Whether you are starting a Vietnamese-owned business, investing from overseas or adding a Vietnam company to an existing group, start with what the company will actually do. We help you choose the structure, confirm the ownership and market-access position where relevant, prepare the documents and coordinate the applicable ERC and IRC procedures, followed by banking, tax and ongoing compliance.
We start with what the business will actually do in Vietnam, then choose the structure and filing route that fits.
Before filing, we check that the owner or investor documents, capital, address and registration route agree with one another.
After registration, the company still needs the right bank accounts, tax setup, invoicing and compliance arrangements before it can operate properly.
If you are still deciding whether a Vietnam company fits your plans, these four points are the best place to start.
100% foreign ownership is available for many activities, subject to market-access conditions.
Allow about 4–8 weeks or more for a straightforward foreign-invested setup once the file is ready.
There is no universal minimum for every activity, but the declared amount must fit the business plan.
You need a suitable registered address and at least one at-law representative residing in Vietnam.
What changed in 2026: Vietnam's 2025 Investment Law took effect on 1 March 2026. In qualifying cases, a foreign investor may establish the economic organisation before carrying out the IRC procedure, provided the market-access conditions are met. We therefore check the sequence for your investor, activity and project instead of assuming that every case starts with an IRC.
Tell us about the activity, customers, contracts, invoicing, hiring and location. Those details should determine the company structure and filing route.
A little work before filing can prevent an unsuitable business scope, underfunded capital plan, unusable address or structure that does not support the intended transactions.
We check the proposed service, trading, manufacturing, e-commerce or regulated activity and, where foreign investment is involved, whether market-access conditions, ownership limits or additional licences apply.
Your capital should cover a credible startup period, and the proposed address must suit the activity, building use and any licensing or inspection requirements.
Tell us who will manage the company, how the capital will be transferred, which bank accounts are needed, who will handle tax and accounting, and whether anyone needs a visa or work permit.
An LLC suits many operating businesses. A joint stock company may work better when there will be several shareholders or future fundraising, while a representative office provides a local presence but cannot earn revenue.
| Comparison | Limited Liability Company | Joint Stock Company | Representative Office |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical use | Most service, trading and operating businesses | Businesses planning multiple shareholders or future capital raising | Market research, liaison and promotion for an overseas parent |
| Owners | One or more members, subject to entity rules | At least three shareholders | Established by an eligible overseas parent |
| Can earn local revenue | Yes, within registered and licensed activities | Yes, within registered and licensed activities | No |
| Foreign ownership | Up to 100% where market-access rules permit | Up to 100% where market-access rules permit | Operates as a dependent office of the foreign parent |
A nominee arrangement is not a separate legal entity type and should not be treated as a shortcut around foreign ownership or market-access rules.
The registration route depends on the owners, activity and project. A domestically owned company and a foreign-invested project may not follow the same sequence, so we confirm whether ERC, IRC or other approvals come first before preparing the file.
You tell us about the activities, customers, contracts, revenue flow, location, staffing and any regulated products or services.
We confirm the ownership structure and, where foreign investment is involved, whether investor qualifications, ownership caps or conditional approvals apply.
We compare the entities, confirm the ERC and IRC requirements for your case and identify licences needed before or after operations begin.
You provide the shareholder or investor and financial records, and we coordinate any legalisation or translation, the charter capital information and registered-address documents.
We coordinate the applicable enterprise and investment filings, followed by any activity-specific licence or registration.
After registration, we can help you organise banking, the capital contribution, tax, accounting, e-invoicing, payroll and the compliance calendar.
The 2025 Investment Law allows a foreign investor to establish an economic organisation before the IRC procedure in qualifying cases. It does not remove market-access conditions or project-specific approvals.
For a straightforward file, allow about 4–8 weeks or more from the point the documents are ready. The authority does not guarantee this timing, and you should allow extra time for:
A headline price rarely shows the whole first-year budget. Our quote separates registration work, government charges, document handling, the address, bank preparation, accounting setup and continuing compliance.
Conditional activities and product-specific approvals add work beyond basic registration.
An overseas corporate shareholder normally requires more records than an individual investor.
The city, premises and activity determine the suitability and cost of the address.
Bank preparation, tax, accounting, payroll, visas and compliance affect the first-year cost.
Many ordinary activities have no universal statutory minimum. The amount should still be enough to support the registered activity, startup period and operating budget. A regulated sector may have its own legal capital threshold.
Your document list depends on whether the investor is an individual or overseas company and whether the setup involves an investment project or conditional licence.
Before you send the documents: Check that the names, dates, ownership records and signatures are consistent throughout the file.
Your Vietnam company needs a registered head-office address. The premises must be legally usable for the intended activity and supported by appropriate address or lease documents.
A serviced or shared office can work for some businesses. Check the activity and local requirements before signing an address agreement.
The accounts you need depend on the ownership, investment status and transactions. Once registered, the company can apply to a bank, and remote onboarding may be available in some cases. The bank will still make its own KYC and approval decision.
If the foreign-investment and foreign-exchange rules require a direct investment capital account, it is used for regulated capital flows such as eligible capital contributions and permitted transfers.
Operating accounts support customer receipts, supplier payments, payroll, taxes and normal business expenses in the currencies approved by the bank.
The tax and accounting calendar starts after registration. What you need to file, and how often, depends on the company's registrations, activity, payroll, transactions and reporting position.
Decide who will maintain the Vietnam Accounting Standards records and who will act as the person in charge of accounting or chief accountant within the permitted timeline.
We can help arrange the digital signature, tax registrations and e-invoice setup needed for the company's actual invoicing and reporting.
Your calendar should cover VAT, corporate income tax, personal income tax, payroll, social insurance, annual accounts and investment reporting where applicable.
Owning the company may support an immigration application, but it does not approve one. A visa, Temporary Residence Card, work permit or exemption has its own requirements and decision.
A Vietnamese entrepreneur, an international founder, an overseas group and a trading business rarely need the same setup. We shape the work around how your business will trade, hire, bank and comply after incorporation.
If you are a Vietnamese entrepreneur or foreign founder building a service, software, consulting, e-commerce or other operating business.
If your group is opening a subsidiary, joint stock company or representative office to serve customers, build a supply chain or hire locally.
If the company will import, export, sell wholesale or retail, manufacture, use premises, hire employees or obtain operational approvals.
These are starting fees. Once we know the activity, owners, address, documents and licences involved, we will give you an itemised written quote.
For a defined company registration where you already have the address and resources needed after setup.
For businesses and investors that also want help with the local work that follows registration.
For a business that wants continuing help with accounting, tax, payroll, company changes and immigration coordination.
Government charges, translation, legalisation, address rent, bank charges, conditional licences, taxes and third-party costs are included only when they appear in the written proposal.
These are the points we usually discuss before a founder, investor or company chooses its Vietnam setup route.
Yes. Foreign individuals and overseas companies can establish businesses in Vietnam, subject to market-access conditions, the proposed activity and any sector-specific approvals.
Full foreign ownership is available for many activities, but not every sector. Ownership limits, joint-venture conditions, investor qualifications or additional licences may apply to restricted or conditional activities.
Not necessarily. Vietnam's 2025 Investment Law, effective from 1 March 2026, allows foreign investors to establish an economic organization before carrying out IRC procedures in qualifying cases, subject to market-access rules. The correct sequence depends on the investor, activity, project and implementing requirements.
There is no single universal minimum for all activities. Some regulated sectors have statutory capital requirements, while other applications require a commercially credible capital plan for the proposed activity and operating period.
The timeline depends on the ownership and filing route. A straightforward, ready-to-file foreign-invested setup is often planned over approximately four to eight or more weeks. Legalization, market-access review, project approvals, address issues and conditional licences can extend the timeline.
Typical documents include investor identification or overseas corporate records, constitutional documents, ownership and authorization records, financial-capacity evidence where required, business and project details, capital information and registered-address documents.
Many planning, document and filing steps can be coordinated remotely. Originals, legalization, identity verification, bank onboarding or licensing checks may still require direct participation depending on the case.
The company must ensure that at least one at-law representative resides in Vietnam. A foreign founder may hold that role, but absence and authorization arrangements must be planned in line with the company charter and applicable law.
No. Registration allows the company to apply for appropriate accounts, but each bank carries out its own KYC, beneficial-ownership, source-of-funds and business-model review. Remote onboarding availability is bank- and case-specific.
No. Investor visas, Temporary Residence Cards, work permits and exemptions have separate eligibility and documentary requirements. They should be reviewed alongside the ownership, capital, role and relocation plan.
We reviewed this page on 13 August 2026. It reflects the 2025 Investment Law changes effective from 1 March 2026 and the business-condition provisions effective from 1 July 2026. The correct registration route and local filing practice can still vary by investor, activity, project and province.
You can check the underlying information in the Vietnam Foreign Investment Agency's 2025 Investment Law update and the National Business Registration Portal. We will confirm the requirements for your specific filing before submission.
You can speak with us before you have chosen the structure. Start with the business, the owners, the location and what needs to happen after registration.
We will check the registration route, ownership and market-access requirements, documents, capital and address, then explain the next steps for banking, tax, accounting and compliance.
Tell us what support you need, from company setup and banking to accounting, tax and ongoing compliance.