{"id":14268,"date":"2026-10-02T17:00:05","date_gmt":"2026-10-02T10:00:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thesentry.com.vn\/?p=14268"},"modified":"2026-10-02T17:00:05","modified_gmt":"2026-10-02T10:00:05","slug":"branch-office-vs-representative-office-in-vietnam","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesentry.com.vn\/en\/branch-office-vs-representative-office-in-vietnam\/","title":{"rendered":"Branch Office vs Representative Office in Vietnam: Which Should Foreign Companies Choose?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Foreign companies entering Vietnam usually run into the same question early on. Do you register a representative office or a branch office? The two structures look alike at first glance. Both let a foreign company operate under Vietnamese law without setting up a fully separate local entity. The similarities stop there once you look at what each one is actually allowed to do, how much paperwork it takes, and how the tax office treats it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What Is a Representative Office in Vietnam?\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n
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Many foreign companies set up their first Vietnam address inside a flexible workspace like The Sentry.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A representative office, usually shortened to RO, is the lighter of the two structures. It gives a foreign company a legal presence in Vietnam for the sole purpose of supporting its parent company. It cannot sign sales contracts, issue invoices, or collect payment for goods and services.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Vietnamese commercial law draws a firm line between representing a business and running one, and<\/span> Ho Chi Minh City’s own trade and investment portal<\/span><\/a> lays out exactly where that line sits for foreign trading entities.<\/span><\/p>\n

What an RO Can Do<\/b><\/h3>\n