A WFOE in Shenzhen is registered with the Shenzhen Administration for Market Regulation. The business licence issues in 3–5 working days after name approval; bank account opening takes a further 1–3 weeks. Government fees are effectively zero — the real cost is the registered address and ongoing bookkeeping.
Why Shenzhen
Shenzhen registers more foreign-invested entities than almost any other mainland city, which means the filing windows, banks and notary practices are used to foreign shareholders. For a founder, that translates into fewer procedural surprises and shorter bank queues.
The city also offers genuine advantages by district: Qianhai for businesses with a Hong Kong or cross-border element, Hetao for technology cooperation, Nanshan and Futian for professional services. Some districts publish subsidy programmes for qualifying industries — we check eligibility before recommending an address, because the address determines which district's rules apply to you.
What the bank will ask
Bank account opening is now the most common bottleneck, not the licence. Expect questions on business substance: who your customers are, where the money comes from, what the first invoices will be for, and why a Shenzhen entity is needed rather than an offshore one.
Prepare a short business plan, the signed lease or address agreement, the foreign parent's certificate of incorporation, and a clear explanation of the shareholder chain. Applications that cannot explain the ownership chain to the ultimate beneficial owner are declined, and a declined application is recorded.
What we handle
Name search and scope drafting, notarisation and legalisation guidance, filing and collection of the licence, four seals, bank introduction and account opening support, tax registration, and the first year of bookkeeping. Where a foreign employee is relocating, the work permit runs in parallel rather than after the company is set up.
Cost structure, first year, service WFOE
| Item | Typical range (RMB) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Government filing fees | 0 | Registration itself is free |
| Registered address | 3,000–10,000 / yr | Depends on district and whether serviced |
| Seals and engraving | 300–800 | Four seals, one-time |
| Bank account | 0–2,000 | Some banks charge an annual fee |
| Bookkeeping and filings | 3,000–8,000 / yr | Small-scale taxpayer, no import/export |
| Professional service fee | 8,000–20,000 | Scope, structure and document complexity |
Frequently asked
Is registering in Qianhai different from elsewhere in Shenzhen?
The filing authority is the same, but Qianhai has dedicated service windows for foreign investment and its own subsidy catalogue for qualifying industries. It also has a higher concentration of banks familiar with cross-border structures. The trade-off is that virtual addresses in Qianhai are more tightly audited than in some other districts.
Can a WFOE hire foreign employees?
Yes. The company must first obtain a foreign worker employment licence, then apply for the individual's work permit. A WFOE can also sponsor its own legal representative, which is how most founders obtain a residence permit in China.
Is there a minimum capital for a WFOE?
For ordinary service scopes there is no statutory minimum, but banks and licensing authorities look at whether the capital is proportionate. Scopes that require a licence — logistics, education, medical, construction — often carry explicit minimums. We size the figure against your scope rather than quoting a generic number.
Not sure which route applies to you?
Tell us what you are trying to do. The first call is a feasibility check, not a sales pitch.