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Set up in Hanoi when decisions sit with the capital

For businesses that sell to ministries, state-linked buyers and regulated sectors, and for manufacturers tied to the northern industrial corridors.

Choose a mainland company for contracting and hiring in the capital, a zone-based entity for manufacturing or technology in a northern park, or a holding structure when the operating company sits elsewhere.

Find my best route Talk to a specialist
MPIPlanning & Investment
Business registrationForeign-owned entities
ImmigrationWork permits & TRCs
Tax & filingsLocal compliance

Why founders pick Hanoi

A business owner at an office window above a Vietnamese city street

Closest to the decision

Ministries, regulators and state buyers sit in the capital. Licensing paths in conditional sectors and public-sector sales are walked with the counterpart across town, not across the country.

A business owner walking through an industrial street in Vietnam

The northern industrial corridor

Industrial parks across Hanoi and the neighbouring provinces host electronics, components and assembly supply chains that feed the China corridor.

Founders talking on a tree-lined city street in Vietnam

A serious operating base

Head-office functions, government-facing teams and regulated businesses that need substance and proximity rather than the largest consumer market.

Where Hanoi wins

Pick Hanoi for
  • Government and state buyersA company selling to ministries, state-linked enterprises or public projects.
  • Regulated sectorsConditional sectors where the licensing authority sits in the capital.
  • Northern manufacturingElectronics, components and assembly operations tied to the northern parks and the China corridor.
  • Head officeA representative or head-office presence close to regulators and partners.
  • Regional linksSupply chains and customers that run north and east to Hai Phong, Bac Ninh and the border.
Look elsewhere for
  • Consumer marketRetail, e-commerce and consumer brands that need the largest urban market first.
  • Southern supply chainsManufacturing tied to the southern parks and Ho Chi Minh City’s port.
  • Lighter footprintA smaller, quieter base on the central coast.
  • Holding onlyA passive holding entity with no plans to hire or invoice locally.

Zones founders look at around Hanoi

Thach That · Hanoi

Technology, R&D and high-tech manufacturing with a Hanoi base.

Priced on request.

Banking is prepared alongside the licence; approval is the bank’s decision.

Dong Anh · Hanoi

Electronics, components and precision manufacturing in an established park inside the city boundary.

Priced on request.

Banking is prepared alongside the licence; approval is the bank’s decision.

Bac Ninh · adjacent to Hanoi

Manufacturing companies that want a mature park in the electronics corridor east of the capital.

Priced on request.

Banking is prepared alongside the licence; approval is the bank’s decision.

Me Linh · Hanoi

Light industry, assembly and logistics close to the airport.

Priced on request.

Banking is prepared alongside the licence; approval is the bank’s decision.

A Hanoi setup is priced by route, capital and footprint

Route, charter capital, premises, staff and any conditional-sector approval move the number. The Vietnam planner builds your estimate from what you tell it.

Lean endService company, no premises yet
High endConditional sector, staffed premises
Company documents and a pen on a desk in soft daylight

Lean

Lean professional

Lowest band· y1

  • Investment and enterprise registration for the chosen route
  • Charter capital planned against the activity
  • Capital account and bank onboarding support
  • Tax registration and first filings set up
A bound stack of documents on a desk in warm light

Operating

Operating company

Middle band· y1

  • Investment and enterprise registration for the chosen route
  • Office lease registered as the company address
  • Work permits and residence cards for foreign staff
  • Capital account and bank onboarding support
Documents and a folder on a marble desk in morning light

Conditional

Conditional or zone-based

Upper band· y1

  • Sector approval or zone admission handled before licensing
  • Investment and enterprise registration for the chosen route
  • Capital account and bank onboarding support
  • Sub-licences for the activity are a separate process, not included
Run the Vietnam planner for your estimate

What a Hanoi setup actually looks like, step by step

Indicative sequence shown. Conditional sectors and public-sector work can add approvals before licensing.

  1. 01StartRoute lockedActivity, ownership, city and premises agreed. Charter capital planned. Scope and estimate confirmed.
  2. 02FilingInvestment registrationThe investment registration file is prepared and lodged with the licensing authority for the chosen city or zone.
  3. 03LicensingEnterprise registrationEnterprise registration follows the investment registration; the company seal and tax code are set up.
  4. 04After licensingCapital account & bankingThe capital account is opened, charter capital is contributed and the operating account follows.
  5. 05OperatingPermits & first filingsWork permits, residence cards and the first tax registrations and filings, as the plan needs.

When founders choose elsewhere

Hanoi is the capital and regulatory play. Some plans are better served by Ho Chi Minh City’s market or Da Nang’s lighter footprint.

You want a smaller, quieter base on the central coast with port access and a lighter footprint.

See Da Nang →

Answer a few questions. We weigh the three cities and the routes against your plan and show the likely fit.

Find my best route →

Banking and capital accounts.

A foreign-owned entity needs a Direct Investment Capital Account before charter capital can be paid in, and the window is 90 days from licensing. We prepare the pack, coordinate with your chosen bank, and track the deadline.

Talk to a specialist

Two guides for this city

Cover of the Sonsoto Vietnam Zone Selection guide

Vietnam Zone Selection

Industrial, export-processing, hi-tech and economic zones, and what is forming in Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City.

69 pages · 14 September 2026

Get the guide
Cover of the Sonsoto Vietnam Corporate Income Tax guide

Vietnam Corporate Income Tax

Scope, the 20% rate and the small-enterprise bands, incentives, VAT, and filing.

61 pages · 14 September 2026

Get the guide

Check if this city is the right base.

Tell us the activity, who you sell to, and how you plan to operate. We confirm whether Hanoi is the right base, which route fits, and what needs to happen first.

  • A dedicated specialist reviews your case.
  • Fixed scope in writing before any work begins.
  • Avg reply 3 minutes on WhatsApp, 24 × 7.

Request a consultation

No obligation. We tell you if it is not the right route.

Talk to a Vietnam specialist

Frequently asked

Is Hanoi the right base for my company?
It usually is when your customers are ministries, state-linked enterprises or public projects, when your sector is licensed from the capital, or when your supply chain runs through the northern parks. It is not automatically the answer for every company: a consumer business that needs the largest market first is often better placed in Ho Chi Minh City.
Can a foreigner own a company in Hanoi?
Foreign ownership is available for many activities, subject to the sector conditions the licensing authority applies. We confirm the available ownership route for your activity before anything is filed.
Mainland company or a zone-based entity?
A mainland company contracts and hires in the capital; a zone-based entity suits manufacturing or technology operations in one of the northern parks. The choice follows the activity, the premises and the customers, and we compare the viable routes against the actual plan.
Can a Hanoi company sponsor work permits and residence cards?
It can support work permits and temporary residence cards for foreign staff in many cases, subject to the role, the applicant and the current immigration rules. Approval stays with the authority.
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