🇻🇳 Vietnam · Company Registration
Entity types, registration process, required documents, costs, and official registries.
Quick answer
Foreign investors usually set up a limited liability company; registration involves an Investment Registration Certificate and an Enterprise Registration Certificate via the provincial Department of Planning and Investment. Some sectors have foreign-ownership conditions.
Vietnam company formation for foreign investors usually combines an Investment Registration Certificate when required, an Enterprise Registration Certificate, tax/e-invoice setup and post-registration operating steps.
- The National Business Registration Portal is the official enterprise-registration entry point under the Ministry of Planning and Investment.
- Foreign-invested projects may need investment-registration steps before enterprise registration, depending on sector, investor and project structure.
- Vietnamese enterprise registration commonly uses LLC and joint-stock company forms; conditional sectors require extra licensing checks.
Step-by-step
- 1
Choose the company type
The limited liability company (single-member or multi-member LLC) is common; a joint-stock company suits larger ventures with many investors. Both give limited liability.
- 2
Get an Investment Registration Certificate (foreign investors)
A foreign investor first obtains an Investment Registration Certificate (IRC) from the provincial Department of Planning and Investment (DPI).
- 3
Apply for the Enterprise Registration Certificate
Apply for the Enterprise Registration Certificate (ERC) from the Business Registration Office; it carries the enterprise (tax) code.
- 4
Make the company seal
Create the company seal, which the company manages and uses on official documents.
- 5
Complete post-licensing registration
Register for tax and e-invoices, pay the business-licence tax, and open a bank account (including a capital account for foreign capital contributions).
- 6
Contribute charter capital and any sub-licences
Contribute the charter capital within 90 days of the ERC, and obtain sub-licences for conditional business lines.
Checklist
- Company type chosen (LLC or joint-stock company)
- Investment Registration Certificate (IRC) — foreign investors
- Enterprise Registration Certificate (ERC) + enterprise code
- Company seal
- Tax registration + e-invoice
- Business-licence tax
- Bank account (+ capital account for foreign capital)
- Charter capital contributed within 90 days
Official authorities
- National Business Registration Portal
Official enterprise-registration portal.
- Invest Vietnam — establishment of company
Official investment-promotion guidance on foreign-invested company procedures.
Frequently asked questions
What certificates do I need?
Foreign-invested companies typically need an Investment Registration Certificate (IRC) and an Enterprise Registration Certificate (ERC).
Can foreigners own 100% of a company?
In many sectors yes, but some conditional sectors cap foreign ownership or require a local partner.
Who handles registration?
The provincial Department of Planning and Investment processes investment and enterprise registration.
Official-information aggregation, not legal advice. Always verify on the authority's own site.