RUIBAO FINANCE | AUGUST 26, 2026

HSBC Hong Kong has added a declaration for Chinese mainland investors to its investment-account documents. Clients must confirm that all funds used for investing and settlement come from lawful sources outside mainland China. Deposits and withdrawals must pass through eligible bank accounts held in the client's own name.

The arrangement covers individuals identified with a mainland travel permit for Hong Kong and Macau or a Chinese passport. New clients must submit the declaration when activating an investment account in the HSBC HK app. The bank will contact existing clients who need to provide it.

The rule applies to investment accounts and investment functions attached to integrated accounts, not ordinary deposit accounts. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority said in June that mainland customers could still apply for bank accounts in the city and that the process was generally operating smoothly.

HSBC Main Building in Central, Hong Kong
HSBC Main Building in Central, Hong Kong. File photo: -jkb- / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.

The HKMA and the Securities and Futures Commission issued instructions to banks and brokerages on May 22. An SFC review had found investment accounts opened with questionable or forged documents, most of them involving mainland investors. Banks were told to review their files, close affected accounts and deactivate the investment functions of zero-balance dormant accounts.

HSBC's form requires clients to confirm that their identification and supporting documents are genuine and unaltered. Changes must be reported within seven business days. HSBC may disclose information when requested by regulators or law-enforcement agencies, and may close accounts if funding is later found to be unlawful or in breach of mainland capital controls.

HSBC One introduced a separate fee rule in January. Non-Hong Kong identity card holders who opened an account on or after January 1, 2026 must maintain an average Total Relationship Balance of HK$10,000 over the preceding three months or pay HK$100 a month. The fee applies to all new non-HKID clients, not only those from mainland China.

Cross-boundary Wealth Management Connect 2.0 raised the individual investment quota from RMB1 million to RMB3 million in 2024 and widened the range of eligible products. Payment Connect followed in 2025, linking Hong Kong's Faster Payment System with the mainland's Internet Banking Payment System for real-time small-value remittances through participating banks.

Hong Kong banks also collect tax-residency declarations under the Common Reporting Standard and report qualifying account information to the Inland Revenue Department. This year's instructions add closer checks on mainland investors' opening documents, funding and account activity. A Hong Kong account may hold several currencies and connect to overseas markets, but funds entering it remain subject to mainland cross-border capital rules.

Hong Kong raised its statutory deposit-protection limit from HK$500,000 to HK$800,000 in October 2024, calculated per depositor at each member bank. Stocks, funds, bonds, insurance products and virtual assets are not covered. Investment assets held at the same bank do not acquire deposit protection.

Mainland clients may still apply for HSBC Hong Kong accounts, but access to investment services now depends on a traceable record linking identity, source of funds and settlement accounts. Regulators have directed eligible investors toward approved channels such as Wealth Management Connect and Stock Connect. Transfers made outside those arrangements leave banks with a more direct duty to examine the money trail.

Sources: HSBC Hong Kong, Hong Kong Monetary Authority, Securities and Futures Commission, and Hong Kong Deposit Protection Board. Information current as of August 26, 2026.