🇨🇳 China · Company Registration
Entity types, registration process, required documents, costs, and official registries.
Quick answer
Foreign-invested companies in China (commonly a WFOE or joint venture) register with the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) and obtain a unified business license. Setup involves name approval, registered capital, a business scope and post-registration tax and bank steps.
In China, companies are registered with the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) through its local market-regulation bureaus, which issue a business licence bearing a unified social credit code.
- Foreign investors commonly set up a wholly foreign-owned enterprise (WFOE), a joint venture, or a limited liability company.
- Registration issues a business licence with a unified social credit code used across tax, customs and banking.
- Company information is published on the National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System.
Step-by-step
- 1
Choose the investment vehicle
Foreign investors usually form a wholly foreign-owned enterprise (WFOE) or a joint venture; confirm the activity is permitted under the current foreign-investment negative list.
- 2
Reserve a company name
Reserve the Chinese company name with the local State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR); names follow a fixed "region + trade name + industry + form" pattern.
- 3
Set the scope, capital and address
Define the business scope, the (subscribed) registered capital, the legal representative and a real registered office address with a lease.
- 4
Apply for the business licence at SAMR
Submit the registration to SAMR to obtain the unified business licence, which carries the unified social-credit code (tax registration is integrated into it).
- 5
Carve the official seals
Have the company seals made at an authorised maker (company chop, legal-representative, finance and invoice seals) — the company chop legally binds the company.
- 6
Open bank accounts and report the investment
Open RMB and foreign-currency bank accounts, register with the tax authorities, and file the foreign-investment information report through the integrated commerce/SAMR system.
Checklist
- Investment vehicle chosen (WFOE / JV) within the negative list
- Company name registered with SAMR
- Business scope, registered capital, legal representative
- Registered office address + lease
- Unified business licence (social-credit code) from SAMR
- Official seals carved
- RMB + foreign-currency bank accounts
- Foreign-investment information report filed
Official authorities
- State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR)
Business registration and market regulation.
- National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System
Official public registry of registered companies.
Frequently asked questions
What is a WFOE?
A Wholly Foreign-Owned Enterprise is a limited company fully owned by foreign investors — the most common vehicle for foreign businesses operating in China.
Is there a minimum registered capital?
Most sectors no longer set a statutory minimum, but you must declare a registered capital appropriate to your business, and some regulated sectors have requirements.
How long does registration take?
Timelines vary by city and business scope; name approval, licensing and post-registration steps (tax, bank, company chops) commonly take several weeks.
Official-information aggregation, not legal advice. Always verify on the authority's own site.
Government portals
- China Government Portal — State Council official portal — policy releases, public services, and government documents
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs — China's foreign policy and consular services — passport, visa, and consular protection info
- National Immigration Administration — Visas, permanent residency, and border control for foreigners entering China
- State Taxation Administration — Personal income tax filing, business tax registration, and VAT invoice verification