Published: 17.10.2026
The .hk extension is the country-code domain of Hong Kong, a city and special administrative region on the south coast of China. Hong Kong is known as a major financial and trading centre, and English and Chinese are both widely used in business and daily life. Local companies, shops, schools and clubs use .hk to show that they are based in Hong Kong. Use the availability form just below this text to see whether your name in .hk is still available.
Check if a .hk domain is available .hk Check
A short history
The Hong Kong zone was introduced in the early years of the internet, when the network was used mainly by universities and technology firms. As businesses across the city began to trade online, the zone grew to cover retailers, restaurants, professional firms and community organisations. Today .hk is a familiar ending in Hong Kong, and local customers who search for a business nearby often recognise it at once.
Who runs it
The .hk zone is run by HKIRC, the Hong Kong Internet Registration Corporation. It operates the registry and publishes the policies for registration, while accredited registrars sell names to the public. Several second-level endings, such as com.hk, sit under the same zone, and each may follow its own conditions.
Rules in practice
- Eligibility: conditions for holders apply, and they can depend on your connection to Hong Kong. Check the current conditions before you order.
- Second-level zones: names under com.hk, org.hk and similar endings may follow different rules from a plain .hk name.
- Contact details: the registrant details must be accurate, and they may need to be confirmed when the registry asks.
- Characters: names use letters, digits and hyphens. Names written in Chinese characters are a separate case, so check the current rules before you plan one.
Who uses .hk
- Retail shops, restaurants and beauty services that serve customers in Hong Kong.
- Trading companies, logistics firms and professional practices with local clients.
- Schools, clubs and community groups with a Hong Kong audience.
- Creative studios, event organisers and media projects that work in Chinese or English.
Strengths
- The ending shows a clear Hong Kong base, which helps local customers recognise a business that is close to them.
- Search engines may use the country-code ending as one hint about the audience, so content in Chinese or English for Hong Kong can match local searches.
- The name is short and easy to read on shopfronts, menus and business cards.
Things to keep in mind
- A .hk name points to Hong Kong, so a business that serves customers across Asia or worldwide may also want a generic address.
- Many common words are already taken, so a distinctive brand name or a combined word may work better.
- Visitors from abroad may type .com by habit, so decide early whether you need both.
- Registration rules and second-level conditions can change, so keep your details up to date.
Tips before you register
- Check the name in .com and in .com.hk, and decide which of them your customers are likely to expect.
- Enter the holder details exactly as they appear in your business registration papers.
- Decide whether the site will use English, Chinese or both, and write the pages in that language before launch.
- Set up SPF, DKIM and DMARC records before you send mail from the domain.
- Use two-factor login on the registrar account and keep the recovery details current.
Frequently asked questions
Can a company based outside Hong Kong register a .hk name? Holder conditions apply, and they may depend on your connection to the city. Check the current conditions before you order.
Should I choose .hk or .com.hk? It depends on the zone rules and on your business. Check the conditions for each ending before you decide, and consider which one your customers will type.
Does .hk help a site appear in local search results? It is a useful location signal, but relevant content in the right language, fast pages and local references usually matter more.
