China Company Registration
Open a company in China to generate profits and invoice clients.
Types of Companies in China
What kind of companies can you open in China?
There are 3 main types of companies available to foreigners in China: wholly foreign owned enterprise (WFOE), representative office (RO) and joint venture (JV).
A Wholly Foreign Owned Enterprise (WFOE) is the most popular company type for foreigners setting up businesses in China. WFOEs can generate profits in China, invoice in China and send profits overseas. They are 100% foreign-owned legal entities.
A Representative Office (RO) is a non-profit organization fully-owned by an overseas company. Representative offices cannot generate a profit directly in China, invoice, or hire staff directly. They are limited to non-profit making operations such as after-sales customer support, marketing, research, business development, quality control and other non-transactional activities.
A Joint Venture (JV) is a profit-making entity with a mix of foreign and Chinese shareholders. JVs are similar to WFOEs, but are able to conduct operations in more restrictive business sectors such as eduction, medical institutions and telecommunications to name a few.
Powered by
Do you need a company in China?
Using an Employer of Record is increasingly seen as the modern approach to expanding overseas, including China. Our Employer of Record solution empowers companies from all over the world to hire and manage teams in China.
Company Registration Procedure
Step by step company registration
01. 15 woking days
Business License
Your company is registered & business license issued.
• Registered Address
• Company Name
• Business License
• Company Chops
02. 15 working days
Bank Accounts
Opening your bank & tax accounts.
• Corporate bank account
• Social insurance account
• Housing fund account
• Tax registration number
03. Optional
Trading Certificates
Need additional licenses? We got your back!
• Import / export license
• Food & beverage license
• Alcohol license
• Medicine license
04. Optional
Payroll
Recruitment, payroll & benefits administration for your staff.
• Payroll
• Mandatory benefits
• Payroll web portal
• Recruitment
05. Optional
Accounting
Monthly tax & accounting reports for compliance.
• Monthly tax & accounting
• Invoice issuing
• Financial chop
• Bookkeeping
06. Optional
HROne Suite
Get the full suite of services at a massive discount!
Market entry options
How to enter China like a pro
Open a Wholly Foreign Owned Enterprise (WFOE)
Pros:Â
- Can generate a profit in China.
- Can invoice clients (fapiao)
- Can send profits overseas.
- Can hire employees directly.
Cons:
- Monthly & quarterly compliance reports (accounting)
- Greater liabilities
Open a Representative Office (RO)
Pros:Â
- Can conduct non-profit activities such as marketing, customer support, quality control, ect…
- Can host a website in mainland China (ICP license)
- Less liabilities
Cons:
- Cannot generate profit.
- Cannot invoice clients (fapiao)
- Cannot hire employees directly.
Use an Employer of Record
Pros:Â
- Hire & manage employees
- Can conduct non-profit activities such as marketing, customer support, quality control, ect…
- No local entity required
- Fastest set up
- Least liabilities
Cons:
- Cannot generate profit.
- Cannot invoice clients (fapiao)
Open a Joint Venture (JV)
Pros:Â
- Can generate a profit in China.
- Can invoice clients (fapiao)
- Can send profits overseas.
- Can hire employees directly.
Cons:
- Monthly & quarterly compliance reports (accounting)
- Greater liabilities
Top B2B HR Company in China
Rewarded by Clutch as one of the top B2B companies in China for the unrivaled solutions provided and dedication to our clients.
Use employer of record while waiting for company registation
Instantly have a team and operation running in China while you go though the steps of company registration. Using our employer of record solution, your employees can be hired in China in a few days and start conducting ground work. After your company is set up, your employee contracts can be transferred to your new entity.
HR in China, made easy.
Hire the best talents in China. Let HROne find & screen the most suitable applicants and coordinate interviews with you.
Hire employees in China without a local entity. HROne handles your HR compliance & payroll so you can focus on your business.
Outsource your onboarding, payroll and mandatory benefits. View your payroll summary through our intuitive online portal.
Frequently Asked Questions
WFOE is an abbreviation for Wholly Foreign Owned Enterprise. A WFOE is a 100% foreign-owned (by an individual or a holding company) limited liability company that is capable of generating profits, invoicing and hiring local and foreign employees in China.
A Representative Office (RO) is a non-profit organization fully-owned by an overseas company. Representative offices cannot generate a profit directly in China, invoice, or hire staff directly. They are limited to non-profit making operations such as after-sales customer support, marketing, research, business development, quality control and other non-transactional activities.
A Joint Venture (JV) is a profit-making entity, similar to a WFOE, but with a mix of foreign and Chinese shareholders. JVs are able to conduct operations in more restrictive business sectors such as eduction, medical institutions and telecommunications.
Using an Employer of Record/PEO service is often regarded as the modern approach to expanding into China. As long as you do not need to invoice in China, this is a perfect solution for foreign SMEs that want to start their business here. With an employer of record, you can legally hire and manager your team in China, avoiding the time and money required to set up a company.
We can hire a local Chinese employee in as little as one day!
Yes, our Employer of Record solution can be used to hire both local and foreign staff.
