Published · Russia

China Company Registration: Documents, Steps and Timeline for Russian Founders

A practical English-language guide for founders from Russia on registering a company in China: the documents you need, the steps involved, realistic timelines, and common friction points around notarisation, apostille, and bank onboarding. General information only, not legal or tax advice.

Setting up a company in China is a well-trodden path, but for founders coming from Russia the paperwork has a few specific twists. China's foreign investment regime has become considerably more open in recent years: most sectors now follow a simple negative list logic, meaning if your business is not on the restricted list, you can register a wholly foreign-owned enterprise (WFOE) without a Chinese partner. The real work is in documentation, translation, notarisation and bank onboarding — not in the approval itself.

This article is general information for planning purposes. It is not legal, tax or immigration advice, and rules vary by city and change over time. Before committing money, confirm the current requirements with a qualified local professional or the local branch of the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) in the city where you intend to register.

First, choose the structure and the city

Most Russian founders registering a operating business in China choose a WFOE (wholly foreign-owned limited liability company). Alternatives include a representative office (limited activities, no revenue-generating operations in the usual sense) and a joint venture with a Chinese partner (rarely necessary now unless the sector requires it).

The city matters more than many founders expect, because company registration, tax registration and bank account opening are handled locally. Shanghai, Shenzhen, Beijing, Guangzhou and Hangzhou have the deepest pool of English- and sometimes Russian-speaking service providers, but smaller cities can be faster and cheaper if your business does not need a big-city address. You will need a registered address — often a serviced office or an incubator that provides the lease documents the authorities require.

Documents Russian founders typically need

Below is the core document set for a standard WFOE. Exact lists differ by city, and some districts ask for additional items.

Corporate documents from the Russian parent company (if you register as a company shareholder)

• Certificate of incorporation (or the Russian equivalent extract from the legal entity register, often an EGRUL extract).
• Articles of association or charter.
• Board resolution or shareholder decision approving the China investment and appointing the authorised signatory.
• Passport copy of the legal representative or authorised signatory.
• Power of attorney if a local agent signs on your behalf.

Documents if you register as an individual shareholder

• Passport copy (usually the photo page, clearly legible).
• Proof of address in some districts.
• Sometimes a personal statement of no criminal record, depending on the sector and city.

China-side documents

• Company name in Chinese (and usually an English version) submitted for pre-approval — prepare three to five candidates.
• Registered address proof: lease contract and property ownership certificate, or an incubator's address agreement.
• Articles of association for the Chinese entity.
• Business scope wording — this must match standard catalogue language used by SAMR, not free-form text.
• Appointment documents for the legal representative, supervisor and general manager, plus ID copies.
• Capital contribution plan (amount and schedule) — note that registered capital is a subscribed commitment, not money that must all be paid in on day one, but the schedule is recorded.

The notarisation and legalisation question

Foreign-language documents must be translated into Chinese, and the translation is usually prepared by an agency recognised by the authorities. Corporate documents from Russia generally need notarisation in Russia and then consular legalisation by the Chinese embassy or consulate, because Russia is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention in a way that applies here for this purpose. In practice this means: notary in Russia → translation → consular legalisation → courier the originals to China. This chain is the single biggest source of delay for Russian founders, so start it early and keep scanned copies of everything.

The registration steps, in order

1. Name pre-approval. Submit Chinese name candidates through the local SAMR online system or via your agent. This is usually quick if the name is not crowded.
2. Prepare and legalise documents. Run the Russian notarisation and consular legalisation in parallel with name approval.
3. Submit the establishment application. Filed online through the local SAMR portal, with originals or verified copies delivered to the window if required.
4. Receive the business licence (the yinye zhizhao). This is the moment the company legally exists. The licence carries a unified social credit code used for everything afterwards.
5. Company seal set. In China the official company chop is central to contracting and banking; you will have several chops made by an approved vendor.
6. Tax registration and invoicing setup. Register with the tax authority, choose the taxpayer status appropriate to your expected revenue, and set up the system for issuing fapiao (official invoices).
7. Bank account opening. Open the basic RMB account (and usually a foreign-currency capital account). This is often the slowest step for foreign-invested entities: banks apply enhanced due diligence, so expect questions about the source of funds, the business model, and the Russian shareholders' ownership chain. Bring full documentation and be prepared for the process to take weeks rather than days.
8. Foreign exchange and capital contribution. Register the capital contribution with the foreign exchange authority as required, then remit capital from abroad and have the bank record it.
9. Social insurance and housing fund registration once you hire local staff.
10. Post-registration items depending on your sector: licences for food, education, logistics, e-commerce, etc., plus customs registration if you import or export.

Realistic timeline

Assuming documents are in order, a straightforward WFOE in a major city can be registered in roughly four to eight weeks from the moment the document chain is complete. Break it down like this:

• Name approval: a few working days to about two weeks.
• Russian notarisation and consular legalisation: commonly two to five weeks, depending on appointment availability and courier time — this is often the critical path.
• Translation: a few working days, but build in buffer for corrections.
• SAMR establishment filing to business licence: typically one to three weeks in practice, though the statutory review period is shorter.
• Seals and tax registration: about one week.
• Bank account opening: two to six weeks is a realistic planning range for a foreign-invested entity; some banks are faster, some much slower.

Add margin if your business scope touches regulated sectors, if any shareholder is itself a holding company with a layered ownership structure, or if your documents need re-issuing because of a translation or format mismatch.

Practical tips for Russian founders

• Start the document chain before you book anything else. Legalisation lead times drive the whole project.
• Keep names and addresses consistent across every document — transliteration differences between the Russian passport, the company charter and the Chinese translation cause rejections.
• Budget for a local agent or law firm. Fees vary widely by city; get a written scope that includes translation, filing, chop-making and bank introduction.
• Do not assume payment channels. Cross-border payments and banking relationships for Russian-linked entities can be constrained; discuss this with your bank and adviser early, before you sign a lease.
• Plan your own visa separately. Company registration does not automatically give you a work permit or residence permit; that is a separate application with its own documents and timeline.

A final word

China registration is procedural rather than discretionary for most sectors, and the process rewards preparation. The founders who move fastest are the ones who treat the Russian notarisation and consular legalisation chain, the Chinese translation, and the bank onboarding conversation as three parallel workstreams rather than sequential ones. Use this guide to plan, then verify the current local requirements with a qualified professional before you file.