Changing a Company Name in Vietnam: Procedures and Social Insurance Update

Short answer: Renaming a company is done through the procedure of registering a change of enterprise name at the Business Registration Office under the Department of Finance (03 working days). After being issued an Enterprise Registration Certificate with the new name, the company must update the new name with the social insurance agency where it participates in social insurance for employees, and also update it on electronic invoices, bank accounts, digital signatures and notify partners. This article provides detailed guidance under Decree 168/2025/ND-CP and social insurance legislation.

Legal basis

• Law on Enterprises 2020 (as amended by Law No. 76/2025/QH15, effective from 01/7/2025);
• Decree 168/2025/ND-CP on enterprise registration (replacing Decree 01/2021/ND-CP, effective from 01/7/2025);
• Law on Social Insurance 2024 (41/2024/QH15) and guidance on procedures for participation and social insurance information adjustment.

Conditions for the new name

• The new name comprises two elements: the enterprise type + the proper name; it may include a foreign name and an abbreviated name;
• It must not be identical or confusingly similar to a registered enterprise name nationwide (check on the National Business Registration Portal);
• It must not violate prohibitions: no use of state agency names, armed forces names, abbreviated names of state agencies; no words or symbols violating historical traditions, culture, ethics or fine customs.

Step 1. Register the change of enterprise name

Dossier:

• Notice of change of enterprise registration contents (name change) in the current prescribed form;
• Resolution/decision and copy of meeting minutes of the Members’ Council (LLC), General Meeting of Shareholders/Board of Directors (joint-stock company) or decision of the owner (single-member LLC, private enterprise) on the renaming;
• Authorization letter for the dossier submitter (if any).

Submit at the Business Registration Office under the Department of Finance; resolved within 03 working days; the company is issued an Enterprise Registration Certificate with the new name and announces the enterprise registration contents.

Step 2. Update the new name with the social insurance agency

After renaming, the company prepares a dossier to adjust the information of the social insurance participating unit and sends it to the social insurance agency where the company participates, including:

• Declaration for adjusting information of the social insurance participating unit in the current prescribed form of the social insurance agency;
• Copy of the Enterprise Registration Certificate with the new name.

Note: declaration forms and social insurance collection process decisions (e.g. forms issued with Decision 595/QD-BHXH) may have been amended or replaced; when preparing the dossier, use the latest forms published by the social insurance agency or act online on the Social Insurance Public Service Portal. Late updating may affect the settlement of employees’ social insurance benefits.

What must be updated after renaming

• Announce the enterprise registration contents (new name);
• Update the new name on electronic invoices, digital signatures, bank accounts;
• Remake signboards at the head office and branches;
• Notify partners and customers; review and amend ongoing contracts bearing the old name;
• Update with the tax authority (tax registration information) and the social insurance agency;
• Adjust sub-licenses and certificates attached to the enterprise name (if any).

Frequently asked questions

Does renaming a company change the tax code?

No. The enterprise code/tax code stays unchanged; only the name changes.

Do contracts signed under the old name remain effective?

They remain effective. Renaming does not terminate contractual rights and obligations; however, the company should notify partners in writing and sign name-adjustment appendices (if needed).

Is late updating of the new name with social insurance penalized?

The unit is responsible for timely notification when social insurance participation information changes. Late updating may be handled per regulations and cause obstacles in settling benefits for employees.

Notes on applying current legislation

This article is enterprise–social insurance knowledge presented for reference, helping readers understand the legal issue at an overview level before conducting procedures. Declaration forms and professional processes of the social insurance agency may be updated periodically; check the latest forms before preparing dossiers. Where you need to determine the exact applicable procedures, please contact ANT Legal lawyers at 0966.475.966 for verification and advice before acting.

Common risks to note

• Using old, replaced social insurance declaration forms.
• Only renaming on the Enterprise Registration Certificate while forgetting to update social insurance, electronic invoices, banks.
• Choosing a new name that is identical or confusingly similar, leading to rejection.

How can ANT Legal help?

ANT Legal supports name searches, drafting company renaming dossiers, conducting procedures at the Business Registration Office and reviewing post-change updating obligations (tax, social insurance, banks, sub-licenses). For prompt advice, please contact our lawyers at 0966.475.966.

Related articles

• Changing the legal representative of a single-member LLC
• Procedures for changing the legal representative of an LLC with two or more members
• Changing the legal representative of a joint-stock company
• Rights and obligations of enterprises
• Procedures for increasing charter capital of a joint-stock company