Setting Up a Business in Vietnam

An in-depth guide for foreign entrepreneurs and companies looking to enter the Vietnamese market — one of Southeast Asia’s fastest-growing manufacturing economies, with foreign investment actively courted through the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), though genuinely sector-dependent.
This guide covers legal structures (100% foreign-owned enterprises, distinguishing open sectors from conditional ones), business taxation (20% standard rate, 10-17% in economic zones), company formation — including the strict 90-day capital contribution deadline and the requirement for a Vietnam-resident legal representative — the cost of labor, and immigration routes for executives, investors, and entrepreneurs. Includes a dedicated chapter on Vietnam’s genuinely strong growth and EVFTA tariff advantage, alongside an honest, equally weighted account of its bureaucratic friction and the significant 2025-2026 licensing reform. An operational checklist and useful contacts round out the guide.
Available in English and French.