Where to Register for a Business License in Vietnam?

A business license is a document that allows individuals and organizations to conduct business activities when they fully meet the conditions for business registration as prescribed by law. Thus, before conducting business activities, individuals and organizations must register for a business license. For different business models, the agency that receives the application and issues the business license is different. Through the article below, Viet An Law will go into detail about where to register for a business license in Vietnam.

Forms of business license registration:

• Registering to establish a business household;
• Registering to establish a business with capital contributed by individuals and organizations in Vietnam: there are several types of enterprises according to the Law on Enterprise 2020 as follows:
• Private enterprise;
• Partnership;
• Limited liability company including: Single-member limited liability company and Multiple-member limited liability company;
• Joint stock company;
• Register to establish a business with capital contributed by foreign individuals and organizations.

Where to Register for a Business License in Vietnam?

Business license registration of business households

Business household establishment dossiers

Pursuant to Article 99 of Decree 168/2025/ND-CP, the dossier for establishing a business household includes:

• Application for business household registration;
• A copy of the authorization document of a household member for a member to be the owner of the business household in the case of a business household registered by household members. This authorization document must be notarized or certified under the provisions of law.

Receiving authority

Economic Department (for communes and special zones) or Economic, Infrastructure and Urban Department (for wards and special zones of Phu Quoc) under the People’s Committee at the commune level (Commune-level business registration agency)

Time limit for processing

• In case the dossier meets the conditions for issuance, the commune-level business registration agency shall issue a Certificate of Business Household Registration and send a notice to the Tax Authority directly managing the business household within 03 working days from the date of receipt of the dossier.
• In case the application is not eligible for issuance, the commune-level business registration agency shall notify the applicant in writing within 03 working days from the date of receipt of the application. The notice must clearly state the reasons and requirements for amendments and supplements to the application.

Submission method

• Submit the application directly to the one-stop department of the People’s Committee of the commune where the business household has its head office.
• Submit the application online at the public service page of the People’s Committee of the commune where the business household has its head office.

Received results: Certificate of business household registration

Registering a business license for a Vietnamese company

Pursuant to the Law on Enterprises 2020 and Decree 168/2025/ND-CP, the process and procedures for applying for a business license for a Vietnamese company are as follows:

Business registration dossiers

• Application for business registration.
• A copy of the legal documents of the individual for the owner of a private enterprise, a member of a limited liability company in case there is no identification code
• Company charter.
• List of members; list of beneficial owners of the enterprise (if any).
• Legal documents of individuals for members who are individuals and legal representatives;
• Legal documents of the organization for members that are organizations and documents appointing authorized representatives; legal documents of individuals for authorized representatives of members that are organizations.
• Power of attorney

Competent authority: provincial business registration authority (Department of Finance) where the company is headquartered

Submission method

• Apply directly or by post to the one-stop department of the provincial business registration agency where the head office is located.
• Apply online at the public service page of the provincial business registration agency where the head office is located.

Review time limit

The provincial business registration authority shall review and issue a notice within 03 working days from the date of receipt of valid documents.

Received results: Enterprise registration certification

Registering a business license for a company with capital contributed by foreign individuals and organizations

Step 1. Apply for an investment registration certificate

Competent authority

• The Department of Finance where the investor implements the investment project, locates or plans to locate the executive office to implement the investment project shall issue the Investment Registration Certificate for the following investment projects:
• Investment projects implemented in 02 or more provincial administrative units;
• Investment projects implemented inside and outside industrial parks, export processing zones, high-tech zones and economic zones;
• Investment projects in industrial parks, export processing zones, high-tech zones, economic zones where the Management Board of industrial parks, export processing zones, high-tech zones, economic zones has not been established or is not under the management scope of the Management Board of industrial parks, export processing zones, high-tech zones, economic zones.
• Management boards of industrial parks, export processing zones, high-tech zones, and economic zones issue, adjust, and revoke Investment Registration Certificates for the following investment projects:
• Investment projects on construction and business of infrastructure of industrial parks, export processing zones, high-tech zones and functional areas in economic zones;
• Investment projects implemented in industrial parks, export processing zones, high-tech zones and economic zones.

Application for Investment Registration Certificate

• Documents requesting to implement the investment project, including a commitment to bear all costs and risks if the project is not approved;
• Documents on the legal status of the investor;
• Documents proving the financial capacity of the investor
• Investment project proposal
• In cases where the law on construction stipulates the preparation of a pre-feasibility study report, the investor may submit a pre-feasibility study report instead of an investment project proposal;
• In case the investment project does not request the State to allocate land, lease land, or allow change of land use purpose, it must submit a copy of the land use rights document or other document determining the right to use the location to implement the investment project;
• Explanation of technology used in investment projects for projects subject to technology appraisal and consultation according to regulations of law on technology transfer;
• BCC contract for investment projects in the form of BCC contracts;
• Other documents related to the investment project, requirements on conditions and capacity of investors according to the provisions of law (if any).

Time limit for processing application

Within 15 days from the date of receipt of complete documents, the investment registration authority shall issue the Investment Registration Certificate; in case of refusal, it must notify the investor in writing and state the reasons.

Result: Investment registration certificate

Step 2. Apply for a business license

Licensing authority: Department of Finance of the province where the company has its head office.

Document submission location: Business registration office of the province/city where the company has its head office.

Applying to business establishment includes the following documents:

• Application for enterprise registration.
• A copy of the legal documents of the individual for the owner of a private enterprise, a member of a limited liability company in case there is no identification code
• Company charter.
• List of members; list of beneficial owners of the enterprise (if any).
• Legal documents of individuals for individual members and legal representatives;
• Legal documents of the organization for members that are organizations and documents appointing authorized representatives; legal documents of individuals for authorized representatives of members that are organizations.
• Power of attorney
• Investment registration certificate for investors has been issued.

Processing time: Within 03 working days from the date of receipt of the dossier, the Business Registration Authority shall be responsible for reviewing the validity of the business registration dossier and granting the business registration; in case the dossier is invalid, the Business Registration Authority shall notify in writing the contents that need to be amended or supplemented to the business founder. In case of refusal to register the business, it shall notify the business founder and state the reasons.

Result: Enterprise registration Certificate.

Some notes after registering a business license

Business household

Business households need to contact the commune-level tax authority to declare taxes and social insurance according to the tax authority’s notice and new regulations.

Companies with capital contributions from Vietnamese or foreign individuals or organizations must:

• Seal engraving;
• Hanging a sign at the company headquarters;
• Opening a corporate bank account, capital investment account (foreign-invested enterprises) and notifying the competent state agency;
• Registering an electronic digital signature to pay taxes electronically;
• Notifying the use of electronic invoices;
• Contribute capital in full and on time within 90 days from the date of issuance of the enterprise registration certificate or contribute capital according to the information committed in the investment registration certificate;
• Apply for business licenses and operating eligibility certificates for conditional business lines.

Services of Viet An Law in the field of business license registration

• Consulting on the type of business registration suitable to the customer’s needs;
• Consulting on the detailed advantages and disadvantages of each type of business when the customer registers a business;
• Drafting documents, representing the customer in carrying out legal procedures at competent state agencies;
• Consulting on procedures after business registration;
• Consulting on tax procedures, insurance, financial accounting, intellectual property rights, administration, … during the business process.

If you have any other legal problems related to Where to register for a business license in Vietnam?, please contact Viet An Law for more specific and detailed advice. Sincerely thank you!