Investment Registration Certificate in Vietnam

Investment registration is a critical first step for businesses wishing to establish operations in Vietnam. The investment registration certificate serves as a fundamental document that grants foreign investors the legal rights and permissions to conduct business activities within Vietnamese territory. Obtaining this certificate is a key requirement for any international company seeking to capitalize on the dynamic Vietnamese market. Nowadays, Vietnam is one of the developing countries having market access policies that attract a lot of investors. Evidence shows that in 5 years recently, the flow of FDI in Vietnam has increased dramatically due to the investment of foreign investors. In this article below, Viet An law would like to share with you some essential information about the procedures to register a company in Vietnam.

Steps to register a company in Vietnam 

Set up a company in Vietnam or establish a company in Vietnam is one of the most important steps of any investment project in Vietnam. To conduct this procedure completely, foreign investors need focus on the following process:

• Apply for the Investment Registration Certificate;
• Apply for the Enterprise Registration Certificate;
• Apply for other licenses such as Bussiness License for the companies that retail directly to customers or specialized licenses to meet the requirements of some conditional business lines such as Training, Travel, Legal, and Healthcare.

Step 1: Register the Investment Registration Certificate in Vietnam

Vietnam Authority Agency is entitled to grant the Investment Registration Certificate is:

• Management boards of industrial parks, export-processing zones, hi-tech zones, and economic zones shall receive, issue, adjust, and revoke the investment registration certificate of the investment projects located therein;
• The Services of Planning and Investment zones shall receive, issue, adjust, and revoke Certificates of investment registration of the investment projects outside industrial parks, export-processing zones, Hi-tech zones, and economic zones, except for the case below;
• The Service of Planning and Investment of the province where the investor intends to place the head office or operating office to execute the investment project shall receive, issue, adjust and revoke Certificates of investment registration of:
  • Any investment project that spreads over multiple provinces;
  • Any investment project executed both inside and outside industrial parks, export-processing zones, hi-tech zones, and economic zones

The dossier to apply for the Investment Registration Certificate

• A written request for permission for execution of the investment project;
• A copy of the ID card or passport (if the investor is an individual); a copy of the Certificate of establishment or an equivalent paper that certifies the legal status of the investor (if the investor is an organization);
• An investment proposal that specifies: the investor(s) in the project, investment objectives, investment scale, investment capital, method of capital raising, location, and duration of investment, labor demand, requests for investment incentives, assessment of socio-economic effects of the project;
• Copies of any of the following documents: financial statements of the last two years of the investor; commitment of the parent company to provide financial support; commitment of financial institutions to provide financial support; guarantee for investor’s financial capacity; description of investor’s financial capacity;
• Office lease agreement, documents proof of the lessor’s right (Certificate of land use right, construction permit, enterprise registration certificate with the function of real estate business of the lessor or equivalent documents);
• Demand for land use; if the project does not use land allocated, leased out by the State, or is not permitted by the State to change land purposes, then a copy of the lease agreement or other documents certifying that the investor has the right to use the premises to execute the project shall be submitted;
• The explanation for the application of technologies to the project mentioned in the List of technologies restricted from transfer under the law on technology transfer, which specifies: names of technologies, origins, technology process diagram, primary specifications, conditions of machinery, equipment, and primary technological line;
• The business cooperation contract (if the project is executed under a business cooperation contract).

Proceed to register the Investment Registration Certificate

Firstly, the investor must register by declaring online information about investment projects on the National Foreign Investment Information System. Within 15 days from the date of online filing, the investor submits the application file for the Investment Registration Certificate to the Investment Registration Authority. After the application is received, the investor is provided with an online account to access the National Foreign Investment Information System to track the processing and results of the application. In case of obtaining a successful investment registration certificate, the investment registration agency will issue a code through this account to the investment project; In case the application is rejected, this agency must notify the investor in writing and explain the reason.

For further information on this procedure, aim to help the Client deeper insight of required document, Viet An Law presented in the article: Dossier for granting Investment Registration Certificate. Kindly refer for your information.

Step 2: Register the Enterprise Registration Certificate

The dossier and the procedures that you need to register a company are the same as the company which has Vietnamese capital

The dossier includes:

• An application form for business registration;
• The company’s charter;
• A list of members (for limited company) or stakeholders (for joint-stock company);
• Certified copies of:
  • Copies of the ID card or other ID papers of members being individuals;
  • Decision on Establishment, Business Registration Certificate, or an equivalent document of the organization and the letter of authorization; the ID card or other ID papers of the authorized representatives of members being organizations. If a member is a foreign organization, the copy of the Certificate of Business registration or an equivalent document must be consular legalized;
  • The Investment Registration Certificate of the foreign investors as prescribed by the Law on Investment;

Power of Attorney (Authorization contract) to authorize Viet An Law Firm to perform the business establishment service.

You need to submit the application dossier at the Enterprise Registration Authority through the National Enterprise Registration Portal within 03 – 05 days, the business registration agency will issue a Enterprise Registration Certificate. After obtaining an Enterprise Registration Certificate, you must make a public announcement on the National Enterprise Registration Portal in the order and procedures within 30 days from the date of publication

Step 3: Register the Bussiness License for conditional business lines

• For each conditional business investment, before the official operation of a business, enterprises need to obtain a separate business license, which has legal validity independent of the Enterprise Registration Certificate.

For example:

• In case the Company retails goods or sets up a goods retail establishment:

According to Decree 09/2018/ NĐ-CP prescribing for goods trading and activities directly relating to the sale and purchase of goods by foreign investors and economic organizations with foreign investment capital in Vietnam, retailing is the sale of goods to other individuals, households, and organizations for consumption. Therefore, the investor is not required to issue a business license to export, import, or wholesale goods (not belonging to the categories of goods: oil, lubricant, rice, sugar; video items; books; newspapers, and magazines). Investors shall issue business licenses when retailing goods and setting up goods in retail establishments.

• In case the company conducts international travel business (inbound), foreign investors are only allowed to conduct international travel business in the scope of bringing foreign tourists to Vietnam
• In case the company conducts business training in foreign languages, Investors must obtain the approval of the Department of Education and Training in the process of issuing Investment Registration Certificates. Before going into operation, the enterprise must register a License of operation of a foreign language training center at the Department of Education and Training

Services of establishing a company in Vietnam of Viet An Law

• Consulting on conditions to register foreign-invested companies: capital contribution ratio of foreign investors in Vietnam; conditional business lines; business location; note the procedures before and after registering foreign-invested companies;
• Consulting on selecting the appropriate type of company for investors: Limited Liability Company or Joint Stock Company;
• Counseling on opening capital transfer accounts, time of capital contribution;
• Advising and guiding investors to prepare necessary documents to register foreign-invested companies;
• Consulting, and drafting documents to register companies for investors;
• Representing investors to work with the Vietnamese competent authorities during the process of establishing the company for the investor (Application for Investment Registration Certificate, Enterprise Registration Certificate, business licenses, permits according to specialized requirements, making legal entity stamps, announcing seal samples, procedures after establishing companies, …);
• Consulting regularly and comprehensively accounting services, and tax law package activities arising in the course of doing business in Vietnam for investors.

Vietnam law has shared with you some basic legal information in this above article to register a company in Vietnam. If you want to know more details about the procedures that you do not understand deeply, please contact us via phone number or email. With enthusiastic and experienced lawyers, Viet An law is always willing to accompany you to solve all legal difficulties that you have met!

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