REGISTERING A COMPANY NAME CHANGE: CONDITIONS, PROCEDURE, AND PENALTIES

1. Scope of Application

The procedure for registering a company name change applies whenever a company wishes, or is required, to change the name recorded on its Enterprise Registration Certificate (ERC). This includes voluntary renaming for branding, restructuring, merger or consolidation purposes, as well as mandatory renaming where the current name is identical to or confusingly similar to a name already registered in the National Business Registration Database, or where the name violates naming regulations (e.g., improper use of words, symbols, or unauthorized references to state agencies or political organizations). The procedure applies to all enterprise types: limited liability companies, joint-stock companies, partnerships, and private enterprises.

2. Conditions Under Current Regulations

In summary, a new company name must satisfy the following conditions:

• Include both the enterprise type and a proper name; it must not be identical to, or confusingly similar to, the name of any enterprise already registered nationwide;
• Not use the name of a state agency, armed forces unit, or socio-political organization as all or part of the proper name, unless approved by the relevant authority;
• Not contain words or symbols that violate national historical, cultural, ethical, or traditional values;
• Be approved by the company’s competent internal authority (the Members’ Council, General Meeting of Shareholders, or company owner, depending on the enterprise type);
• Not alter the rights or obligations of the enterprise under contracts or transactions previously established under the old name.

3. Legal Procedure Required

Procedure name: Registration of Changes to Enterprise Registration Content (Company Name Change).

The application is submitted to the Business Registration Office under the Department of Planning and Investment (or equivalent local authority) where the company’s head office is located, either in person or online via the National Business Registration Portal. The basic application dossier includes: a Notice of Change to Enterprise Registration Content, and the resolution/decision and minutes of the relevant internal meeting (or the owner’s decision) approving the name change. Within 3 working days of receiving a valid and complete application, the business registration authority must process and issue the result.

Outcome: A new Enterprise Registration Certificate bearing the new company name. After receiving it, the company must re-engrave its seal (if applicable), update information on invoices and signage, and notify its bank, tax authority, social insurance agency, business partners, and other relevant parties to ensure consistency of records.

4. Penalties for Violations

A company that fails to register its name change within 10 days from the date of the internal decision, or that provides false or inaccurate information in the registration dossier, may be subject to administrative penalties under current business registration regulations, together with a remedial measure requiring the company to complete the registration and public disclosure of the change within the prescribed time. Where a company deliberately adopts a confusingly similar name or infringes the intellectual property rights of another registered entity, it may further be required to cease the violation, issue a public correction, and pay damages under intellectual property and civil law regulations.