Documents Required to Establish a Cooperative & Current Registration Forms

What is a cooperative?

Under the Law on Cooperatives 2023 (No. 17/2023/QH15, effective from July 1, 2024, replacing the Law on Cooperatives 2012), a cooperative is a collective economic organization, co-owned, having legal person status, voluntarily established by at least 07 members who cooperate and support each other in production, business and job creation activities to meet the common needs of members, on the basis of self-governance, self-responsibility, equality and democracy in managing the cooperative.

What documents are required to establish a cooperative?

Under the Law on Cooperatives 2023 and the current guidance documents on cooperative registration, the dossier for registering the establishment of a cooperative, submitted to the cooperative registration authority where the cooperative intends to locate its head office, includes the following basic components:

– The application for registration of establishment of the cooperative (in the current form);
– The charter of the cooperative;
– The production and business plan;
– The list of members;
– The list of the board of directors, director (general director), supervisory board or controllers;
– The resolution of the founding conference on the contents voted and passed.

If the cooperative satisfies all prescribed conditions, the cooperative registration authority issues the Cooperative Registration Certificate. The cooperative has legal person status and may operate in accordance with the contents stated in the Cooperative Registration Certificate from the date it is granted.

Forms for cooperative establishment dossiers

The forms for cooperative establishment registration (application, member list, production and business plan, etc.) are issued together with the current guidance documents on cooperative registration. As the form system has been updated under the Law on Cooperatives 2023 and may continue to be adjusted following the administrative restructuring, please contact ANT Legal’s lawyers to obtain the latest dossier forms and guidance on accurate completion before submission.

Notes on applying current legal provisions

This article belongs to the Corporate Knowledge & M&A group and is presented for reference purposes, helping readers understand the legal issue at a general level before preparing documents or conducting transactions.

Legal provisions may change depending on time, locality, file type, and specific circumstances. If you need to determine the exact legal basis applicable to your file, please contact ANT Legal’s lawyers at 0966.475.966 for verification and advice before proceeding.

Common risks to be aware of

• Applying legal documents that have been amended, supplemented or replaced.
• Preparing incomplete dossiers, documents or evidence.
• Misunderstanding the conditions, procedures, time limits or competent authority.
• Signing, submitting dossiers or conducting transactions without fully assessing legal risks.

How can ANT Legal assist?

ANT Legal helps review specific situations, check dossiers, determine the applicable legal basis, advise on handling options, and represent clients in dealings with individuals, organizations or competent authorities when necessary.

For prompt advice, please contact our lawyers at 0966.475.966.

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