The Foreign Representative Office is also known as the Permanent Representative Office of Foreign Enterprises in China. For some foreign investors who have just entered the Chinese market, setting up a foreign representative office is a better transition bridge. The representative office has a simple approval process and no registered capital requirements. However, the representative office cannot directly conduct business activities, and can only represent overseas companies to conduct business activities such as business liaison, product introduction, market research and technical exchange within their business scope. The representative office does not have legal personality, and its civil liability is borne by its overseas company.
Registered capital
No registered capital requirement
Requirements of the name of the representative office
Country/Region Name + Foreign Enterprise Chinese Name + (Resident City Name) Representative Office
For example: Hong Kong Compaq Management Consultants Company Limited Shenzhen Representative Office
Business scope
It can only represent the overseas parent company to engage in business activities such as liaison, product promotion, market research, and technical exchange within the scope of its headquarters business. It cannot directly engage in business activities in the name of the representative office.
Documents required for registration
-Notarized documents prove that overseas parent company has more than 2 years of continuing business
-Notarized documents of bank credit certificate of overseas parent company
-Notarization document of the charter or organization agreement of the overseas parent company
-Notarized authorized signatory certificate and passport of overseas parent company
-Notarization document of the chief representative of the domestic representative office
-Chief Representative's resume
-Notarized chief representative's passport (in some parts of China, a copy of the chief representative's Z visa is required)
-4 photos of the chief representative
-Office lease contract and title certificate
Time required
Around 15 working days
Operating period
The legal period of the foreign representative office is 3 years, and the term of the representative office shall not exceed the duration of the foreign enterprise. Before the expiration of the representative office, you can apply for an extension and apply for an extension. You must submit an application for extension to the relevant department 60 days in advance.
