Before you submit your WFOE registration application to SAMR, verify these 12 items. Each missed item adds 1-3 weeks to your timeline.
Why This Checklist Matters
According to SAMR data, approximately 18% of foreign-invested enterprise registration applications are rejected on first submission — primarily due to incomplete documentation, name conflicts, or business scope mismatches. A pre-filing checklist reduces your rejection risk to near zero.
The 12-Point Checklist
1. Confirm your industry is NOT on the 2026 Negative List (29 restricted sectors). 2. Verify no mandatory JV requirement applies to your sector. 3. Choose entity type: Consulting WFOE, Trading WFOE (FICE), or Manufacturing WFOE. 4. Prepare 5-8 Chinese company name options following the City-Brand-Industry-Entity format. 5. Test all name options on the SAMR online name-search system. 6. Define business scope using exact terminology from the official catalogue — include adjacent activities you might pursue within 3 years. 7. Determine registered capital amount (benchmarks: RMB 500K-1M consulting, RMB 1-3M trading, RMB 3-10M manufacturing). 8. Identify legal representative — must be a natural person who can travel to China for the bank interview. 9. Identify supervisor — cannot be the same person as the legal representative. 10. Secure a registered office address with a commercially zoned property ownership certificate from the landlord. 11. Notarize and legalize parent company documents (Certificate of Incorporation, Articles of Association, board resolution, bank reference letter). 12. Engage a China-based registration agent to handle Chinese-language forms — translation errors are the #1 rejection cause.
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