Published by ChinaMNC · Yangzhou

Yangzhou Company Registration: Documents, Steps and Practical Timeline

A practical guide for foreign founders setting up a foreign-owned company in Yangzhou, Jiangsu: required documents, registration sequence, business scope, registered address rules, and the delays that most often slow the process.

Yangzhou sits in central Jiangsu, roughly two hours by high-speed rail from Shanghai and about an hour from Nanjing. Foreign founders often choose it for lower operating costs than Suzhou or Shanghai, an established manufacturing base in machinery, auto parts, electronics and toys, and a city-level administration that handles most foreign-invested enterprise (FIE) registration in-house. This guide walks through the documents you will need, the order of steps, and the practical timing — without promising a fixed number of days, because actual timelines depend on your documents and the approving authority.

Who this applies to

This covers a wholly foreign-owned limited liability company (WFOE) — the most common vehicle for foreign founders. A Sino-foreign joint venture adds shareholder agreements and additional review, and a branch of an existing foreign company (often called a roving representative office or a foreign company branch) is a different filing path. If you plan to hire staff, invoice customers in RMB and hold a lease in the company's name, a WFOE is usually the right structure.

Documents to prepare before you file

Start with documents that require notarisation and consular legalisation (or apostille where applicable under the Hague Apostille Convention — China joined in November 2023, so check whether your jurisdiction's documents now need apostille rather than consular legalisation).

Corporate and personal documents

• Foreign parent company documents (if the shareholder is a company): certificate of incorporation, articles of association, and a board resolution approving the investment. These typically need notarisation and legalisation/apostille, plus a Chinese translation.
• Passport copy of the legal representative and shareholder(s), translated if required.
• Proof of address for the foreign shareholder — often a bank statement or utility bill.
• Bank reference letter from the shareholder's bank.
• Power of attorney if a local agent or lawyer files on your behalf.

China-side documents

• Lease agreement for the registered address, plus the landlord's property certificate (房产证) and, where relevant, proof the landlord is authorised to lease.
• Articles of association drafted for the Yangzhou entity.
• Feasibility study or investment plan — some districts request a short version.
• Name reservation result from the online enterprise name system.
• Legal representative appointment and ID.
• Business scope wording — see below.

A common mistake is submitting a translation that does not match the notarised original word-for-word. Registration staff will reject mismatches, so use a translation agency familiar with corporate documents.

The registration sequence in Yangzhou

Steps generally run in this order, though district-level offices may vary slightly.

1. Name reservation

File the proposed Chinese company name through the Jiangsu enterprise registration system (or the national system). Prepare two to three alternatives; names containing industry words may be rejected if they clash with existing registrations.

2. Foreign investment information reporting

File through the Ministry of Commerce's foreign investment information reporting system (企业登记系统). This is a filing, not an approval, for most sectors, but the report is required before or alongside business registration.

3. Business licence application

Submit to the Yangzhou district-level Administration for Market Regulation (市场监督管理局). You will receive the business licence (营业执照) with the unified social credit code. This is the milestone most founders track.

4. Company seal carving

Order the official seals: company seal, legal representative seal, finance seal, invoice seal and contract seal (the last is optional). Seals are filed with the public security system and must be made at an authorised vendor.

5. Bank account opening

Open a basic RMB account and, if needed, a foreign currency capital account. Banks in Yangzhou will require the business licence, seals, legal representative ID and, in many cases, a visit by the legal representative or a video verification. This step often takes longer than founders expect.

6. Tax registration and invoicing setup

Register with the local tax bureau, choose the taxpayer status (small-scale or general taxpayer), and apply for invoice issuance. Your accountant can handle this, but the legal representative usually needs to complete identity verification.

7. Foreign exchange and capital contribution

Register the capital account with the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) system through the bank, then remit registered capital. Keep remittance purpose wording consistent with the capital contribution.

8. Social insurance and employment registration

If you hire, register with the social insurance and housing fund authorities, and obtain work permits for foreign employees through the local Science and Technology Bureau and Exit-Entry Administration.

Business scope wording

China uses a standardised catalogue of business scope items. In practice, you select from an approved list rather than writing free text. Keep the scope aligned with what you will actually do: a trading company, a consulting company and a manufacturing company select different items. Adding licensed items (for example, food distribution or certain manufacturing activities) triggers additional permits. Overly broad scopes can slow review; overly narrow scopes can block invoicing later. Draft the scope with your accountant before filing.

Registered address rules

Yangzhou requires a real, documented address. Options include a leased office, a co-working space that supports registration, or an approved virtual address offered by some industrial parks and incubators. Key points:

• The lease must be in the company's name or assignable to it, and the landlord must provide the property certificate.
• Some districts accept cluster registration (集群注册) addresses for service and trading companies, but manufacturing needs a physical site with environmental and fire approvals.
• Address changes after registration require a filing update, so choose a location you can keep for at least a year.
• Verify that the address is not already used by another company in the same registration system.

Common delays

• Notarisation and legalisation — the biggest variable. Consular legalisation can add weeks depending on your country; apostille is faster where available.
• Translation mismatches — rejected documents restart the clock.
• Name rejections — submit alternatives.
• Address documentation — landlords without a proper property certificate stall the filing.
• Bank account opening — compliance review and legal representative verification can take longer than the licence itself.
• Tax status choice — general taxpayer status may require a site visit.
• Sector-specific permits — food, logistics, education and manufacturing may need extra approvals.

Realistic sequencing: allow several weeks for document preparation before filing, then plan for the licence, seals, bank and tax steps to run over a further period. Do not book staff start dates or sign customer contracts until the bank account and invoicing setup are working.

Practical tips for Yangzhou founders

• Work with a local registered agent or law firm that files in the specific district (Hanjiang, Guangling, Jiangdu, or the economic development zones).
• Keep the legal representative available for video verification at the bank and tax bureau.
• Retain all notarised originals; you will reuse them for bank and tax filings.
• Confirm whether your industry appears on the negative list for foreign investment before committing to a structure.

Disclaimer: This article provides general information only and is not legal, tax or accounting advice. Requirements and processing times in Yangzhou can change; confirm details with a qualified local professional or the relevant authority before filing.