Free download · Updated July 2026
15 Things to Prepare Before Setting Up an FDI Company in Vietnam
A pre-filing checklist for foreign investors, built from the questions our team answers most often when international groups license their first Vietnamese entity. Four pages, no fluff, current to the 2026 framework.
What is inside
- Structure and market access Confirming your business lines are actually open, choosing the holding jurisdiction so the best treaty applies, and selecting the entity type you will not need to convert later.
- Capital and banking Sizing total investment capital against charter capital, statutory minimums by sector, the direct investment capital account, and the 90-day contribution deadline.
- Licensing and documents Consular legalisation lead times, the sub-licences that dictate your structure, lease documentation the authority will ask for, and when investment policy approval applies.
- People and mobility Work permits under Decree 219/2025/ND-CP, sizing a founder’s personal shareholding for the investor visa tier, and the legal representative structure.
- Tax and ongoing compliance Intercompany agreements before the first invoice, incentive value under the global minimum tax, and the compliance calendar from day one.
Why it matters. Where this checklist is completed before filing, an ordinary project licenses in six to ten weeks. Where it is not, the same project typically takes three to four months and often needs an amendment within the first year. The variance is preparation, not authority discretion.
Reflects the 2026 framework
Decree 96/2026/ND-CP guiding the Law on Investment, Decree 219/2025/ND-CP on foreign employees, Decree 236/2025/ND-CP on the global minimum top-up tax, and Decree 20/2025/ND-CP amending the transfer pricing regime.
For the underlying detail see our guides on the IRC and ERC procedure, total investment capital, the DICA account and work permits for foreign executives.
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