Business Setup

IRC and ERC in Vietnam for foreign companies

Investment Registration Certificate and Enterprise Registration Certificate: application, queries, and issuance.

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Overview

The IRC and ERC are the two foundation documents for a foreign-owned company in Vietnam. The IRC authorises the project; the ERC establishes the legal entity. We handle the application, manage the queries, and ensure timely issuance.

Who needs this service

  • Foreign investors seeking an IRC for a new project
  • Companies requiring an ERC for a new entity
  • Companies amending an existing IRC (change of scope, capital, or shareholder)

Legal requirements

IRC

Issued by the Department of Planning and Investment. Records the project, capital, scope, and investor.

ERC

Issued by the DPI after the IRC. Records the entity name, charter, address, and legal representative.

IRC amendments

Material changes (scope, capital, shareholder, address) require an amendment to the IRC.

Pricing

Indicative fees

ItemFee
IRC applicationfrom USD 3,000
ERC applicationfrom USD 2,000
IRC amendmentfrom USD 1,500

Fees are indicative and depend on transaction volume, complexity, and reporting requirements. Request a tailored proposal.

Timeline

Typical engagement timeline

Phase 1 · Week 1–3

Application

Document preparation, project proposal, submission.

Phase 2 · Week 4–10

Review

DPI review, queries, revisions, and issuance.

Watch out

Common mistakes we help you avoid

  • 01Insufficient project description triggering a query
  • 02Capital amount not aligned with the project scope
  • 03Incomplete parent-company documents (no apostille, no translation)
Why us

What you get

Efficient process

We prepare the application to minimise queries and expedite issuance.

Local relationships

We work with local counsel with established DPI relationships.

End-to-end

From application to post-licence registrations, one engagement.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What is an IRC?
An Investment Registration Certificate is the document issued by the Department of Planning and Investment that authorises a foreign investment project. It records the project name, scope, capital, location, and investor.
What is an ERC?
An Enterprise Registration Certificate is the document issued by the DPI that establishes a legal entity. It records the company name, charter, registered address, legal representative, and members/shareholders.
Can the IRC and ERC be obtained in parallel?
No. The ERC requires the IRC to be issued first. The two are sequential: IRC issuance, then ERC. The process can be expedited with a competent local counsel and pre-engagement with the DPI.
How long is the IRC valid?
The IRC is valid for the duration of the project, typically tied to the land-use term or the licence period. It is not a time-limited certificate in the same way as a work permit, but it can be amended or revoked for cause.
Get Started

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Free 30-minute consultation. We'll review your situation and outline a fixed-fee engagement.

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