money laundering, and shell companies. For genuine clients conducting legitimate business and with compliant materials, banks are more inclined to approve their applications. Our success rate in helping clients open accounts is high, and the process is fast. Feel free to contact us. Opening an account is not as difficult as you might think.

The following text will, in accordance with regulatory requirements, provide a summary of key points and corresponding solutions for everyone.

I. let's talk about personal accounts.
The Monetary Authority has clearly stipulated that these three types of accounts must be carefully managed.

According to the official guidelines released by the Monetary Authority of Singapore by Caixin, starting from May 22nd, there are three new regulatory requirements for individual investment accounts of mainland investors:

Item 1: Cancellation of false material opening accounts

The Monetary Authority requires institutions to review back to January 2023 and shut down all investment accounts that were opened using PS identification documents and fake address proofs.

⚠️ Reminder: If you provided false information when opening the account, once it is verified, the account will be directly closed. It is recommended that you contact us as soon as possible to assess the remedial measures.

Item 2: Clearing accounts with zero balance and dormant status

For investment accounts that have a balance of 0 as of May 22 and have not been actively traded by any customer in the past 12 months, they will be cleared.

⚠️ Reminder: If your personal investment account has been unused for a long time, it is recommended that you conduct a normal transaction to activate it as soon as possible to avoid being wrongly classified as a dormant account.

Third item: A source of funds declaration is required for opening a new account

When opening a new personal investment account, a written statement must be signed to confirm that the account funds come from sources other than the Chinese mainland (such as income from working abroad, investment returns from abroad).

⚠️ Reminder: This means that the threshold for individuals from the mainland to open investment accounts in Hong Kong has increased. It is no longer possible to directly transfer funds from the mainland across borders; instead, proof of foreign funds is required.

Supplementary Note: Scope of Application

The Monetary Authority has clearly stated that the above three measures only apply to the investment accounts of mainland individual investors. Ordinary savings, current accounts, and fixed deposits (non-investment accounts) are not affected; at the same time, these three measures do not directly apply to corporate and institutional clients.

However, this does not mean that the company accounts can be completely relaxed - the core goal of this regulatory upgrade (cracking down on fake documents, anti-money laundering, and clearing dormant accounts) is to cover the entire industry. The risk control standards for company accounts by banks have also been upgraded simultaneously.

II. Regarding the Company Account
The regulatory policies have been tightened, and the bank's review and management have become more stringent.

Many business owners, after reading the above content, would say: "This is about personal investment accounts. It has nothing to do with my company's bank account, right?"

This idea is actually somewhat one-sided. Although the three measures of the Monetary Authority do not directly affect company accounts, with the upgrading of regulatory policies, the banking industry has simultaneously strengthened its risk control system. Whether it is for individual or corporate accounts, the review and management of account openings and accounts have become increasingly strict:

1. The account opening verification process has been comprehensively upgraded.

After the SFC issued a signal indicating its strict scrutiny of fake documents, banks have also raised their verification standards to comply with regulations.

Previously: Just fill out a form and submit a company certificate, and you could open an account.

Now: The bank will focus on verifying whether you have genuine business operations. They will examine these materials more carefully, including contracts, invoices, shipping documents, and proof of cooperation with upstream and downstream parties.

For business owners who are preparing to open an account:

When opening a new company account, don't blindly go to the bank and try your luck on your own - if you are rejected, it will leave a record in the bank system, which will affect subsequent applications.

Contact us and we can assist you:

✅ Precisely match with the large bank channels that are friendly to new companies

✅ The business is genuine and the materials are well-prepared. Once the company is registered, the account opening application can be initiated.

✅ Review the materials in advance, ensuring efficient approval and quick account opening

One sentence: For opening a new company account, contact us. No need to wait.

2. Tightening of dormant account screening

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority's signal to clean up dormant accounts for individual accounts has also prompted banks to intensify their screening of dormant accounts of companies. Banks have traditionally had a negative attitude towards company accounts that have no transactions for a long time and have a balance of zero. Now, they will be more proactive in contacting customers to provide supplementary materials. If such accounts fail to cooperate in providing supplementary materials for a long time, they may be suspended.

If you have a long-unused company account, it is recommended that you conduct a real business transaction as soon as possible, keep the relevant documents, and activate the account to maintain its activity.

3. Standardize fund circulation

Regarding the requirement for personal accounts that "funds must flow through the account under one's own name", when applied to company accounts, it essentially means the continuous emphasis on: strictly prohibit the mixing of public and private affairs, and strictly prohibit acting as an intermediary to collect or pay on behalf of others.

If you frequently use a card to collect payments from the company or transfer money through the company account to unrelated individuals, it is very likely to trigger the bank's anti-money laundering alert. Now, banks will conduct more frequent spot checks on such abnormal transactions.

III. Conduct a 2-minute self-check of your account
Are there any areas that need adjustment?

We have prepared a simple checklist for you. Spend 2 minutes comparing it with your account to understand your current status:

Explanation: 🔴 High-risk (urgent handling required), 🟡Medium-risk (suggestion to rectify promptly), 🟠Low-risk (routine compliance)

Self-examination of personal accounts

Company account self-inspection

⚠ Important Reminder:

If your account is suspended due to high-risk behaviors such as fraud or money laundering, the relevant records will be entered into the bank's monitoring system, which may affect your subsequent application for account opening at Hong Kong financial institutions. Therefore, compliance must be properly prepared in advance.

What should we do now? We will assist you

The stricter supervision essentially means that good money will drive out bad money. As long as the operational norms are adjusted in a timely manner, there is no need to worry excessively. If your previous operations had some minor flaws, it is still possible to make adjustments now and it is not too late.

Individual users: Activate the dormant account and simply keep the funds-related documents safe.

Enterprise users: Regularly active accounts, complete business information, standardized fund transactions.

If you are unsure about the compliance of your account, or are worried about being rejected when opening an account, do not submit your documents blindly (failure to open the account will increase the difficulty of subsequent processing).

📍 We can offer you the following services:

✅ Account health check, assessing risks and providing adjustment plans

✅ Compliance account opening guidance, organizing all account opening documents, increasing the pass rate

✅ Account anomaly assistance, coordinating with banks to handle matters such as submitting supplementary materials, making appeals, etc.

Final Note

This joint action by the China Securities Regulatory Commission and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority is essentially a compliance upgrade for the Hong Kong financial market.

For those of us who conduct business honestly, deal with genuine materials and follow legal business practices, this is definitely a good thing: When those who seize resources through illegal means are removed, the approval process of banks will return to normal, and you will be more likely to gain the trust of the banks.

So, don't be intimidated by these news. We have a well-established plan to help your company successfully open an account.

If you're unsure whether your account is at risk, or if you're planning to open an account but are unsure about the required documents, please feel free to message us - we can conduct a preliminary assessment of your account's health, and also customize a compliant account opening plan for you to help you avoid regulatory pitfalls.

On the path of operating legally in Hong Kong, we will accompany you all the way.

Declaration: The content and images of this article are sourced from public information. The copyright of the related brand, product, and institution images belongs to their respective rights holders. If there is any improper use, please contact us for handling. This article is solely for industry information sharing and does not constitute any legal advice, business commitment, or account opening/investment guidance. The specific compliance requirements should be based on the latest regulations of the official institutions. If you have any questions, it is recommended to consult our company or professionals.

Shengsen International Business

Since its establishment in 2012, Shengsen International Business has accompanied over 100,000 enterprises in completing the compliance overseas expansion from the mainland to Hong Kong and then to the global market, providing full-cycle one-stop services.

Why choose Shengsen?

Professional team: 100+ experienced tax and compliance consultants, 70% of the members have over 8 years of industry experience

Dual-headquarters advantage: Dual headquarters in Hong Kong and Shenzhen, with physical operations, efficient and transparent service response

Compliance qualifications: Hong Kong TCSP licensed secretarial company + accounting firm, providing a complete chain of compliance services

Banking resources: Deeply cooperate with over 30 international banks to facilitate the efficient opening of Hong Kong accounts.

Experience endorsement: Have served over 100,000 enterprises, with an annual audit pass rate of 100% and a customer retention rate exceeding 96%

Full-service solution: registration, account opening, annual review, tax audit and more - all in one, providing a comprehensive solution to cross-border challenges.

Compliance is no trivial matter. Professional matters should be handled by professionals.

For consulting services, please scan the QR code below👇 or call (15302790432, the same number via WeChat), and we will arrange a senior cross-border tax and finance consultant for you to provide one-on-one professional interpretation and customized solutions.