Company registration:
from admission to first payment

01

First - admission of foreign investment

Before selecting a name and preparing articles of association, it is necessary to check the business against the national Negative List, industry licenses and, where applicable, special free trade zone rules. Outside the Negative List, foreign investments generally receive national treatment; Prohibited activities are not registered, and limited activities are permitted only if conditions are met.

What we check

Precise product, customer, sales channel, import/export and adjustable functions

National Negative List

Prohibitions, limits on foreign participation and other special conditions

Separately

Licenses, security review, antitrust and data requirements

Result

Written card: allowed/restricted/licensed/prohibited

02

Choosing a form of presence

For operational business, a foreign-invested limited liability company is more often used. A joint venture is a company with Chinese and foreign participation, rather than a separate, universal legal form. The representative office is not a full-fledged operating company and has limited functionality.

03

City, registered address and business scope

The place of registration affects the registration authority, available incentives, licenses, staffing costs, logistics and bank practices. The company must have a valid name, registered premises and a standardized business scope. The language chosen determines what the company can do and what licenses it will need.

Title

Typically includes administrative unit, trade name, industry, and organizational form

Address

Documents on the right to use the premises; requirements vary by location

Business scope

Selected from standardized entries in the registration system

City

We compare the market, personnel, logistics, incentives, bank and local practice

04

Registered capital is a real liability

For an LLC formed after July 1, 2024, subscribed capital generally must be paid in full within five years. There is no universal symbolic capital for any business: the size is associated with the break-even budget, licenses, personnel, rent and banking profile.

Total term

Up to five years from the date of establishment of the new LLC, unless the special regime requires otherwise

Deposit form

Money and eligible appraised and transferred property, including individual IP and property rights

Currency

The structure of the deposit is consistent with registration and currency procedures

Participant risk

Unpaid subscribed capital remains the responsibility of the participant

05

Documents of a foreign participant

The package depends on whether the participant is an individual or a legal entity, as well as on the country of origin of the documents. Typically, proof of identity or registration, signatory authority, charter documents, resolutions, management appointments, and proof of company address in China are required.

06

Basic registration procedure

The exact sequence depends on the city and the licensed activity, but the project usually follows a single logical route.

1. 01
   Market access

   Negative List, licenses and foreign investment model.

2. 02
   Company parameters

   City, address, name, business scope, participants, authorities and capital.

3. 03
   Documents

   Articles of association, statements, corporate resolutions, identification and certification of foreign documents.

4. 04
   Market registration

   Submission to the competent Administration for Market Regulation and obtaining a business license.

5. 05
   Investment information

   Transfer of required information about foreign investment through the appropriate system.

07

After the business license, the work just begins

Obtaining a license creates a legal entity, but for real work it is necessary to complete the corporate, tax, personnel and operational launch.

Stamps

Produce and place under control company chop, finance chop and other necessary seals

Taxes

Activate tax profile, determine VAT status and invoice system-fapiao

Staff

Payroll, social insurance and housing fund according to local rules

Import/export

If necessary, customs and foreign trade registrations

Licenses

Obtain post-registration approvals before starting regulated activities

08

Bank account and currency circuit

The bank checks not only the business license, but also the owners, legal representative, the reality of the office, the business model, counterparties, countries of payment and the origin of capital. At the same time, an RMB account, foreign currency accounts, capital account and the procedure for cross-border payments are being designed under the control of the bank and SAFE.

Corporate outline

RMB basic account and additional accounts for transactions

Foreign capital

Registration of basic information about the investment and capital account according to the applicable procedure

International payments

Agreement, invoice, tax and currency documents for a specific transaction

Additional Solutions

Acceptable overseas banks, EMIs and PSPs - only in a harmonized cross-border architecture

09

The duration of the project depends not only on the registry

Formal registration with a full package can go relatively quickly, but the overall launch is determined by proof of foreign documents, address, provisional licenses, bank and willingness of beneficiaries to undergo KYC.

The commercial period and cost are determined after checking the activities, the composition of participants, the city and the readiness of documents.

10

What you need for a preliminary assessment

1. 01

   Description of products, services, customers, suppliers and geography of payments.

2. 02

   Intended participants, beneficiaries, director and legal representative.

3. 03

   Desired city, employees, office, import, export and regulated functions.

4. 04

   Financial plan for 24–36 months and expected capital amount.

5. 05

   Bank currencies, countries of counterparties, average bill and expected turnover.