Benefits You Can Expect

  • Up to 100% foreign owned entity

    Our team will ensure your complete control over your business in vietnam without making risky arrangements.

  • Fully Online Service

    100% online services. Consultation, billing, onboarding and processing has been transitioned to completely digitized services for everyone’s security until lockdown restrictions are eased.

  • Full Transparency

    We guarantee you only pay for the services you need, and only when you need them.

Business in Vietnam

Your Company Registration Options

Limited Liability Company

Limited Liability Company

LLC is the most common legal entity type in Vietnam and an excellent choice for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Single investors can take advantage of its simple corporate structure, which requires one founder only. And Multi-member LLCs can have from 2-50 members. Some features include:

  • Liability limited to charter capital
  • Reduces Paperwork
  • Easy to Raise Capital
  • High Transparency
  • Establish in Vietnam Free Zone for manufacturing

Requirements include the following: your LLC needs to be approved by the Department of Planning and Investment (you will get an IRC, otherwise known as an Investment Registration Certificate upon approval).

Secondly, you will also need to obtain the ERC, or Enterprise Registration Certificate. The entire process often takes about 45 days.

Learn More
Representative Office

Representative Office

A representative office in Vietnam is perfect for foreigners wanting to observe & conduct research on the local market. Furthermore, it allows you to gain market presence for the parent company, before fully expanding into Vietnam. Features of the Representative Office:

  • Role of Contact Office for parent Company
  • Manages Contracts Signed with Local Partners
  • Conduct Market Research
  • Open A bank Account for Operations
  • Profit Generating Activities not allowed

Requirements include the following: Due to its relatively basic structure, establishing a representative office in Vietnam might be regarded a legally convenient operation.

However, even with this trustworthy entity structure, the applicant must consider a few constraints, such as the parent business must have been in operation for at least one year before a representative office may be established.

Learn More
Branch

Branch Office

A branch office serves as an extension of its parent company. From your branch office in Vietnam you can conduct all your parent company’s commercial activities and make a profit without incorporating a separate legal entity. Features include:

  • Issuing Invoices
  • Full Business Activities are Permitted
  • Can sign agreements & Contracts
  • Can Generate Profits
  • Accounting records can be kept independently or dependently

In order to open a branch in Vietnam, the parent business must provide the following documentation regarding the parent company’s formation:

  • Certificate of Company Registration
  • Extract from the commercial registry or a certificate of good standing
  • Association Articles of Parent Company
  • Annual report that has been audited most recently
  • The parent company’s business licenses
Learn More
Join-stock Company

Joint-stock Company

A Joint Stock Company in Vietnam is recommended for medium and large-sized businesses as its corporate structure requires a minimum of three founders. Its registration process is subject to more demanding requirements. Its features include:

  • Each Shareholder’s Liability is Limited to their contribution
  • No restriction on number of shareholders
  • Freedom of ownership transfer
  • Continued existence in case of death of shareholder
  • Shareholders can easily transfer their ownership share

Requirements: Despite its popularity, the process and conditions for forming a joint stock company are more difficult and time-consuming, as well as having more strict requirements. The following are just a few of the needed documents: A bank certificate demonstrating the availability of funds for investment in Vietnam.

Proposals for investment projects in Vietnam Documents required to apply for a certificate of investment registration Certificate of legal status for all original shareholders Proposal for land usage A certificate of foreign investment Financial statements that have been audited.

Learn More

Detailed Comparisons of Company Setup Options for Foreign Investors in Vietnam

Your Success Plan in Vietnam

1 Submit Document

Submit Your
Information & Requirements

Tell us about your company
needs and aspirations in
Vietnam

2 Book Consultation

Book a Consultation
With Our Experts

Go over your plan with one
of our bilingual business
Consultants

3 Business Launch

Choose a Plan & Succeed
In Vietnam

Together we will expand
your business in Asia's
fastest growing economy

Contact Our Consultants

Please send your question(s) by filling in this form. Our consulting team will quickly answer you via Email for a free consultation. Due to the current situation we are able to provide our services 100% online for everyone safety

Contact Form

FAQs

Yes, foreign citizens are entitled to expand to Vietnam and incorporate a foreign-owned company in the country. However, there are certain restrictions and 100 % Foreign Invested Enterprise in Vietnam can be started only in the form of Limited Liability Company (LLC) or Joint Stock Company (JSC). Depending on the type of business entity you want to pursue, there are further regulations for foreigners to follow when establishing a company in Vietnam.

The most common company types are Limited Liability Company known as LLC and Joint Stock Company known as JSC. Both types are suitable for foreigners with an LLC being recommended to smaller companies with a few owners while a JSC better fits big businesses or those that plan to go public.

Although the local law does not stipulate the minimum capital, 10,000 USD is commonly considered as the minimum capital investors should prove during the registration.

Most probably yes. The Vietnamese law enables foreigners to open foreign-owned companies in most business sectors except for six business fields mentioned in the Negative List, namely:

  1. Drugs and narcotics,
  2. Hazardous chemicals and minerals,
  3. Range of specimens of endangered flora and fauna,
  4. Prostitution,
  5. Human trafficking, sale of human body parts and tissue,
  6. Human cloning or asexual reproduction.

Yes, there are several options suitable for investors who wish to expand without forming a legal entity.

  • HR Outsourcing
    Engage Cekindo in your expansion, and relocate your staff or hire Vietnamese professionals without incorporating a legal entity. Cekindo will act as an Employer of Record (EOR), provide recruitment, payroll, business visas and work permits.
  • Local Distributor
    Market your product in Vietnam through a local distributor. Cekindo will take care of shortlisting potential traders in Vietnam, and arrange meetings between them and your company. The main advantage for you is that you do not need to be physically present in Vietnam during the selection and negotiation part.

The process of starting an LLC or JSC in Vietnam takes approximately 1 to 3 months. In case, you wish to open a business as soon as possible, we recommend purchasing a shelf company from Cekindo. As such we can transfer the management control to you within a few working days.

Both local nominee company and shelf company represent fast ways how to incorporate a legal entity and penetrate the Vietnamese market successfully. A local nominee company is established through a nominee agreement with a trustworthy local partner such as Cekindo. In this case, the company is considered as a local company, requirements for its establishment are not that strict, and it takes around 10 working days to incorporate a local company in Vietnam. A shelf company is a previously established business with zero business activity and transactions. Investors who purchase a shelf company can start their business operations almost immediately.

Underestimating the role of a business partner or local nominee are one of the common business mistakes in Vietnam. Choosing a reliable local partner for your company is key to success in the country while reducing the potential risks. Cekindo offers local nominee services without any interventions to your business processes. We also allow our partners to terminate the contract sooner that its expiry date.

Our Clients Find This Helpful.
Please Review.

Please wait...