Hong Kong · civil procedure
What period applies to foreign judgment registration period?
Within 6 years after the applicable judgment. Apply to the Court of First Instance for registration. Timeliness does not prove statutory eligibility or permit immediate execution during a setting-aside window.
- Period
- Within 6 years after the applicable judgment
- Trigger
- Judgment date or last judgment in actual appeal proceedings
- Rule
- Foreign Judgments (Reciprocal Enforcement) Ordinance (Cap. 319), section 4(1); procedure under Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 71, rule 2
Official verified English consolidated chapter 319, version April 11,2019. Acquired October 9, 2026, with the official current register and immutable verified PDF. Current verified official English consolidated chapter PDFs acquired October 9, 2026. Version dates retained per chapter register. No claim that a calendar proves future gale, black-rainstorm or emergency office closures.
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What period applies to foreign judgment registration period?
Within 6 years after the applicable judgment. Apply to the Court of First Instance for registration. Timeliness does not prove statutory eligibility or permit immediate execution during a setting-aside window.
Responsible actor. Judgment creditor under a qualifying foreign judgment.
Judgment date or last judgment in actual appeal proceedings
Within 6 years after the applicable judgment
Judgment creditor under a qualifying foreign judgment. Cap 319 applies to judgment and original court; Unpaid enforceable balance; Complete appeal history; Original-country execution remains available. Wholly satisfied or no-longer-executable judgments cannot be registered. Mainland-judgment legislation may provide another route.
Foreign Judgments (Reciprocal Enforcement) Ordinance (Cap. 319), section 4(1); procedure under Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 71, rule 2How does this provision count time?
- Apply to the Court of First Instance for registration
- Judgment creditor under a qualifying foreign judgment uses the established judgment date or last judgment in actual appeal proceedings. Within 6 years after the applicable judgment. Use calendar months or calendar years, not a fixed number of thirty-day blocks. The retained ordinary examples use corresponding dates. A missing anniversary date needs a separately supported rule.
- Apply to the Court of First Instance for registration. An applicable Court-office completion may move under the exact final-day source only when the act cannot be done there. Establish the actual office route, closure and any different effective electronic route. Timeliness does not prove statutory eligibility or permit immediate execution during a setting-aside window.
- Timeliness does not prove statutory eligibility or permit immediate execution during a setting-aside window.
Judgment creditor under a qualifying foreign judgment uses the established judgment date or last judgment in actual appeal proceedings. Within 6 years after the applicable judgment. Use calendar months or calendar years, not a fixed number of thirty-day blocks. The retained ordinary examples use corresponding dates. A missing anniversary date needs a separately supported rule.
Apply to the Court of First Instance for registration. An applicable Court-office completion may move under the exact final-day source only when the act cannot be done there. Establish the actual office route, closure and any different effective electronic route. Timeliness does not prove statutory eligibility or permit immediate execution during a setting-aside window.
Foreign Judgments (Reciprocal Enforcement) Ordinance (Cap. 319), section 4(1); procedure under Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 71, rule 2What do independently checked examples show?
Fictitious example
Judgment creditor under a qualifying foreign judgment. Judgment date or last judgment in actual appeal proceedings occurs on Friday, October 9, 2020. The retained eligibility and ordinary procedural conditions apply. Original Judgment Friday, October 9, 2020. Last Actual Appeal Judgment Friday, October 9, 2020. Appeal History Complete true.
| Step | What is counted | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Example 1. Ordinary established facts | Judgment creditor under a qualifying foreign judgment. Judgment date or last judgment in actual appeal proceedings occurs on Friday, October 9, 2020. The retained eligibility and ordinary procedural conditions apply. Original Judgment Friday, October 9, 2020. Last Actual Appeal Judgment Friday, October 9, 2020. Appeal History Complete true. Within 6 years after the applicable judgment. Timeliness does not prove statutory eligibility or permit immediate execution during a setting-aside window. | Friday, October 9, 2026 |
| Example 2. Closed-day boundary | Judgment creditor under a qualifying foreign judgment. Judgment date or last judgment in actual appeal proceedings occurs on Monday, October 19, 2020. The retained eligibility and ordinary procedural conditions apply. Original Judgment Monday, October 19, 2020. Last Actual Appeal Judgment Monday, October 19, 2020. Appeal History Complete true. Within 6 years after the applicable judgment. Timeliness does not prove statutory eligibility or permit immediate execution during a setting-aside window. | Tuesday, October 20, 2026 |
| Example 3. Material procedural branch | Judgment creditor under a qualifying foreign judgment. Judgment date or last judgment in actual appeal proceedings occurs on Friday, October 9, 2020. The complete eligibility and procedural facts are not established. Original Judgment not established. Last Actual Appeal Judgment not established. Appeal History Complete not established. This actual branch must be established independently before any ordinary endpoint can be used. Cap 319 applies to judgment and original court | Wholly satisfied or no-longer-executable judgments cannot be registered. Mainland-judgment legislation may provide another route. |
Fictitious established facts. These examples do not establish eligibility, effective service, relief or a direction.
Try these dates in the calculatorWhich conditions and exceptions apply?
- Cap 319 applies to judgment and original court
- Cap 319 applies to judgment and original court
- Unpaid enforceable balance
- Unpaid enforceable balance
- Complete appeal history
- Complete appeal history
- Original-country execution remains available
- Original-country execution remains available
- Correct source counting and completion route
- Judgment creditor under a qualifying foreign judgment uses the established judgment date or last judgment in actual appeal proceedings. Within 6 years after the applicable judgment. Use calendar months or calendar years, not a fixed number of thirty-day blocks. The retained ordinary examples use corresponding dates. A missing anniversary date needs a separately supported rule. Apply to the Court of First Instance for registration. An applicable Court-office completion may move under the exact final-day source only when the act cannot be done there. Establish the actual office route, closure and any different effective electronic route. Timeliness does not prove statutory eligibility or permit immediate execution during a setting-aside window.
- Judgment creditor under a qualifying foreign judgment. Cap 319 applies to judgment and original court; Unpaid enforceable balance; Complete appeal history; Original-country execution remains available. Wholly satisfied or no-longer-executable judgments cannot be registered. Mainland-judgment legislation may provide another route.
- Wholly satisfied or no-longer-executable judgments cannot be registered. Mainland-judgment legislation may provide another route.
What must the responsible actor complete?
Questions about this procedure
What period applies to foreign judgment registration period?
Does every foreign judgment use Cap 319?
No. Establish that the original court and judgment fall within the Ordinance’s reciprocal-enforcement scope.
Foreign Judgments (Reciprocal Enforcement) Ordinance (Cap. 319), section 4(1); procedure under Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 71, rule 2Does an appeal change the six-year anchor?
Section 4(1) uses the last judgment in the actual appeal proceedings where there have been appeals.
Foreign Judgments (Reciprocal Enforcement) Ordinance (Cap. 319), section 4(1); procedure under Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 71, rule 2Can a wholly satisfied judgment be registered?
No. Section 4(1)(a) prohibits registration if wholly satisfied at application.
Foreign Judgments (Reciprocal Enforcement) Ordinance (Cap. 319), section 4(1); procedure under Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 71, rule 2Does partial satisfaction prevent every registration?
Section 4(4) permits registration only for the remaining balance rather than the whole original amount.
Foreign Judgments (Reciprocal Enforcement) Ordinance (Cap. 319), section 4(1); procedure under Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 71, rule 2Must execution still be available abroad?
Yes. Section 4(1)(b) prevents registration where the judgment could not be enforced by execution in the original country.
Foreign Judgments (Reciprocal Enforcement) Ordinance (Cap. 319), section 4(1); procedure under Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 71, rule 2Can the registered judgment be executed immediately despite a challenge window?
Section 4(2)’s proviso prevents execution while a setting-aside application remains competent or pending determination.
Foreign Judgments (Reciprocal Enforcement) Ordinance (Cap. 319), section 4(1); procedure under Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 71, rule 2Official sources and review
Provisions used (4)
| Provision | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Foreign Judgments (Reciprocal Enforcement) Ordinance (Cap. 319), section 4(1); procedure under Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A), Order 71, rule 2 | Check the identified procedure, event, counting rule or qualification |
| Interpretation and General Clauses Ordinance (Cap.1), section71(1)–(2) | Check the identified procedure, event, counting rule or qualification |
| General Holidays Ordinance (Cap.149), section3 and Schedule | Check the identified procedure, event, counting rule or qualification |
| Foreign Judgments (Reciprocal Enforcement) Ordinance (Cap.319), section4(1)–(3) | Check the identified procedure, event, counting rule or qualification |