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Name of the trust
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Hong Kong Trust
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Governing law
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English common law, Trustee Ordinance (Cap. 29), Recognition of Trusts Ordinance (Cap. 76)
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Type of trust (basic option)
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Irrevocable discretionary trust
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Needs potentially addressed
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• Asset preservation and transfer;
• Estate planning; • Organizing long-term asset management; • Structuring the ownership of family and investment assets; • Structuring international corporate groups. |
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Registration
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Not required
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Confidentiality
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Information about the trust, settlors, and beneficiaries is strictly confidential and shielded from third parties
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Assets put into a trust (basic option)
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Shares in holding companies, intellectual property, cash, cryptocurrency, deposits
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Trust structure (basic option)
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• Trustee
• Settlor • Beneficiary • Protector – optional • Custodian – optional Other participants may be introduced if the Settlor thinks it necessary |
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Trustee
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Hong Kong resident:
• professional licensed provider holding a TCSP licence; • Trust Company holding a TCSP licence; • professional firm providing legal, accounting, and insurance services; • Private Trust Company. |
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Key director of the Trustee
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EU citizen, UK solicitor, Trust and Estate Practitioner (TEP)
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Working language
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English
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Locations
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Hong Kong, London (United Kingdom)
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Travelling to other countries
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Can be agreed
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Finding a Protector
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Can be agreed
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Legal support
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GSL Group
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Liaising with banks
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GSL Group
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Services
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Fees (USD)
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Base cost of establishing a trust, including drafting the trust deed and structuring the assets transferred to the trust
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from 10 000
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Trustee fees for managing trust assets for 1 year
These do not include: |
from 10 000
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Compliance fee
Payable in the cases of: |
440 (standard rate – includes the check of 1 individual)
+ 200 for each additional individual or legal entity if such legal entity is administered by GSL + 265 for each additional legal entity if such legal entity is not administered by GSL 550 (rate for High Risk trusts – includes the check of 1 individual) 135 (signing of documents) |
*The fees are valid as of October 2026.
A trust is an unincorporated structure based on an agreement (the Trust Deed) between the Settlor and the Trustee, under which the Settlor transfers legal title to assets to the Trustee who holds and manages them for the benefit of the Beneficiaries designated in the Trust Deed.
The primary constitutive document of a trust is the Trust Deed, which generally is not subject to registration in Hong Kong.
A trust can be used as an effective tool for asset protection and estate planning, offering the following advantages:
We offer our clients a turnkey solution: the creation and structuring of a trust and the administration of trust property by a GSL Group company that holds a Hong Kong TCSP (Trust or Company Service Provider) licence for professional trust services, with its key director being an EU citizen, a UK solicitor, and a Trust and Estate Practitioner (TEP).
This offer is unique in that the trust assets will be managed by highly skilled and appropriately qualified professionals with a nuanced knowledge of international business landscape, which makes a major difference compared to the services offered by traditional trust companies. Subject to the client’s preference, we can arrange for personal meetings with the directors of the trustee company in Budapest, London, or Hong Kong, or communicate by any other convenient means (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, etc.).
As a basic option, we suggest that shares in holding companies that own operating companies or real estate be put into an irrevocable discretionary trust.
The suggested arrangement is not the only possible way to structure assets and our specialists would be happy to help tailor it to your needs.