Enterprise Registration Certificate (ERC)
The ERC is the certificate issued by Vietnam's business registration authority that legally establishes a company — the starting point for any foreign-invested entity.
Under Decree No. 168/2025/ND-CP, the ERC records an enterprise's core registration information and doubles as its tax registration certificate — the enterprise code on the ERC is also the company's tax code. It is not a business license: companies in conditional sectors still need a separate sub-license to operate, on top of the ERC.
Table of Contents
Process
How It Works
- Step 1: Apply for an Investment Registration Certificate (only applicable to enterprises established with capital from foreign investors) at the investment registration authority or apply for investment policy approval for projects subject to approval according to authority
- Step 2: Apply for an Enterprise Registration Certificate at the business registration authority where the enterprise places its headquarters (Processing time: 03 working days from the date of receiving a valid dossier)
- Step 3: Perform post-establishment services such as carving the company seal, making the company sign and hanging it at the headquarters, purchasing digital signatures, opening a bank account and notify
Eligibility
Conditions & Eligibility
According to the provisions of Article 28 of the Law on Enterprises 2020, amended in 2025, an organization or individual will only be issued an ERC (ERC) when meeting all the following legal conditions:
- Lawful registered business lines
- The enterprise may only register activities in lines that are not prohibited from investment and business according to the provisions of the Law on Investment and current guiding documents. In case the enterprise conducts conditional business lines, it needs to fully meet the investment–business conditions before officially operating.
- The enterprise name is correctly regulated.
- The enterprise name must comply with the provisions of Articles 37 – 42 of the
Exact requirements vary by company type and sector — request a quote for guidance specific to your case.
Documentation
Required Documents
- Application for enterprise registration in the prescribed form
- Company Charter
- List of members (for multi-member LLCs) or list of shareholders (for JSCs)
- List of beneficial owners (if any)
- Copies of legal documents of the company owner, members/shareholders, and legal representative
- Notarized copies of the establishment decision or enterprise registration certificate for institutional investors
- Copy of the Investment Registration Certificate for foreign investors
- Power of attorney for carrying out enterprise registration procedures (if any).
Exact requirements vary by company type and sector — request a quote for guidance specific to your case.
Costs
Government Fees
According to the fee form and business registration fee in Circular No. 47/2019/TT-BTC, the business registration fee is as follows:
- Business registration fee (including: New issuance, re-issuance, change of content of Enterprise Registration Certificate and Certificate of Registration of Branch, representative office, business location of the enterprise): 50,000 VND/time
- Fee for publishing business registration content: 100,000 VND/time
- Notes:
- Subjects exempted from fees and charges: Enterprises that supplement or change information due to changes in administrative boundaries are exempted from business registration fees and fees for publishing business registration contents
- Enterprise
These are government filing fees stated in the regulation — not RedTab's service price. Request a quote below for RedTab's execution fee.
Validity
Validity
- According to Article 33 of Decree 168/2025/ND-CP, enterprises have the right to conduct business activities from the date of being granted the Certificate of Enterprise Registration, except for cases of business in conditional investment and business lines.
- In case an enterprise registers the date of commencement of business operations after the date of issuance of the Certificate of Business Registration, the enterprise is entitled to conduct business operations from the date of registration, except in cases of business in conditional investment and business lines.
- If an enterprise is granted a new Enterprise Registration Certificate, the previously granted Enterprise Registration Certifi
Legal basis: Decree 168/2025/ND-CP, Law on Enterprises 2020, Article 20 of Decree 168/2025/ND-CP, Law on Investment 2020, Decree 31/2021/ND-CP.
FAQ
More questions about ERC
394+ citation-backed answers exist in RedTab's legal knowledge base for this service — a further selection below.
How much does it cost to add business lines?
The cost of adding business lines usually includes the fee for publishing the business registration content as prescribed and service fees (if using a consulting firm). The specific cost depends on each case and the scope of work performed.
Are there any state fees to pay?
Yes. The enterprise must pay the fee for publishing the business registration content as prescribed when carrying out the procedure for changing or adding business lines.
What dossiers are required to cancel business dissolution?
To resume operations, businesses need to prepare a set of documents to submit to the Business Registration Authority under the Department of Finance where the business is headquartered, including:; Notification of the cancellation of the resolution or decision to dissolve the business.; Accompanying Decision/Resolution: For sole proprietorships: Decision of the sole proprietor. For single-member limited liability companies: Decision of the company owner. For limited liability companies with two or more members and partnerships: Resolution of the Board of Members. For joint-stock companies: Resolution of the General Meeting of Shareholders.; Authorization letter for an individual to submit th
What procedures need to be carried out to change business registration in Saigon Ward, HCMC?
According to Article 30 and Article 31 of the Law on Enterprise 2020, amended in 2025, when enterprises change business registration in HCMC, depending on each case, they will need to carry out the following procedures:; Business registration change procedure in Saigon Ward, HCMC
What is the fee to change registered capital in Vietnam?
According to regulations in Circular 64/2025/TT-BTC and Circular 47/2019/TT-BTC, from July 1, 2025, to the end of December 31, 2026, the enterprise registration fee is reduced by 50%.; Specifically, when performing registration procedures related to adjusting corporate capital, the enterprise must pay:; The fee for publishing enterprise registration contents: 100,000 VND per occurrence.; Important notes:; The standard enterprise registration fee is entirely exempted due to the mandatory 100% online submission policy starting July 1, 2025.; The publication fee remains fixed at 100,000 VND per occurrence.; If an enterprise utilizes a professional legal service for the capital change or require
What does a dossier for changing corporate charter capital include?
A standard dossier typically requires:; A notice of changes to enterprise registration information;; Meeting minutes;; The company’s official decision on the capital increase or decrease;; An updated list of members/shareholders (if applicable);; A power of attorney for the representative submitting the dossier.; Depending on the corporate structure and the specific method of capital adjustment, the required documents may vary.
Is it required to fully contribute funds before a company capital increase procedure?
Yes. Unlike the initial establishment phase, when executing a company capital increase procedure, shareholders and members must fully contribute the additional funds before submitting the registration dossier to the competent state authority.
How much does a company capital reduction procedure or increase cost?
The costs associated with a charter capital change in Vietnam depend on:; The enterprise type;; The complexity of the dossier changes;; Whether changes to members/shareholders are occurring simultaneously;; Notably, a reduction dossier is inherently more complex than an increase dossier, typically incurring higher professional costs;; Whether the entity is a domestic or FDI enterprise.
Which authority handles Enterprise Registration Certificate?
The competent authority for handling business registration amendment to the name of a limited liability company is the business registration authority under the Department of Finance where the company’s head office is located.
How much does it cost to change a company name in 2026?
The cost starts from 100.000 VND for publishing the business registration information, not including additional costs such as seal engraving or updating electronic invoices.
What procedures must be followed when a business changes its phone number, website, or email?
Changing phone numbers, websites, and emails is subject to updating and supplementing information in the business registration dossier according to Article 63 of Decree 01/2021/ND-CP as follows:; “In case update or addition of information to the application for enterprise registration leads to changes in the enterprise registration certificate but does not fall into the cases prescribed in Articles 47 through 55 of this Decree, the enterprise shall send a notification of updated/added information to the Business Registration Office of the province where it is headquartered. When receiving the notification, the Business Registration Office shall examine the validity of the received documents
What should clients know about On licensing timeline?
The processing time for licensing applications may be shortened or otherwise adjusted in accordance with the new administrative procedures, with a view to facilitating investors and improving administrative efficiency.; In addition, the substantive conditions for establishing a foreign-invested company engaged in restaurant services – including requirements on capital, food safety and hygiene standards, fire prevention and fighting, as well as other relevant regulatory standards – remain applicable or may be updated in accordance with current laws on food safety, fire safety, public security, and state management in the food and beverage service sector.
What are the procedural conditions and application for a work permit for the director position?
In addition to meeting the conditions in terms of content, for foreigners to act as directors of Vietnamese companies, they must also meet the conditions in terms of form. That is, the company must complete the procedures and documents for work permit application for foreigners:
When dissolving FDI company, is it necessary to terminate the operations of its branches, representative offices, and business locations?
Before submitting the business dissolution registration application, the company must terminate the operations of its branches, representative offices, and business locations at the provincial business registration authority where the branches, representative offices, and business locations are located.; When dissolving FDI company, can the liquidated assets be transferred back to the home country?; According to Clause 6, Article 208 of the 2020 Company Law, after paying the dissolution costs and debts, the remaining amount is distributed to the private company owner, members, shareholders, or owners of the company according to their ownership ratio of capital contributions or shares.; In th
What does the dossier to close a representative office in Vietnam include?
According to Clause 2, Article 66 of Decree No. 168/2025/ND-CP, the basic dossier required for a representative office closure Vietnam consists of:; A notice of representative office termination according to Form No. 28, Appendix I issued under Circular No. 68/2025/TT-BTC;; A copy or original of the resolution or decision on terminating the representative office’s operations by the owner (for single-member limited liability companies), the Board of Members (for multi-member limited liability companies and partnerships), or the Board of Directors (for joint-stock companies).
How is the e-commerce business line determined?
According to general regulations of the law on business lines, determining the e-commerce business line when registering an enterprise is determined as follows:
How much does it cost to establish a joint stock company?
The cost of establishing a joint-stock company ranges from approximately 2-8 million VND, depending on whether you do it yourself or use a full-service package.
What should clients know about Timeline?
10 working days from the date of receipt of complete and valid dossiers.
What should clients know about Kiểm tra điều kiện tiếp cận thị trường?
Some sectors in Vietnam have regulations or conditions that restrict foreign investors.
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