Information on opening a cafe in Vietnam

Hi All,

I would like to open a cafe with a Vietnamese friend and wanted some information on how to establish such a business. It would be a joint ownership (50/50) between the two of us.

I want to know what licenses , work permits, etc that I will need to start.

Thanks!

Hi EddieteachesSAT,

Welcome to Expat.Com

You will find some infos by reading the Setting up a business in Vietnam article. Hopefully, members will shed the light on your queries soon.

All the best,
Bhavna

Have you sat down and really thought about what you are doing. You are going to open a cafe in a country that already has an over-abundance of cafes.

Yes I have. I just need information about the required licenses.

To follow up on Colinoscapee,  did you think you will have a new angle around having free English conversations?  That could get old fast.

EddieteachesSAT wrote:

Yes I have. I just need information about the required licenses.


You are going into business 50/50 with a Vietnamese citizen partner?

It would make sense to get that information through them, since they likely know:

1. The language

2. The industry

3. The location

4. The local "politics"

I'm wondering: are you simply an investor?

Have you been asked to put up money, but you aren't trusting the answers your "partner" is giving?

It's just curious that, with the other options that should be available through your Vietnamese business partner, you would come here for your first post to ask for information from strangers.

Of course, if you are trolling, it makes perfect sense.

Yes he knows about industry location etc, but he is unfamiliar about license for foreigners. So I am looking for information about what sort of forms i need, where to fill them, and costs related to license, etc.

https://www.healyconsultants.com/vietna … istration/

Thank you!

Please get back to us all in a year with a full report.  :top:

:whistle:

Yes sure! If I'm still in business 😅😅

EddieteachesSAT wrote:

Yes sure! If I'm still in business 😅😅


Thanks.   In return, we won't say " I told you so..."      :idontagree:

colinoscapee wrote:

Have you sat down and really thought about what you are doing. You are going to open a cafe in a country that already has an over-abundance of cafes.


Hey, he's putting the work in by asking on this forum.

Don't you know that every successful enterprise starts by asking questions of strangers on the internet.

:lol:

I heard somewhere foriengers can own only own 49% of a Vietnam business if in a partnership. I may be wrong though. I to want to open a business eventually in Tay Ninh. We are still in discussion mode.

Vaneric wrote:

I heard somewhere foriengers can own only own 49% of a Vietnam business if in a partnership. I may be wrong though. I to want to open a business eventually in Tay Ninh. We are still in discussion mode.


Hi Vaneric
I don't live in VN yet and just a doing a lot of research for some time and you can own a company 100% on your own. I find some good information from some companies website and also got a quota to set up a company owned by me alone. They asked a bit much, 3k for the whole process but I am sure things can be discussed in face to face meeting and there is sure more company that does this work and much cheaper. Not any problem get done. Use google and you will find several companies
I just find some link here on the forum check here for more general information.
https://www.expat.com/en/guide/asia/vie … etnam.html

Vaneric wrote:

I heard somewhere foriengers can own only own 49% of a Vietnam business if in a partnership. I may be wrong though. I to want to open a business eventually in Tay Ninh. We are still in discussion mode.


For mine we did 49/51.  He said we could have done 50/50 but it is more hassle, money and paperwork.  I did not care about 1%.  If I go away the business dies so no risk to me having 49%. It is an export business and I have the sales contacts in the US.

Maximum portion of foreign capital depends on what kind of business.

For example: coffee shop can be owned by 100% foreign capital, legally speaking.

But we do not advise you to do so, provided the hassle of licensing procedure. Maybe having a friend set it up first, then buy 100% charter capital of such company (acquisition).