Virtual & serviced office

Registered office, business address and correspondence address

A registered office is the official address the company registry holds for legal notices. A business or correspondence address is where you ask customers, suppliers and banks to write. They can be the same place, but the rules for each differ by country.

In the UK, since 4 March 2024, a registered office must be an appropriate address: documents sent there must be expected to come to the attention of someone acting for the company, and their delivery can be acknowledged. A PO box does not qualify. A service provider's address can be used if it meets those conditions.

In Hong Kong, a company's registered office must be in Hong Kong. Providing a registered office or business address for a company is one of the services a Hong Kong trust or company service provider must be licensed to offer. OCC provides Hong Kong addresses under TCSP licence TC001305, which covers services in Hong Kong only.

How mail handling works

Each item that arrives is logged against your company and scanned. You see the envelope and contents in your portal and can ask us to forward the original, hold it or shred it.

Government letters, bank correspondence and tax notices often carry deadlines. We flag official mail so it does not sit unread among marketing post. If a letter needs action from us, such as a registry filing, we tell you what it is and what it costs before we act.

• Scans of envelopes and contents in your portal
• Original documents forwarded by courier on request
• Official and government mail flagged separately
• Secure disposal of items you do not need

What a virtual office does and does not do

A virtual office gives the company a real place to receive mail and, with the options, to take calls and meet clients. It is useful for credibility and for staying on top of official correspondence.

It does not by itself create tax residence, economic substance or a permanent establishment. Tax authorities look at where decisions are made, where staff work and where the business is actually carried on. If you need substance in a country, ask us about staff, office leases and local directors instead.

Banks also know which addresses are virtual offices. A virtual address is accepted by many banks, but they still want to see where the business really operates.

Locations

We provide Hong Kong addresses ourselves, under TCSP licence TC001305. Addresses in Singapore, the UK, the US and the UAE are provided through partner operators in those countries, which carry out their own checks under local rules. Options such as phone lines and meeting rooms vary by city, and your specialist confirms what is available before you order.

If your company is registered with us in the same country, the address, the registered office and your company records sit in one place. Registry letters, tax notices and bank mail then reach the same team that files your returns.

Choosing the right plan

Start with what the address is for. If you only need somewhere official for letters, a mail-only plan is enough. If clients will call or visit, add a local number and meeting room credits.

Think about volume as well. A holding company may receive a few letters a year. A trading company may receive bank cards, customs papers and tax forms every month. Tell us roughly what you expect and we suggest a plan that covers it without paying for services you will not use.

If you later move the address, remember to update the registry, your bank, payment providers and your website. An old address left on file is a common reason official letters go missing.