Employer of Record in Hong Kong: 19 Providers Compared (2026)

Employing someone in Hong Kong: key facts

Hong Kong SAR has its own employment law (Employment Ordinance, Cap. 57), one territory-wide minimum wage and a single employer contribution, the MPF.

Minimum wage

• Applies to all employees except specified exemptions such as student interns and work-experience students.
• The rate is now reviewed every year; 2026-05-01 was the first rate set under that mechanism.
• Monthly cap for the exemption from recording hours: HKD 17,600 from 2026-05-01.

Employer contributions

Employers pay one statutory contribution, the Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF); there are no other employer payroll taxes or social insurance contributions.

Source: mpfa.org.hk, checked 2026-10-05.

• Below the minimum the employer still contributes 5%; the employee does not.
• The employer contributes from day 1; the 30-day contribution holiday applies to the employee share only.
• Employees’ compensation insurance is compulsory but is a market-priced premium, not a statutory rate, so it is outside the cost totals on this page.
• The levels have not changed since 2013-11-01 (minimum) and 2014-06-01 (maximum), so there is no contribution history to chart (info.gov.hk, checked 2026-10-05).

Working hours and overtime

• No statutory standard or maximum working hours: hours are set by the contract.
• Floor: one continuous 24-hour rest day in every 7 days on a continuous contract, plus statutory holidays and paid annual leave.
• No statutory overtime rate; overtime is paid only if the contract provides for it. Where paid, it counts as wages for statutory payments if it is of constant character or its 12-month monthly average is at least 20% of average monthly wages.

Source: labour.gov.hk, checked 2026-10-05. The no-statutory-hours position rests on that guide and a 2018 LegCo paper.

Annual leave and public holidays

Source: labour.gov.hk, checked 2026-10-05. Leave is pro rata on termination after 3 months’ service.

• 15 statutory holidays in 2026, including Easter Monday (new this year); 16 from 2028 (Good Friday) and 17 from 2030 (the day after Good Friday).
• The December holiday falls on 22 or 25 December at the employer’s option.
• Holiday pay applies after 3 months of continuous contract.

Source: labour.gov.hk, checked 2026-10-05.

Probation

• No statutory limit on probation length; it is set by the contract.
• During probation no notice is required in the first month; after that, notice as agreed but at least 7 days.
• A pregnant employee on express probation of not more than 12 weeks may be dismissed during probation for reasons other than pregnancy.

Source: labour.gov.hk, checked 2026-10-05.

Notice and severance

• Notice after probation: as agreed in the contract but at least 7 days; if the contract is silent, at least 1 month. Payment in lieu of notice is allowed.
• After 24 months of continuous contract, dismissal must be for one of five valid reasons (conduct, capability, redundancy or genuine operational requirements, statutory requirements, other substantial reasons).
• Severance payment: at least 24 months’ service and dismissal by reason of redundancy.
• Long service payment: at least 5 years’ service and dismissal other than for serious misconduct or redundancy. An employee gets one or the other, not both.
• Formula: last full month’s wages × 2/3 × years of service, with the monthly wage capped at HKD 22,500 (maximum HKD 15,000 per year of service) and an overall cap of HKD 390,000.
• Since 2025-05-01, employer MPF contributions can no longer offset these payments for service from that date.

Source: labour.gov.hk, checked 2026-10-05.

13th salary and bonuses

• Not mandatory by statute.
• If the contract provides an annual payment (13th month, year-end bonus), the Employment Ordinance makes it enforceable: for contracts after 27 June 1997 it is presumed non-discretionary unless the contract says otherwise in writing, and it is pro rata after 3 months’ service.

Source: labour.gov.hk, checked 2026-10-05.

Mandatory benefits

• MPF — see employer contributions above.
• Employees’ compensation insurance — compulsory for all employees regardless of hours or contract length; failure is punishable by a fine up to HKD 100,000 and 2 years’ imprisonment (info.gov.hk, checked 2026-10-05).
• Sickness allowance — 4/5 of average daily wages for sick leave of 4 or more consecutive days with a medical certificate; paid sickness days accrue at 2 per month in the first 12 months and 4 per month after, up to 120 days.
• Maternity leave — 14 weeks at 4/5 pay after 40 weeks’ continuous service.
• Paternity leave — 5 days at 4/5 pay after 40 weeks’ continuous service.
• No statutory private health insurance.

Source: labour.gov.hk, checked 2026-10-05.

Work permits

• Non-residents generally need a visa or entry permit to work.
• Main route for foreign professionals: the General Employment Policy (GEP). It is quota-free and not sector-specific; the criteria are a genuine vacancy, a confirmed job offer that cannot be readily taken up by the local workforce, a relevant degree or equivalent experience, and pay broadly commensurate with the market. No fixed salary threshold is published.
• The employing company and the applicant both apply online; the company uploads its employment contract, Business Registration Certificate, proof of financial standing and company background.
• Other routes: ASMTP (Mainland talents) and IANG (non-local graduates).
• Whether an EOR can be the employing company for a worker who serves a foreign client is not confirmed: the guidebook does not mention employers of record.

Source: immd.gov.hk (guidebook 04/2026), checked 2026-10-05.

Currency and payroll

• Hong Kong dollar (HKD), pegged to the US dollar under the Linked Exchange Rate System: HKMA convertibility undertakings at HK$7.75 and HK$7.85 per US$1 (hkma.gov.hk, checked 2026-10-05).
• Wages are due as soon as practicable and no later than 7 days after the end of the wage period, with interest on late payment; willful non-payment carries a fine of HKD 350,000 and 3 years’ imprisonment.
• MPF contributions for monthly-paid staff are due by the 10th of each month (mpfa.org.hk, checked 2026-10-05).

Source for wage payment: labour.gov.hk, checked 2026-10-05.

Is Employer of Record legal in Hong Kong?

Allowed, with two open questions. No Hong Kong law bans or specifically regulates employers of record. The Employment Ordinance applies to all employees except listed exceptions (family members in the same dwelling, employees under the Contracts for Employment Outside Hong Kong Ordinance, certain seafarers, registered apprentices); EORs are not an excepted category, and a contract term that reduces a statutory right is void. A worker employed by an EOR is therefore an ordinary employee of that EOR entity (labour.gov.hk, checked 2026-10-05).

The rules the EOR entity has to meet:

• MPF: enrol relevant employees and contribute 5% of relevant income; contributions vest in the employee immediately. Failure to enrol or contribute is an offence (mpfa.org.hk, checked 2026-10-05).
• Employees’ compensation insurance: under section 40 of the Employees’ Compensation Ordinance (Cap. 282), no employer may employ anyone without a policy in force; maximum penalty HKD 100,000 and 2 years’ imprisonment (info.gov.hk, checked 2026-10-05).

Open question 1: employment agency licence. Part XII of the Employment Ordinance defines an employment agency as an establishment or person aiming at obtaining employment for another person or supplying personnel to an employer, and requires a licence or certificate of exemption from the Commissioner for Labour. It does not apply to agencies carried on by employers solely for employing persons for themselves, or by contractors or sub-contractors who employ people on work for others (labour.gov.hk, checked 2026-10-05). We found no Labour Department statement, court decision or law-firm analysis on whether a pure EOR falls under that exemption or needs a licence. Operating an agency without a licence or exemption carries a fine up to HKD 350,000 and 3 years’ imprisonment (eaa.labour.gov.hk, checked 2026-10-05). A 2006 Labour Department release said licensing applies whether the employment is in or outside Hong Kong (info.gov.hk, checked 2026-10-05).

Open question 2: visa sponsorship. A GEP visa is applied for jointly by the applicant and the employing company, which must show business registration, financial standing and a genuine vacancy. The Immigration Department guidebook contains no EOR-specific rule (immd.gov.hk, checked 2026-10-05).

Risks that stay with the client:

• Deemed employer. Hong Kong courts look at all features of the relationship and decide by overall impression whether it is employment. If you direct the worker like your own staff, you may be found to be the employer or a joint employer, with Employment Ordinance obligations, vicarious liability for the worker’s negligence, and compulsory insurance and MPF enrolment; officers can be liable where an offence is committed with their consent, connivance or neglect. This is a law-firm summary on contingent workers generally, not on EORs (Baker McKenzie, checked 2026-10-05). See contractor misclassification and co-employment.
• Permanent establishment. A non-resident carrying on business in Hong Kong through a branch, a place of business or an agent with general authority to conclude contracts is taxed on Hong Kong-source profits; the Inland Revenue Department explains the concept, including dependent agents, in practice note DIPN 60 (checked 2026-10-05). An EOR-employed person who negotiates or concludes contracts for you is the typical trigger under that standard analysis; the IRD has no guidance specific to EORs. See permanent establishment.
• Visa dependency. If the worker does not otherwise have the right to work, you cannot count on the EOR to obtain a GEP visa for a role that serves a foreign company with no Hong Kong business. That is our inference from the documents the employing company must upload, not an Immigration Department statement.

Who actually employs your hire in Hong Kong

Vendors rarely say which legal entity employs your hire in Hong Kong. We took each vendor’s Hong Kong page and the Labour Department’s employment agency register (list dated 2026-09-24, eaa.labour.gov.hk). The register covers licences for placement work, not company incorporation, and EORs do not need such a licence, so an entry shows a local entity and office, while a missing entry proves nothing. We did not check the Companies Registry for any vendor.

Sixteen of the 19 don’t say whether a Hong Kong entity of their own employs your hire. The entity is the one that must enrol your hire in MPF, hold the compensation policy and, depending on how the licence question resolves, possibly an employment agency licence, so it is worth knowing its name. Ask before signing: “Which Hong Kong legal entity will employ my hire, do you hold an employment agency licence or a certificate of exemption, and what is your written position on visa sponsorship?”

How to choose an EOR in Hong Kong

Does the hire need a work visa? The Immigration Department guidebook lists no EOR route. Playroll’s guide describes the GEP visa as employer-sponsored and says it usually takes around four to six weeks (Playroll, checked 2026-10-05); that is a vendor statement. If the answer matters, get the provider’s position in writing, or plan on your own Hong Kong company as the employing company.

Want the strongest entity evidence? Remote, Pebl and Safeguard Global are the three with an entity statement or a register entry. Remote’s is its own claim plus its published entity list; Pebl and Safeguard Global rest on the Labour Department register, where Pebl appears under its former name. None is confirmed in the Companies Registry.

Price against completeness? Four vendors publish a Hong Kong price: Skuad ($249/month, limited-time), Borderless AI ($579), Deel (from $599) and Rivermate (EUR 399, from a 2025-12-12 snapshot). Skuad’s page ties a discount to a 12-month commitment without saying which price it applies to. The rest quote global list prices of $99 to $699 per month or require a quote.

How fast do you need to start? Onboarding times are vendor claims: Deel says an average of 2 days, Remote 2.3 days (plus 3 if a right-to-work assessment applies), Borderless AI 1–2 business days, Playroll 1–5 working days and Safeguard Global one to two weeks.

What it costs to employ someone in Hong Kong through an EOR

The EOR is the Hong Kong employer, so the statutory cost is MPF alone: 5% of monthly relevant income, with relevant income capped at HKD 30,000 and the employer contribution therefore capped at HKD 1,500 a month. Both example salaries sit above that cap, so the statutory total is the same at both. The examples assume 12 equal monthly instalments, no bonus or 13th month, and no regional variation.

Source: mpfa.org.hk, checked 2026-10-05. FX for the USD figures: 1 USD = HKD 7.8378, HKMA end-of-day rate for 2026-08-31, the latest point the HKMA data returned (api.hkma.gov.hk, checked 2026-10-05).

Not in the totals:

• Employees’ compensation insurance. Compulsory, but a market-priced premium with no statutory rate and no primary-source figure we could verify.
• Long service payment accrual. For planning, up to HKD 15,000 per year of service at both salary levels (2/3 × the HKD 22,500 monthly wage cap), payable only on a qualifying termination after 5 years’ service, with a total cap of HKD 390,000. For service from 2025-05-01, employer MPF cannot offset it.
• Voluntary benefits and medical insurance.

The contribution levels have not changed since 2014, so a change-over-time chart would show a flat line.

The EOR’s own fee is on top. Where a Hong Kong price is published it runs from $249/month (Skuad, limited-time offer against a struck-through $399) through $579 (Borderless AI) to from $599 (Deel); Rivermate states EUR 399/month. Other vendors publish only global list prices, from $99/month (Native Teams) to $699/month (Remote, Oyster); Rippling and RemotePass quote on request, and Safeguard Global does not publish a price.

Hidden costs, where published: Rivermate’s Hong Kong guide says “no hidden costs, no setup fees” (snapshot of 2025-12-12). Pebl says it has no setup or offboarding fees and Boundless says it has no setup fees or minimum commitment; both are global statements. No vendor discloses a deposit or termination fee specifically for Hong Kong; where the field is blank, treat it as unpublished, not zero.

When you don’t need an EOR

• A genuinely independent contractor. Hong Kong courts decide by overall impression whether a relationship is employment, so the label on the contract does not settle it; see contractor misclassification.
• Your own Hong Kong company. For a hire who needs a General Employment Policy visa, the guidebook describes the employing company uploading its Business Registration Certificate, proof of financial standing and company background. That is the route the guidebook describes; whether an EOR can fill that role is not confirmed (immd.gov.hk, checked 2026-10-05). A company is also the place to look if the person will negotiate or conclude contracts for you, which is the typical permanent establishment trigger (DIPN 60, checked 2026-10-05).

What changed in 2026

• 2025-05-01 — MPF offsetting abolished: for service from this date, employers can no longer use accrued benefits of mandatory MPF contributions to offset severance or long service payment (voluntary contributions and service-based gratuities still can). Not retrospective. Listed because it raises 2026 termination costs for long-serving staff; a government subsidy scheme runs 25 years from the same date (labour.gov.hk, checked 2026-10-05).
• 2026-01-01 — Easter Monday becomes the 15th statutory holiday; 16th from 2028, 17th from 2030 (labour.gov.hk, checked 2026-10-05).
• 2026-01-18 — Employment (Amendment) Ordinance 2025 takes effect: a continuous contract now means 4 weeks or more with at least 17 hours a week, or at least 68 hours in a 4-week period (previously 18 hours a week). More part-time staff qualify for rest days, paid annual leave, sickness allowance, severance and long service payment (labour.gov.hk, checked 2026-10-05).
• 2026-05-01 — Statutory minimum wage rises from HKD 42.1 to HKD 43.1 per hour (+2.38%); the hours-recording exemption cap rises from HKD 17,200 to HKD 17,600 a month. First rate under the annual review mechanism (info.gov.hk, checked 2026-10-05).
• Proposal, not law — The MPFA is reported to be proposing to raise the maximum relevant income to HKD 40,000 a month (employer cap from HKD 1,500 to HKD 2,000) and a higher minimum (reported as HKD 10,000 or HKD 10,500; sources differ). The Labour Advisory Board was consulted on 2026-03-31, and the MPFA was due to report to the Government by mid-2026. We found no decision, legislation or effective date. The government’s reply confirms the review cycle (info.gov.hk, checked 2026-10-05); the figures come from press reports.

Numbers vendors haven’t updated

• Public holidays. Remote’s Hong Kong page lists 14 paid public holidays; the Labour Department lists 15 for 2026, Easter Monday being new (Remote, labour.gov.hk, checked 2026-10-05).
• Employer cost. Deel’s Hong Kong page showed an estimated employer cost of 5.4% of salary in a 2026-05-10 snapshot; a later read of the live page reported 5.777%. We did not use either. The statutory figure is 5% MPF capped at HKD 1,500 a month (Deel, checked 2026-10-05).

How we built this page

The data was collected and checked on 2026-10-05 from Hong Kong government sources (Labour Department, MPFA, Immigration Department, HKMA, Inland Revenue Department). Vendor entities were checked against the Labour Department’s employment agency register (list dated 2026-09-24), which covers licences rather than company incorporation; the Companies Registry was not checked for any vendor, so the remaining entity information is vendor statements. Vendors with a confirmed or stated own entity come first, then those that don’t disclose one, ordered by Hong Kong price and completeness of data. Rise is not compared because its Hong Kong page showed Employer of Record as “Coming Soon” in a snapshot of 2026-04-15 (riseworks.io). Nobody pays for placement on this page.