PROCEDURES FOR CHANGING ADDRESS OF FOREIGN REPRESENTATIVE OFFICE IN VIETNAM 

Changing the location of a foreign trader’s representative office in Vietnam triggers a mandatory obligation to amend or reissue the Establishment license. From a legal standpoint, this relocation cannot simply be recorded within the enterprise’s internal records. To ensure the legality and continuity of operations, the foreign trader must execute the requisite administrative procedures with the competent state authority to accurately update the License details. The specific process and required documentation for changing address of foreign representative is determined by the administrative geographical scope of the relocation.

1. Key notes on required legal procedures

Pursuant to Clause 6, Article 15 of Decree No. 07/2016/ND-CP, where the address of the RO’s head office is changed within the same province or centrally-run city, or within the same geographical area under the management of a Management Board, the foreign trader must carry out procedures for amendment of the RO Establishment License.

Where the RO relocates to another province or centrally-run city, or to a geographical area under the management of another Management Board, the foreign trader must carry out procedures for re-issuance of the RO Establishment License pursuant to Clause 1, Article 18 of Decree No. 07/2016/ND-CP.

The new location of the RO must satisfy the requirements applicable to the location of its head office under Article 28 of Decree No. 07/2016/ND-CP and other relevant laws and regulations.

2. Competent authorities for processing the application

Pursuant to Article 5 of Decree No. 07/2016/ND-CP, the competent authority for carrying out the procedures is the Department of Industry and Trade of the locality where the RO is headquartered, where the RO is located outside an industrial park, export processing zone, economic zone or hi-tech park.

For ROs located within an industrial park, export processing zone, economic zone or hi-tech park, the relevant Management Board is competent to issue, re-issue or amend the RO Establishment License in accordance with applicable regulations.

In practice, for administrative procedures in 2026, applications are received through the Public Administration Service Center in accordance with the administrative arrangements and mechanisms applicable in each locality.

3. Procedures

– Step 1: Determining the specific relocation scenario

The foreign trader must verify whether the new address is located within the same province/municipality or entails a transfer to a different province/municipality to determine whether the procedure requires an amendment or a reissuance of the RO Establishment License. Concurrently, the legality of the proposed premises must be assessed.

– Step 2: Preparing and submitting the application dossier

The foreign trader shall prepare one (01) set of application documents in compliance with regulations and submit it to the competent authority via locally designated methods, which may include in-person submission, postal delivery, or online application, depending on the receiving system. Pursuant to Article 16 of Decree No. 07/2016/ND-CP, the amendment dossier must include documentation proving the lawful right to exploit and utilize the new premises, along with relevant documents concerning the proposed office location.

– Step 3: Appraising the dossier by the competent authority

The competent authority shall examine the completeness and validity of the submitted dossier and review the substance of the relocation request. Under current regulations, the procedure for amending the RO Establishment License is processed within five (05) working days, provided that consultation with the relevant specialized management Ministry is not required. Should such consultation be necessary, the processing timeframe is extended to thirteen (13) working days.

– Step 4: Receiving the updated License

The foreign trader shall receive the amended or reissued RO Establishment License and subsequently proceed to update the new address information with all relevant agencies and entities.

4. Required documents

For a change of address within the same province or centrally-run city, the application for amendment under Article 16 of Decree No. 07/2016/ND-CP includes:

– Application for amendment of the RO Establishment License in the prescribed form;

– The memorandum of understanding or agreement on lease of the premises, or documents evidencing the right to exploit and use the new location;

– Documents relating to the proposed location of the RO’s head office in accordance with Article 28 of Decree No. 07/2016/ND-CP and relevant laws and regulations;

– Current RO Establishment License.

Where the RO relocates to another province or centrally-run city, the application shall be prepared in accordance with the regulations on re-issuance of the RO Establishment License under Article 18 of Decree No. 07/2016/ND-CP.

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