China WFOE Setup Checklist
A bilingual reference for foreign founders and corporate shareholders preparing to register a Wholly Foreign-Owned Enterprise in mainland China.
Inside the checklist
Basic setup information
Company name, registered address, registered capital, business scope, shareholder structure, and key officer roles.
Document requirements
Corporate and individual shareholder documents, including notarisation, apostille, and translation notes.
Registration process
AMR approval, business license, company chops, SAFE, bank account, tax registration, customs, and E-Port setup.
Working-day timeline
A practical timeline from pre-approval to a fully operational WFOE, including trading-specific extensions.
Understand the process before you start
- Know what information and documents are usually needed before registration starts.
- Understand which authorities are involved in the WFOE setup process.
- Plan around authentication, banking, tax, customs, and employee account setup timelines.
- Use it internally with shareholders, headquarters, lawyers, or your China entry team.
Estimate your first-year WFOE cost
Before you start preparing documents, use our China WFOE Cost Calculator to estimate setup, registered address, bank account, accounting, employee compliance, and work visa-related costs.
Who this PDF is for
Foreign founders
For founders evaluating whether a WFOE is the right China entry structure and what preparation is required.
Corporate shareholders
For overseas companies coordinating shareholder documents, business scope, registered capital, and internal approvals.
China entry teams
For teams comparing service providers and trying to understand the actual registration steps before committing.
Download the WFOE checklist
Get the bilingual PDF and use it to prepare your WFOE setup information, shareholder documents, and internal timeline.
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