Business Registration in Vietnam

Establishing a company in Vietnam in 2026 marks a critical starting point for individuals and organizations beginning business operations or expanding investment. According to the provisions of the Law on Enterprises and the latest legal documents, Business Registration in Vietnam: Procedures, Requirements and Costs (2026 Guide) requires thorough preparation of dossiers, selection of an appropriate corporate structure, and strict adherence to registration protocols at the business registration authorities. In the article below, Viet An Law provides a detailed guide on conditions, dossiers, costs, and the 2026 company establishment process, while sharing vital considerations to help businesses complete procedures quickly and in compliance with the law.

Quick summary of company establishment procedures in Vietnam (2026)

Conditions for company establishment in Vietnam 2026

When planning to start a business in Vietnam, investors must meet specific criteria regarding legal capacity and documentation.

Required dossiers for individual founders

Legal documents provided by individuals to establish a company include:

• Citizen Identification Card; or
• A valid Passport. A notarized copy or the original version must be provided; Viet An Law can assist with notarization services for our clients.

Conditions for individuals

Individuals must be over 18 years of age, possess the right to establish a company under the Law on Enterprises, and must not have a “suspended” tax identification number on the tax management system.

Requirements for legal entities (parent companies) opening subsidiaries

• A notarized copy of the Enterprise Registration Certificate of the parent company intending to establish a subsidiary.
• A valid ID Card or Passport of the representative managing the capital contribution and the legal representative of the company.

Information required to open a company in Vietnam

• Headquarters address: This must not be an apartment building or collective housing. While proof of headquarters conditions is not required immediately upon registration, businesses should prepare copies of land/housing documents and lease or loan agreements for subsequent operations.
• Company information: Company name, business lines, capital contribution structure, charter capital, and the legal representative, etc. All remaining tasks will be supported by Viet An Law as part of our all-inclusive service package. Alternatively, you may contact our specialized lawyers for specific, detailed advice on how to open a company in Vietnam.

Full company establishment process in Vietnam

If you utilize the full-service company registration in Vietnam provided by Viet An Law, we will represent you in performing the following 09 steps. You only need to provide information, sign the dossiers as instructed, and receive the final results while being supported with post-establishment procedures.

• Step 1: Prepare the dossier
• Step 2: Transfer the documents to the client for signing
• Step 3: Create an account for dossier submission
• Step 4: Activate the account
• Step 5: Log in to the account
• Step 6: Submit the dossier
• Step 7: Grant the Enterprise Registration Certificate
• Step 8: Carve the company seal
• Step 9: Transfer results and provide post-establishment support

Timeframe for completing company establishment procedures in Vietnam

The time required to complete all company establishment procedures is typically 06 to 08 working days. However, if you wish to shorten this timeframe, please contact Viet An Law for the fastest support.

Costs of company establishment in 2026

If you use Viet An Law services, we will facilitate the payment of all fees and charges payable to state agencies, including the business registration announcement fee, seal carving fee, company signage, and title seals, with a total package cost starting from 2,000,000 VND. You will not have to pay any additional incurred costs. Notably, with this package, businesses will receive overall support from highly qualified and experienced lawyers and experts regarding legal, financial, and accounting issues to ensure they avoid maximum legal and economic risks when they register company in Vietnam.

Important notes when establishing a company in Vietnam

With nearly 20 years of experience supporting company incorporation in Vietnam, Viet An Law summarizes several critical points to avoid risks and wasted time:

Charter capital levels

• Self-declared and self-responsible capital: There is no minimum capital requirement for general company establishment, except for business lines requiring legal capital or a security deposit.
• Under current enterprise laws, the enterprise has the right to declare any amount and is self-responsible for the charter capital (even for sectors with legal capital requirements, the enterprise only needs to declare the required level without needing to prove or confirm actual capital sources).
• Enterprises should choose a reasonable charter capital level based on operational needs, contract values with partners, project participation, security deposits for specific industries, and the desired license tax (though abolished from 2026), while considering the liability of the owners.
• The capital contribution deadline is 90 days from the date of issuance of the Enterprise Registration Certificate. Individuals may contribute capital in cash or via bank transfer; however, organizations must contribute capital via bank transfer to the company’s registered account.
• Procedures to increase charter capital are relatively simple, whereas decreasing it involves more conditions and specific timelines. Furthermore, legal representatives should be particularly aware of their personal liability regarding capital declaration under the amended Law on Enterprises 2025.

Advisory on choosing an enterprise type

Founders can choose from 5 types of enterprises: (1) Single-member Limited Liability Company; (2) Multi-member Limited Liability Company; (3) Joint Stock Company; (4) Private Enterprise; and (5) Partnership.

Due to their advantages, the first three types are most common. Joint Stock Companies offer flexible capital mobilization and stock market participation but are harder for founders to control. Limited Liability Companies offer tighter control over membership, with changes requiring consent from existing members.

Pros and cons of company vs. household business

• Legal entity status: Household businesses and private enterprises do not have legal entity status. Companies possess legal entity status and enjoy limited liability within the scope of contributed capital. Conversely, household businesses are liable with their entire personal assets.

Advisory on company headquarters

• The headquarters cannot be located in collective housing or apartment buildings.
• Businesses must have a lease or loan agreement and should request two copies of the Land Use Rights Certificate from the landlord.
• The headquarters must be contactable. If authorities cannot reach the company, it may be listed as “not operating at the registered address“, leading to a locked tax ID and potential revocation of the Enterprise Registration Certificate.
• Businesses should fix their headquarters according to the tax administration agency, because when changing the head office leads to a change in the tax administration agency, they often have to carry out tax finalization and finalization procedures.
• For businesses renting virtual offices: currently, many base taxes make it very harsh for companies to rent virtual offices that generate many business activities, buy and sell a lot of goods, issue many invoices but set up their headquarters in the form of renting a virtual office. Accordingly, businesses should only rent virtual offices when there are not many business activities.

Advisory on naming the company

(Refer to Articles 37, 38, 39, 40, 41 of the Law on Enterprises)

• While names are becoming more limited, you can register a desired name by adding prefixes or suffixes.
• Avoid names containing famous trademarks like Samsung, Nokia, Honda … to prevent disputes over intellectual property rights.
• In addition, naming the company should also take into account that the company’s own name is capable of registering trademarks and domain names to identify the business brand in the future synchronously and professionally.

Advisory on business lines

(Refer to Decree 168/2025/ND-CP)

• Enterprises may conduct any business not prohibited by law but must register them in their dossier.
• It is recommended to register a broad scope of business lines initially to avoid frequent updates.
• Viet An Law assists in classifying and applying the 4-digit codes according to the Vietnam Standard Industrial Classification (Decision No. 36/2025/QD-TTg).

Advisory on the legal representative

• Common titles include Company Chairperson, Chairperson of the Member’s Council, Chairperson of the Board of Directors, General Director, or Director.
• A legal representative can be a shareholder/member or a hired professional.
• Under the Law on Enterprises 2025, the legal representative bears personal responsibility for damages caused to the enterprise due to violations in information or capital declaration.

Cases where establishing a company/enterprise is recommended in Vietnam

Business registration in Vietnam is not always mandatory for every small activity, but it provides long-term benefits in the following scenarios:

When target customers are organizations or businesses

Establishing a company increases prestige, facilitates B2B cooperation, and meets the legal requirements of corporate partners.

New VAT deduction regulations effective from January 1, 2026

From 2026, household businesses with revenue of 3 billion VND/year or more must apply the VAT deduction method. Maintaining a household business model will no longer offer significant advantages over a company structure.

Convenience in tax declaration and finalization

Companies benefit from professional accounting processes, making it easier to deduct and finalize Value Added Tax (VAT).

Meeting financial-accounting requirements of partners in new trends

This structure is suitable for corporate clients who require VAT invoices and transparent financial reporting.

When partners require contracts with a legal entity

Many suppliers and customers will only sign contracts with entities that have a legal entity status, a seal, and a tax ID.

When clear and professional accounting of business activities is needed

Allows for professional management of cash flow, costs, and profits in accordance with accounting standards.

When there is a direction for scale expansion and long-term strategy

Establishing a company from the outset provides a solid legal foundation for calling for investment or becoming a public company in the future.

Cases where company/enterprise establishment is not yet necessary in Vietnam

You may continue as a household business if operations are:

• Small-scale
• Revenue is under 3 billion vnd/year, and
• Partners do not require vat invoices.

With new changes in tax policies and invoices in 2026, Viet An Law recommends that if customers want to register a business with a long-term development orientation, they should consider establishing a company instead of establishing a business household unless the revenue and business model are too small or have a revenue of less than 3 billion VND/year.

Tasks to be performed after company establishment

• Open a corporate bank account.
• Register a digital signature for electronic tax filing.
• Install and display the company sign at the headquarters.
• Register the use of electronic invoices (Decree 123/2020/ND-CP as amended by Decree 70/2025/ND-CP).
• Contribute charter capital within 90 days

• From 01/06/2025, companies that sell goods directly to individuals need to register to use e-invoices generated from cash registers connected to data transfer with tax authorities;

• Perform initial tax declaration and social insurance registration.
• Apply for sub-licenses if operating in conditional sectors.
• Register trademarks to protect the brand.

Viet An Law provides a full package with the most reasonable cost of post-establishment procedures, If you have needs, please contact our lawyers for the fastest and most thoughtful support.

Basic taxes to be declared and paid after company establishment

• Value Added Tax (VAT): Tax rates vary from 0% to 10%. Under the 2025 Resolution, a 2% reduction (to 8%) applies to specific groups through the end of 2026 (according to the National Assembly’s Resolution dated 17/06/2025. According to the Resolution, the National Assembly decides: Reduce the VAT rate by 2%, applicable to groups of goods and services specified in Clause 3, Article 9 of the Law on Value Added Tax 2025 (to 8%) from July 1, 2025 to the end of 2026).
• Corporate Income Tax (CIT): The general rate is 20%. A rate of 15% applies to enterprises with revenue under 3 billion VND, and 17% for those between 3 and 50 billion VND.
• Personal Income Tax (PIT): The enterprise must withhold PIT before paying salaries.
• Other obligations: Environmental protection tax, special consumption tax, etc., depending on the industry.
• Note: From January 1, 2026, license tax is officially abolished for businesses and individuals (according to Resolution 198/2025/QH15 on a number of special mechanisms and policies for private economic development approved by the 15th National Assembly, 9th session on May 17, 2025, from January 1, 2026, the regime of collection and payment of license tax (license fee) for business households will be officially abolished.  Business individuals, companies, enterprises).

Must a company without revenue or expenses declare and pay taxes?

Even without revenue, an enterprise must still file tax returns:

• VAT: Returns must be filed even without input/output invoices.
• PIT: If no withholding occurs, monthly/quarterly returns are not required, but an annual finalization is mandatory.
• Financial Statements: Must be prepared and submitted at the end of the fiscal year regardless of activity.

Công ty chưa có doanh thu, chi phí có phải kê khai và nộp thuế hay không?

After establishing a company, even if it does not incur revenue and expenses, the enterprise must still declare tax as follows:

• For VAT declaration: If the enterprise does not incur input and output invoices, the company must still submit a tax return by the deadline for tax declaration and payment.
• For personal income tax declaration: Enterprises that do not incur personal income tax deductions are not required to submit monthly and quarterly PIT returns. However, it is mandatory to submit the annual PIT finalization declaration at the end of the calendar year.
• For financial statements and enterprise income tax finalization: Enterprises that do not have business activities must still make and submit financial statements and enterprise income tax finalization declarations at the end of the fiscal year.

Deadlines for filing tax returns and tax payments in Vietnam

Deadline for VAT returns

• Monthly: By the 20th of the following month.
• Quarterly: By the last day of the first month of the following quarter.

Deadline for provisional Corporate Income Tax (CIT) payments

According to the provisions of Clause 1, Article 1 of Decree 91/2022/ND-CP dated October 30, 2022 of the Government: The total provisional CIT paid for four quarters must not be lower than 80% of the total CIT payable for the year.

Deadline for 2025 Financial Statements

According to Article 109 of Circular 200/2014/TT-BTC and Article 80 of Circular 133/2016/TT-BTC: Typically within 90 days from the end of the fiscal year (usually by March 30th).

Fulfilling tax obligations is the right and obligation of enterprises. Enterprises must fully carry out relevant procedures for tax declaration and implementation of tax obligations after being established. Enterprises need to pay special attention to the timelines for declaring and paying taxes to avoid violations leading to fines and increasing the amount of fines over time.

Is a permanent residence book required to establish a company?

No. You can establish a company in any province regardless of your permanent residence.

Is it possible to choose the date displayed on the business registration?

You can attempt to time the submission to achieve a desired date, provided it is not a holiday or weekend, though 100% accuracy cannot be guaranteed.

Legal consequences of establishing an inactive company

Inactive companies that fail to report or reside at their headquarters face:

• Suspended tax IDs: Can only work when reopening a tax ID.
• Administrative fines.
• Locked status for the legal representative, preventing them from managing other businesses or exiting the country.
• Revocation of the Enterprise Registration Certificate.

Why choose the services of Viet An Law?

After nearly 20 years of operation, we are confident to bring businesses and entrepreneurs the best experience when using company establishment/business establishment services at Viet An Law. With the criterion of always putting the interests of customers first, for nearly 20 years, Viet An Law Firm has been chosen by tens of thousands of customers for its services prestige and responsibility.

With the motto “Find Viet An Law. Find Answers,” we provide an unmatched experience in company registration in Vietnam.

Viet An Law – A multi-disciplinary legal service provider

We are a law firm, an intellectual property representative, and a tax agent. Our team of lawyers and tax experts offers deep practical experience in navigating the complexities of start-ups.

Reasonable legal costs and optimal solutions

We ensure the business registration in Vietnam process is fast and cost-effective.

Comprehensive legal support during operations

Viet An Law is always ready to accompany and support businesses in many important legal fields, including:

• Law on finance – accounting – taxation;
• Internal legal advice;
• Consulting and drafting commercial contracts;
• Domestic and foreign investment consultancy;
• Intellectual property: trademarks, copyrights, patents,..;
• Labor – wage – insurance law;
• Consulting on organizational structure, governance and corporate restructuring;
• Resolving disputes arising in the course of business;

When using Viet An Law’s services, businesses are always legally protected in a timely manner, in accordance with regulations and in accordance with the business practices of each enterprise.

All-in-one post-establishment services

From tax reporting to financial statements and labor procedures, we provide a total solution for company establishment in Vietnam.

Virtual office support

For startups and online businesses, we provide office rental services to meet registration conditions while saving costs.

Nationwide office system

With offices in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, we serve clients across Vietnam and handle dossiers rapidly with state agencies.

All-inclusive company establishment advisory services by Viet An Law

• Advising on when to establish a company;
• Advising on conditions for establishing a company, cases in which a practice certificate is required, legal capital when establishing a company;
• Guidance on the preparation of company establishment documents;
• Prepare company establishment documents as prescribed;
• Consulting on choosing the type of business suitable for the internal needs of each customer;
• Consulting on the location and head office of company registration;
• Consulting on business lines in accordance with customer requirements;
• Advising on the company’s management positions, registering legal representatives;
• Advising on capital levels suitable for the type of business, business lines and specific needs of each enterprise;
• Consulting on a package of conditions for establishing a company;
• Consulting on post-establishment procedures;
• Advising on taxes payable by the company upon establishment and specific taxes;
• Consulting on the issuance of invoices for the first time;
• Consulting and supporting the opening of company accounts;
• Consulting and supporting tax declaration, accounting services, social insurance services;
• Consulting on completing internal documents, deciding on work assignments, electing company management titles;
• Advising on legal consequences when the established company does not operate;
• Consulting on tax payment deadlines, tax rates to be paid;
• Advising on insurance declaration and payment for employees;
• Consulting on labor law, labor contracts;
• Overall advice on legal issues when operating the company;
• Consulting on applying for licenses to ensure business conditions after the establishment of the company;
• Consulting on trademark registration, barcode codes for products, patents, industrial designs and intellectual property rights;
• Investment consultancy, capital arrangement, guidance on preparing financial capacity to mobilize capital in the future,….
• Guiding the procedures after establishing a business: opening an account, ordering invoice printing; Consulting on registering digital signatures for online tax payment.
• Guidance on consultancy procedures for tax declaration, tax declaration submission, tax payment, social insurance payment;
• Post-establishment services: bank accounts, setting up tax records, registering tax methods, initial tax declaration, registering to use electronic value-added invoices;
• Website building consulting; licenses and conditions to ensure business activities after the establishment of the enterprise….

Our services cover every aspect of the journey to start a business in Vietnam, from initial structural advice and dossier preparation to tax accounting, trademark registration, and long-term legal counsel. We ensure that your business has a solid legal foundation from day one.

Find Viet An Law. Find Answers.