Tiếng Việt
中文Short answer: Yes. An enterprise may add business lines for its branch — a branch may conduct the business lines the enterprise has registered. The procedure: (1) the enterprise adds the business line (if the branch will conduct a new line the enterprise has not yet registered — complete the enterprise’s business-line addition procedure first); (2) notify the change of the branch’s registered operation contents to the Business Registration Office where the branch is located. For conditional business lines, the branch may operate only when it fully meets the conditions. Legal basis: Articles 44–45 of the Law on Enterprises 2020 (as amended by Law No. 76/2025/QH15); Decree No. 168/2025/ND-CP.
Legal basis
- The Law on Enterprises 2020, as amended and supplemented by Law No. 76/2025/QH15 — Articles 44 and 45;
- Decree No. 168/2025/ND-CP on enterprise registration — procedures for changing a branch’s registered operation contents.
Principle: a branch operates within the enterprise’s scope
- A branch is a dependent unit — it may only conduct the business lines the enterprise has registered;
- To have the branch conduct a new line: step 1 is to add the business line for the enterprise (notify the Business Registration Office where the head office is); step 2 is to notify the change of the branch’s registered operation contents;
- If the line is already in the enterprise’s registration: only step 2 is needed.
Procedures for adding business lines for a branch
Step 1. Add the business line for the enterprise (if needed)
Notify the addition of business lines to the Business Registration Office where the head office is located; the time limit is 03 working days.
Related services
Business Licenses and Conditional Business Sectors
If your business is preparing an application, amendment, business line registration or licensing review, ANT Legal can help check the file and execution path.
Step 2. Notify the change of the branch’s registered operation contents
- A notice of change of the branch’s registered operation contents in the prescribed form;
- Accompanied by the enterprise’s decision on adding business lines for the branch;
- Submitted to the Business Registration Office where the branch is located (not where the head office is);
- The processing time limit is 03 working days.
Step 3. Fulfill the conditions (conditional business lines)
A branch may operate a conditional business line only when it fully meets the conditions at the branch’s location (licenses, facilities, personnel…).
Notes for conditional business lines
- Some sectoral licenses attach to a specific location — a branch at a new location may need to obtain a separate license;
- Conditions on personnel and facilities must be met at the branch; they cannot be “borrowed” from the head office;
- Example: a branch conducting pharmacy, education, transport… business must fully meet the sectoral conditions at the branch’s location.
Frequently asked questions
May a branch conduct a business line the parent company has not registered?
No. The business line must be added for the parent company first, then added for the branch.
May business lines be added for multiple branches at once?
Yes — but a separate notice of change must be filed for each branch with the Business Registration Office where each branch is located.
Does adding business lines for an out-of-province branch require tax closure?
No. Adding business lines does not trigger a tax closure procedure.
Notes on applying current regulations
A common mistake is adding the business line only for the parent company and forgetting to update the branch — upon inspection, the branch is deemed to conduct an unregistered business line. The updates should be done in sync. Contact an ANT Legal lawyer at 0966.475.966 for assistance.
Common risks to note
- The branch conducts a business line the parent company has not registered;
- Updating only the parent company and forgetting the branch;
- Operating a conditional business line when the branch does not yet meet the conditions;
- Filing at the wrong place (the head office’s location instead of the branch’s).
How ANT Legal can help
ANT Legal carries out the procedure to add business lines for the enterprise and its branches; reviews business conditions at each location. For prompt advice, please contact a lawyer at 0966.475.966.
Related articles
- Procedures for changing/adding business lines of a joint stock company (latest)
- How to add a conditional business line
- Conditional business lines
- Distinguishing branches, representative offices, and business locations
- Should you establish a company or a business household in Vietnam?
