A legal presence in Vietnam without incorporating a new entity. Conduct market research, build local relationships, and promote your brand — all under your parent company's name.
A Representative Office gives your company a legal presence in Vietnam without incorporating a new entity. You operate in your parent company's name — conducting research, building relationships, and promoting your brand.
An RO is a dependent unit with no independent legal status. No share capital, no board, no corporate income tax. It's the fastest, simplest way to test Vietnam before committing to full incorporation.
RO vs. LLC: An RO cannot trade, issue invoices, or generate revenue. It's for presence and promotion only. If your goal is to sell in Vietnam, you need a company or Branch. Not sure which fits? Forra will advise before you apply.
An RO's scope is intentionally limited. It's a presence structure, not a trading one. Stay within these boundaries and the RO runs smoothly. Step outside them and you risk fines or licence revocation.
The Chief Representative can sign as an authorised agent of the parent — provided the parent has issued a written power of attorney. The contract binds the parent, not the RO.
Stay within your scope. Conducting commercial activities through an RO is a compliance violation. It can result in fines and licence revocation. Forra advises on boundaries during set-up and ongoing.
Most established foreign companies qualify easily. Forra confirms eligibility before any documents are prepared — free of charge.
Your company must be incorporated in a country with an international trade treaty with Vietnam. All WTO member states qualify — covering the vast majority of foreign companies.
The parent company must have been actively operating for at least 12 months. A company incorporated less than one year ago is not yet eligible to apply.
If your company's registration has an expiry date, at least one year of validity must remain at the time of the RO application.
Most sectors qualify automatically. Regulated sectors — banking, legal services, healthcare, certain IT activities — require additional ministerial approval, which extends the timeline. Forra identifies this upfront.
One RO per province: You can set up ROs in multiple provinces across Vietnam, but only one per province. There is no nationwide cap on the total number of ROs.
Forra manages the whole process end-to-end. You gather the documents — we handle preparation, submission, authority liaison, and all post-licence set-up.
The most common delay is legalisation of home-country documents, which depends on the certifying authority in your country. Forra advises on lead times as soon as we know your jurisdiction.
Usually the longest stage. Corporate documents need Vietnamese translation and official legalisation. Forra sends a clear checklist tailored to your country.
Forra submits to the DOIT in your chosen province. Standard sectors receive the licence within 7 working days of a complete submission. Regulated sectors may need ministerial review — we flag this before documents are prepared.
Regulated sectors (banking, legal, healthcare) may take up to 3 months. Forra identifies your sector's category at the very start.
Forra handles all post-licence steps before the RO can legally operate.
Fixed-fee service. Forra quotes a single inclusive fee for the full RO establishment — document preparation, filing fees, authority liaison, and post-licence set-up. No hourly billing.
If you're generating revenue or signing commercial contracts, you need a company or Branch. If you're testing the market first, an RO is almost always the right starting point.
| Factor | Representative Office | LLC / Company Registration |
|---|---|---|
| Legal status | Dependent unit of parent — no independent legal status | Separate legal entity registered in Vietnam |
| Commercial activity | ✗ Cannot trade, invoice, or generate revenue | ✓ Full commercial operations permitted |
| Setup timeline | ✓ 4–6 weeks | 6–8 weeks (IRC + ERC process) |
| Charter capital | ✓ None required | Required — contributed within 90 days of ERC |
| Corporate income tax | ✓ Exempt — ROs do not generate taxable profit | CIT at 20% on taxable profits |
| VAT obligations | ✓ Generally not subject to VAT | VAT registration and monthly declarations required |
| Hiring staff | ✓ Permitted — Vietnamese and foreign (with work permits) | ✓ Permitted |
| Licence validity | 5 years — renewable before expiry | Indefinite (subject to ongoing compliance) |
| Best for | Market research, liaison, brand promotion, pre-commercial phase | Revenue generation, full commercial operations, long-term presence |
Many companies start with an RO and incorporate once the market is validated. Forra supports both paths. Learn about company registration →
An RO has a small but firm set of recurring obligations. Miss them and you risk fines or licence revocation. Forra manages all of these as part of the ongoing compliance service.
Summary of the RO's activities submitted to DOIT. Two consecutive missed reports can trigger licence revocation.
The RO licence is valid for 5 years. Application must be filed at least 30 days before the expiry date. Forra tracks this proactively.
Any change to the RO's name, address, or Chief Representative must be formally filed with DOIT before the change takes effect.
If the RO has staff, monthly PIT withholding and social/health insurance contributions are required. No corporate income tax applies.
When the CR leaves Vietnam, written delegation to another person — parent-company approved — is required before departure.
The RO must maintain a real, operational office address at all times. Any change of address requires a licence amendment filing with DOIT.
Run through this before commissioning Forra. If everything below is true, you're almost certainly eligible. We confirm for certain — free of charge — before any work begins.
An RO is the right choice when you want a presence in Vietnam without committing to full commercial operations. It's faster (4–6 weeks), requires no charter capital, and carries no corporate income tax. It's ideal for market research, testing relationships, or maintaining a liaison contact.
The trade-off: the RO cannot trade or issue invoices. Once you're ready to generate revenue, you'll need a company or Branch.
The RO cannot sign contracts in its own name. However, the Chief Representative can sign as an authorised agent of the parent — provided the parent has issued a written power of attorney. The contract binds the parent company, not the RO.
Since 2016, the RO can no longer monitor or support commercial contracts on the parent's behalf. Any authority granted must be specific and express.
There are no formal qualification requirements. The parent appoints whoever they choose. The main restriction: the Chief Representative cannot simultaneously hold a leadership role at another foreign company's branch or RO in Vietnam, or act as legal representative of a Vietnamese-registered business.
The Chief Representative can be Vietnamese or foreign. If foreign, they need a work permit before taking up the role.
No corporate income tax, and generally no VAT — because the RO doesn't generate revenue. If the RO has employees, it must withhold personal income tax and contribute to social and health insurance for Vietnamese staff. An RO with no employees has no ongoing tax filing obligations.
Yes. The RO can hire both Vietnamese and foreign nationals. Foreign employees need a valid work permit before starting. The RO applies on their behalf. Forra's Global Mobility team handles work permits as part of the broader service.
The RO licence is tied to the parent company's legal existence. If the parent's registration expires or is revoked, the RO licence becomes invalid. Keep your home-country registration current — Forra tracks both timelines.
Not directly — there's no conversion process. You register a new company separately. The RO and the company can run concurrently during the transition, then you close the RO when ready. Forra handles both — the new company registration and the RO closure. Learn about company registration →
Most trade and manufacturing sectors are straightforward — DOIT issues the licence within 7 working days. Regulated sectors — banking, insurance, legal services, healthcare, education, and certain IT activities — require ministerial review, which can extend the timeline to up to 3 months. Forra identifies this at the very start.
Book a free call. We'll confirm eligibility, explain exactly what documents you need, and give you a fixed-fee quote — no commitment required.