How much does it cost to register a company in Vietnam?

The cost of company registration in Vietnam for foreigners is lower at the government counter than most investors expect. The state fee for enterprise registration is about VND 100,000 if you file online. Yet most foreign-owned companies spend somewhere between a few thousand and well over USD 10,000 before they are fully operational.

The gap comes from everything around the filing: legalized documents from abroad, an address that qualifies, legal work, and the tools a company needs to issue its first invoice. This article focuses only on that money question, plus how long it takes. If you need the procedure itself, the step-by-step guide to set up company in Vietnam covers it in detail.

Figures below come from three places: official fee rules, the fee bands LHD Law Firm publishes on luathongduc.com, and current market prices. Where a number is an estimate rather than a fixed fee, it is labeled that way.

What determines the cost of registering a company in Vietnam?

Two foreign investors can register companies in the same city, in the same month, and end up with budgets several times apart. Six variables drive the cost of company registration in Vietnam for foreigners:

• Business sector. A software consultancy needs no sub-license. A retail chain, school or clinic does.
• Investor type. An individual has a passport and a bank statement. A corporate investor has a charter, licenses and audited financials, all of which need legalizing and translating.
• Nationality. It affects how documents are legalized and, for some sectors, which market access terms apply.
• Ownership structure. A 100% foreign-owned company is simpler to document than a joint venture with a negotiated charter.
• Location. Central Ha Noi or Ho Chi Minh City rent is a different budget from an industrial park lease.
• Scale of the project. Larger projects attract more detailed questions on capital, staffing and schedule.

Notice that charter capital is not on the list. Capital is your company's money, not a registration cost. It still matters for planning, though: under the Law on Enterprises 2020, members of a limited liability company must contribute it within 90 days of receiving the enterprise registration certificate (Article 47.2 for multi-member LLCs, Article 75.2 for single-member LLCs).

Main costs of company registration

Government and licensing fees

This is the smallest part of the cost of company registration in Vietnam for foreigners.

The investment registration certificate (IRC) stage carries little in the way of government charges. Its real cost is preparation: an investment proposal, proof of financial capacity, and documents for the project location.

Document translation and consular legalization

This item exists only for foreign investors, and it is the hardest part of the cost of company registration in Vietnam for foreigners to predict.

Documents issued abroad must be legalized and translated into Vietnamese before Vietnamese authorities accept them. LHD Law Firm's published estimate is roughly USD 10 to 20 per document for translation and legalization, excluding fees charged by authorities in your home country.

The count of documents is what moves the total:

• An individual investor usually needs a passport and a bank balance confirmation.
• A corporate investor typically needs its certificate of incorporation, charter, financial statements and the passport of its authorized representative.

A practical tip: financial statements can run 60 to 80 pages. Ask in advance whether an extract is acceptable before paying to translate every page.

Legal and company formation service fees

This is usually the largest one-off cost. LHD Law Firm publishes a band of roughly USD 1,000 to more than USD 7,000 for legal advice and registration of a foreign-invested company. For a straightforward foreign-invested company in Ha Noi, LHD's published range is USD 1,500 to 3,000.

The spread is not about quality alone. It reflects scope:

• Lower end: 1 individual investor, an unrestricted sector, a clean document set.
• Middle: a corporate investor with layered ownership, where beneficial owners must be traced and declared.
• Upper end: conditional sectors, several investors, or a project that needs explanations to more than one authority.

When comparing quotes, check 3 items that are often billed separately: opening the direct investment capital account, sub-licenses, and the work permit for a foreign legal representative.

Office rental and registered address

A foreign-invested company needs a lawful address from the day it files. In Ha Noi, the options span a wide range:

LHD's own figures put a virtual office at roughly USD 400 to 1,900 for the first year, and a conventional office at USD 6,000 to 18,000 or more per year. A lease also brings a deposit, usually 2 to 3 months' rent, and fit-out costs.

Virtual offices are not universal. Retail, manufacturing, restaurants and education need real premises that meet their own sector conditions.

Accounting, tax and digital signature costs

Once the company exists, it must file taxes even before it earns revenue. The operating tools are inexpensive:

• Company seal: about VND 300,000 to 500,000.
• Digital signature token, 3-year package: roughly USD 80 to 120.
• E-invoice software: roughly USD 80 to 120 to start.

Accounting is the recurring line that matters. LHD's published range for outsourced accounting and tax filing is roughly USD 600 to more than 2,500 per year, from about USD 50 per month for a low-volume company.

Foreign-invested companies also need their annual financial statements audited. Budget for this from the first financial year.

Additional business license costs

Registration gives you a legal entity. It does not always give you the right to trade. Conditional sectors need a separate license, and that license often costs more in time than in fees.

Common examples:

• Retail by a foreign-invested company: a business license under Decree 09/2018/ND-CP, issued by the provincial Department of Industry and Trade.
• Education and training: an operating license with requirements on premises and investment level.
• Food and beverage: a food safety certificate.

Sub-license costs vary too widely to quote as a band. They should be scoped before you commit to premises.

Estimated company setup costs by business type

The ranges below are indicative first-year budgets built from the figures above. They exclude charter capital, salaries and inventory.

Consulting and service companies

Picture a Korean individual opening an IT consultancy in Ha Noi, 100% foreign-owned, on a virtual office.

A realistic company setup cost in Vietnam for this profile lands at roughly USD 3,000 to 5,500 for year 1.

Trading and import-export companies

Now a Japanese company opening a trading subsidiary that will also sell to consumers. The investor is a corporation, so the document set is heavier. Retail adds a business license. The team needs a real office.

Expect legal fees from about USD 3,000 upwards, translation and legalization of several hundred USD, and office rent from USD 6,000 a year plus deposit. First-year totals of USD 10,000 to 20,000 are common, with rent as the biggest single line.

A pure import-export company without retail sits lower, since it avoids the retail license.

Manufacturing and specialized businesses

A factory in an industrial park is a different exercise. Legal fees often start around USD 7,000 because the project needs more detailed review. Then come land or factory lease, infrastructure fees, environmental procedures and fire safety approval.

Here, company incorporation fees in Vietnam are a small fraction of the total. Lease and fit-out dominate, and they are quoted by the industrial park, not by the law firm.

How long does it take to register a company in Vietnam?

From 1 March 2026, the Law on Investment 2025 (Law No. 143/2025/QH15) lets foreign investors establish the enterprise first and obtain the IRC afterwards (Article 19.2). Under Article 72.4 of Decree 96/2026/ND-CP, the company must then complete the IRC procedure within 12 months and cannot add new business lines until it does.

A typical company registration timeline in Vietnam for an unrestricted sector looks like this:

Some stages run in parallel. On this company registration timeline in Vietnam, a well-prepared project without sub-licenses usually becomes operational in 6 to 10 weeks.

That last figure is practice, not law. Only the 3-working-day ERC period is a statutory deadline.

Factors that can delay company registration

Delays raise the cost of company registration in Vietnam for foreigners, mostly through rent paid on an office the company cannot yet use. The usual causes:

1. Expired or inconsistent documents. Legalized papers that are too old, or an investor's name spelled differently across documents.
2. A weak investment proposal. A plan showing USD 50,000 of capital and 80 employees will almost certainly draw questions.
3. Unclear premises. A lease without proof that the landlord may sub-let, or a building not zoned for offices.
4. Too many business lines. Each extra line is something the authority must review, and 1 restricted line can affect the whole company.
5. Choosing the fast route for a conditional sector. Registering the enterprise first works well for open sectors. For conditional ones, a refused IRC leaves you with a company that cannot do what it was formed for.

The common thread: most delays start before filing. A 2-day legal review at the start usually saves weeks later.

How to budget for the first year of operations

Once the cost of company registration in Vietnam for foreigners is covered, the first-year budget is easier to plan in 2 columns.

One-off costs: legalization and translation, legal fees, government fees, seal, initial digital signature, sub-licenses.

Recurring costs: premises, accounting and tax, audit, digital signature renewal, work permit and residence card renewals for foreign staff.

Most budget overruns come from planning only the first column. Add a contingency of 10% to 15% for documents that need redoing or a license nobody expected.

There is also good news worth building into the plan. The business license tax was abolished from 2026. Under Resolution 198/2025/QH15, small and medium-sized enterprises may also qualify for a 3-year corporate income tax exemption from the date of their first enterprise registration certificate, so check eligibility early.

Ownership questions affect cost too. Whether your sector allows full foreign ownership, or forces a joint venture, changes both legal fees and timeline. The analysis of whether foreigners can own 100% of a company in Vietnam is a useful companion to this budget.

Request a company registration cost estimate

General ranges only get you so far. A firm quote on the cost of company registration in Vietnam for foreigners needs 6 facts:

• The exact business activities you plan to carry out.
• The investor's nationality.
• Whether the investor is an individual or a company, and who owns it.
• The city and type of premises.
• Planned charter capital and investment capital.
• Your target start date.

Send these to LHD Law Firm and the team will confirm the scope, the fixed fee and a realistic timeline before any work begins.

• Ho Chi Minh City: HP Tower, Floor 7, 60 Nguyen Van Thu Street, Tan Dinh Ward. Tel: +84 28 2244 6739. Email: all@lhdfirm.com
• Ha Noi: Anh Minh Tower, Floor 4, 36 Hoang Cau Street, O Cho Dua Ward. Tel: +84 24 6260 4011. Email: hanoi@lhdfirm.com
• Da Nang: 71 Ly Tu Trong Street, Thach Thang Ward. Tel: +84 905 987 929. Email: danang@lhdfirm.com

Frequently asked questions about company setup costs

Is there a minimum capital requirement for foreign investors?

There is no general minimum. Capital should match the project you propose, and some sectors have their own legal capital rules.

Do I need to travel to Vietnam to register?

Not necessarily. Filings can be made through an authorized representative. The legal representative usually needs to be present to open the company's bank accounts.

Are company incorporation fees in Vietnam different for foreign-invested companies?

The enterprise registration fee and publication fee are the same for all companies. The extra cost for foreigners comes from legalization, translation and the investment procedure.

Can I use a virtual office as my registered address?

Yes, for service businesses that do not need their own premises, provided the building is approved for office use and the lease is valid.

What is the lowest realistic company setup cost in Vietnam?

For an individual investor in an unrestricted service sector using a virtual office, roughly USD 3,000 for the first year is a realistic floor, including legal fees and basic accounting.

Sources checked: Law on Investment 2025 (Law No. 143/2025/QH15), Decree 96/2026/ND-CP, Law on Enterprises 2020, Circular 64/2025/TT-BTC, Resolution 198/2025/QH15, and fee bands published on luathongduc.com.

Contact LHD Law Firm

If you are considering registering a company in Vietnam, contact LHD Law Firm for a personalized legal consultation. Our experienced lawyers will help you understand the applicable regulations, identify the most suitable investment structure, prepare the necessary documentation, and manage the registration process efficiently from start to finish.

LHD Law Firm – Your Trusted Legal Partner for Doing Business in Vietnam.