How much does it cost to register a WFOE in China?

Government fees are minor; the real costs are the service fee ($1,400-$3,900 fixed at Zhonghui), registered capital you must pay in within 5 years, and a registered address. Our Blueprint report at $1,200 prices your exact case before you commit.

Can a foreigner own 100% of a Chinese company?

Yes for most sectors — the negative list restricts only 29 areas nationally (manufacturing is now 100% open). Restricted sectors use JV structures with defined foreign caps.

China Company Registration — WFOE, JV & Rep Office Setup

SERVICE IN BRIEF

We register your WFOE, JV or rep office end to end: scope surgery against the negative list, city selection as a tax decision, apostilled parent documents, SAMR filing, PSB chops, tax registration and FDI information report. Fixed fee from $2,500; licence in 2-4 weeks.

What the engagement covers

Structure selection — WFOE vs JV vs rep office against the 2026 negative list (29 items remain nationally; manufacturing fully open)
Scope drafting — every word matters later: it gates your invoices (fapiao), import rights and platform verifications
City/zone selection — Lingang, Qianhai and Hainan 15% CIT routes modeled against your actual profit plan
Registered capital sizing — the 2024 Company Law 5-year paid-in rule, sized to 12-24 months of real costs
Documents — apostille guidance since China joined the Hague Convention (2023): no more consular legalization for most countries
Registration spine — SAMR licence, chops (PSB-registered), tax registration, FDI report, social insurance/housing fund accounts

Timeline and choke points

Licence: 2-4 weeks. Full operational (banked, invoicing, hiring): 6-10 weeks. The choke point is never the licence — it is the corporate bank account, which we start in week one and pre-wire KYC for while SAMR runs.

One partner for the whole journey

Zhonghui Consulting — licensed, fixed-fee, English-speaking. cross-border compliance engagements, ICPA-reviewed.

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General information only — not legal, tax, or immigration advice. Rules change; verify with official sources (SAMR, STA, SAFE, MOFCOM, NIA) and licensed advisors before acting.