Online Search Service on Bankruptcy, Individual Voluntary Arrangement and Compulsory Winding-up Records

IMPORTANT NOTES: Additional Measures for Online Search Service starting from November 2021

To further enhance protection of personal data privacy, the Official Receiver’s Office (“ORO”) introduces additional requirements for access to the search service for the individual voluntary arrangement (“IVA”) register provided by ORO. With effect from 1 November 2021, searchers of the IVA register are required to provide their personal information, including name and identification information, and confirm that information obtained from the search will only be used for the stated purpose of the register. Searchers are also required to acknowledge that they understand the consequences of using the personal data obtained for any unpermitted purposes or in contravention of the requirements under the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (Cap. 486).

This online service provides you with a speedy and convenient way to search for bankruptcy, individual voluntary arrangement and compulsory winding-up records. This article will tell you more about this service.

Bankruptcy, Individual Voluntary Arrangement and Compulsory Winding-up Search

The online search service on bankruptcy, individual voluntary arrangement and compulsory winding-up records enables users to find out quickly whether -

• A person is bankrupt or is facing a bankruptcy petition.

• A person is or has been subject to an individual voluntary arrangement.

• A company is wound-up or is facing a compulsory winding-up petition.

Notes:

1. The Official Receiver's Office does not keep records of companies being wound-up voluntarily.
    
2. The computer system does not keep records of compulsory winding-up cases closed before 1984.

This service is for the use of the general public subject to fee payment.   You can use the service at home, in the office, or any time, anywhere with a computer connected to the Internet.  You can save valuable resources in conducting the searches and obtaining the search reports quickly via the Internet.

How to Use the Service?

You can input your bankruptcy / individual voluntary arrangement / compulsory winding-up search requests online one by one into the input fields. The search reports will be displayed instantly online upon fee payment, if necessary. A maximum of 5 searches can be made in each submission (except for Batch Compulsory Winding-up Search).

You can also use your reference number to retrieve the search report(s) within 7 days from the transaction date by using the Re-print Search Report function.

Points to Note for Inputting the Search Criteria

Please note the following criteria when you are inputting the search request:

• The words 'Company Limited' must be input in full. The abbreviation 'Co. Ltd.' is not allowed.
• Also, if there is a Christian name, please input the Christian name after the other name, e.g. Chi Keung Peter.  Do not type comma between them. 
• For Chinese input, only Traditional Chinese characters will be accepted.

Payment

The fee payable is HK$80 for one bankruptcy / compulsory winding-up search request. You can use PPS, credit card (VISA, MasterCard, JCB or Union Pay) or FPS to settle your payment.

Before you Pay

Please note that the contents of the search reports are based on the Official Receiver's Office's database records around the time of search or an earlier time as otherwise advised online. The database records are updated only to the extent of information and documents that are made available to the Official Receiver's Office.

Enquiry and Assistance

If you need assistance in using this online service, you can call the Enquiry Hotline at 2867 2448 during office hours from 8:30 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. (Monday – Friday, except public holidays). If you call during non-office hours, you will hear a recorded message asking you to leave a message with your name and telephone number. The office will get back to you as soon as possible.

Enquiries can also be made by fax to 3105 1814 or by email to oroadmin@oro.gov.hk.