Incorporate where your business actually needs to be
Four jurisdictions are published in full: the entity options, what each one requires, what you receive, and what recurs every year. Choose deliberately, then start.
Jurisdiction discovery
Start from the jurisdiction
Where you incorporate determines the filing authority, the local roles you must maintain, and what you owe every year. Those differences are structural.
- North America
United States
United States of America (state-level incorporation)
Incorporation happens at state level, so the state you choose determines the filing authority, the public record and the annual obligations. Federal tax registration sits on top of the state filing.
C CorporationLimited Liability Company (LLC)- Filing authority
- State filing authority of the chosen state
- Recurring obligations
- 3
- Asia Pacific
Hong Kong
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
A common-law jurisdiction with a straightforward incorporation process, a mandatory company secretary and an annual audit expectation for most operating companies.
Private Company Limited by Shares- Filing authority
- Companies Registry (Hong Kong)
- Recurring obligations
- 4
- Asia Pacific
Singapore
Republic of Singapore
A tightly administered registry with quick electronic filing, balanced by real substance requirements — a resident director, a company secretary and a local registered office.
Private Company Limited by Shares (Pte. Ltd.)- Filing authority
- Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA)
- Recurring obligations
- 3
- Middle East
United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates (free-zone and mainland regimes)
There is no single UAE company: each free zone and the mainland regime licenses its own entities, with different activity lists, premises rules and visa allocations. The regime choice comes before the filing.
Free Zone Company- Filing authority
- Free-zone licensing authority of the chosen zone
- Recurring obligations
- 4
Comparison
The four jurisdictions side by side
Structural facts only. Government fees, capital figures and processing times are authority-set values held in the platform catalogue, so they are not published here.
| Dimension | United StatesUSD | Hong KongHKD | SingaporeSGD | United Arab EmiratesAED |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Filing authority | State filing authority of the chosen state | Companies Registry (Hong Kong) | Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) | Free-zone licensing authority of the chosen zone |
| Published entity types | C Corporation, Limited Liability Company (LLC) | Private Company Limited by Shares | Private Company Limited by Shares (Pte. Ltd.) | Free Zone Company |
| Mandatory local role | Registered agent in the state of formation | Hong Kong company secretary and registered office | Resident director, company secretary and registered office | Registered premises inside the chosen free zone |
| Recurring obligations | Annual state report and agent maintenance · Federal and state tax filings · Beneficial ownership updates, if reporting applies | Annual return to the Companies Registry · Business registration renewal · Audited statutory accounts and profits tax return · Significant controllers register upkeep | Annual return and annual general meeting obligations · Corporate income tax filings · Company secretary and registered office continuity | Free-zone licence and premises renewal · Corporate tax registration and filing · Economic substance notification and reporting where in scope · Beneficial ownership register upkeep |
| Commonly chosen for | Selling into the US market with a US contracting entity | Regional trade and services businesses working with Greater China | Regional headquarters and treasury structures in Southeast Asia | Regional trading and services businesses serving the Gulf and wider Middle East |
| Usually not the right fit | Founders who want a single filing with no annual state obligations | Founders who cannot maintain a local company secretary and registered office | Founders unable to appoint or arrange a resident director | Businesses that must contract directly with mainland UAE counterparties without a suitable licence |
United States
USD
- Filing authority
- State filing authority of the chosen state
- Published entity types
- C Corporation, Limited Liability Company (LLC)
- Mandatory local role
- Registered agent in the state of formation
- Recurring obligations
- Annual state report and agent maintenance · Federal and state tax filings · Beneficial ownership updates, if reporting applies
- Commonly chosen for
- Selling into the US market with a US contracting entity
- Usually not the right fit
- Founders who want a single filing with no annual state obligations
Hong Kong
HKD
- Filing authority
- Companies Registry (Hong Kong)
- Published entity types
- Private Company Limited by Shares
- Mandatory local role
- Hong Kong company secretary and registered office
- Recurring obligations
- Annual return to the Companies Registry · Business registration renewal · Audited statutory accounts and profits tax return · Significant controllers register upkeep
- Commonly chosen for
- Regional trade and services businesses working with Greater China
- Usually not the right fit
- Founders who cannot maintain a local company secretary and registered office
Singapore
SGD
- Filing authority
- Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA)
- Published entity types
- Private Company Limited by Shares (Pte. Ltd.)
- Mandatory local role
- Resident director, company secretary and registered office
- Recurring obligations
- Annual return and annual general meeting obligations · Corporate income tax filings · Company secretary and registered office continuity
- Commonly chosen for
- Regional headquarters and treasury structures in Southeast Asia
- Usually not the right fit
- Founders unable to appoint or arrange a resident director
United Arab Emirates
AED
- Filing authority
- Free-zone licensing authority of the chosen zone
- Published entity types
- Free Zone Company
- Mandatory local role
- Registered premises inside the chosen free zone
- Recurring obligations
- Free-zone licence and premises renewal · Corporate tax registration and filing · Economic substance notification and reporting where in scope · Beneficial ownership register upkeep
- Commonly chosen for
- Regional trading and services businesses serving the Gulf and wider Middle East
- Usually not the right fit
- Businesses that must contract directly with mainland UAE counterparties without a suitable licence
Package structure
What a formation engagement contains
Each package states what is included, who performs it, and what it explicitly excludes. Commercial terms are shown as open decisions rather than as estimated numbers.
US C Corporation formation
For founders who need a US corporation that investors recognise: share capital, a board, and a clean stock ledger from day one.
United StatesC CorporationIncluded
- State incorporation filing
- Founding governance documents
- Registered agent for the first period
- Federal tax identification number application
- and 1 more included items
Package price presentationpending BR-25 · BR-03Indicative timelinepending BR-35US LLC formation
For operating businesses and holding vehicles that want liability separation with a simple, flexible internal structure.
United StatesLimited Liability Company (LLC)Included
- State formation filing
- Operating agreement
- Registered agent for the first period
- Federal tax identification number application
- and 1 more included items
Package price presentationpending BR-25 · BR-03Indicative timelinepending BR-35Hong Kong private limited company formation
A Hong Kong operating company with the statutory roles that must exist from incorporation: company secretary, registered office and statutory registers.
Hong KongPrivate Company Limited by SharesIncluded
- Incorporation filing with the Companies Registry
- Articles of association and first board minutes
- Company secretary for the first period
- Registered office address for the first period
- and 1 more included items
Package price presentationpending BR-25 · BR-03Indicative timelinepending BR-35Singapore private limited company formation
A Singapore Pte. Ltd. with the substance the registrar expects: a resident director position, a company secretary and a local registered office.
SingaporePrivate Company Limited by Shares (Pte. Ltd.)Included
- Name application and incorporation filing
- Constitution and first board resolutions
- Company secretary for the first period
- Singapore registered office for the first period
- and 1 more included items
Package price presentationpending BR-25 · BR-03Indicative timelinepending BR-35UAE free-zone company formation
A free-zone company where the zone is chosen deliberately: activity list, premises option and visa allocation are decided before anything is filed.
United Arab EmiratesFree Zone CompanyIncluded
- Zone and licence selection review
- Licence application and incorporation filing
- Memorandum and articles in the zone's prescribed form
- Premises arrangement for the first period
- and 1 more included items
Package price presentationpending BR-25 · BR-03Indicative timelinepending BR-35
Process
How a formation runs
Two of the stages belong to the registry. The platform reports what the authority records and never predicts the outcome.
- Structure confirmed
- Intake and document collection
- Filing pack prepared by the appointed provider
- Filed with the registry
- Registry processing
- Incorporation outcome recorded
- Post-formation set-up and obligations
Stages marked as authority-owned are outside ZKCAP’s control. A rejection or an objection opens a recovery path with the appointed provider rather than ending the project silently.
Requirements
What you will be asked for
Requirements are held per jurisdiction and per entity type, because they genuinely differ. Each row names who owns it and what evidence satisfies it.
- Open matrix
United States
14 requirement rows across 2 entity types
- Open matrix
Hong Kong
8 requirement rows across 1 entity type
- Open matrix
Singapore
8 requirement rows across 1 entity type
- Open matrix
United Arab Emirates
8 requirement rows across 1 entity type
Already know the jurisdiction?
Open its detail page to pick the entity type and start. Your selection is carried into account set-up rather than lost at sign-up.