How to verify a Vietnamese company
By the Vanguard Verify desk · Published 2026-11-03 · Updated 2026-11-03
Short answer: to verify a Vietnamese company, get its 10-digit enterprise code (mã số doanh nghiệp, which is also its tax code), search it on the National Business Registration Portal (dangkykinhdoanh.gov.vn), then search the same number on the Tax Department's taxpayer lookup (tracuunnt.gdt.gov.vn). The name, address, legal representative and status must match the offer on both. A cement or clinker seller also has to show it can actually export: ask for a plant you can visit and a certificate of origin from the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
Step by step
- Get the identifiers. Ask for the full Vietnamese name (for example "Công ty TNHH …" or "Công ty Cổ phần …"), the English trading name, and the enterprise code. Under the 2020 enterprise rules (Decree 01/2021/ND-CP), the enterprise code is also the tax code. A main company has 10 digits. A branch or dependent unit has 13: the parent's 10 digits, a hyphen and a 3-digit suffix (for example 0101245486-002).
- Search the business register. Enter the code on dangkykinhdoanh.gov.vn. The free basic record shows the name, code, address, legal form, status and legal representative. Charter capital and financial statements are paid extras (VND 20,000 for registration certificate information, VND 40,000 per filing copy). Since 2025 the portal is run by an agency of the Ministry of Finance, which took over from the old Ministry of Planning and Investment.
- Read the legal form. "TNHH" means limited liability company (one-member or multi-member). "Cổ phần" or "CP" means joint stock company. A branch, representative office or business location is part of a company, not a separate company, and cannot sign as if it were. A household business (hộ kinh doanh) is not a company at all.
- Match the legal representative. The register names the legal representative. If someone else signed your FCO or SPA, ask for a written authorisation from that representative and check it against the register.
- Check the tax status. Search the same code on tracuunnt.gdt.gov.vn. It shows the name, managing tax office, address and status. Status 03 means the business stopped operating but never closed its tax code. Status 06 means the business no longer operates at its registered address. Either one is a stop sign for a new contract.
- Check the investment licence if foreign-owned. A foreign-invested company usually also holds an Investment Registration Certificate (IRC). Ask for it and check that the investor and project scope cover trading or production of the goods offered.
- Check the export paperwork. Since 5 May 2025 the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) is the only body that issues certificates of origin in Vietnam (Decision 1103/QĐ-BCT). VCCI no longer issues them. A new C/O dated after that day showing VCCI as the issuer does not fit the rules. See how to verify a certificate of origin.
- Prove the plant or the supply. For cement or clinker, the seller should either own the grinding plant or kiln or hold a written supply contract with one. Ask for the plant address, visit it or send an inspector, and confirm the loading port. See how to verify a clinker supplier.
- Call the company yourself. Use the number and address you found on the register or the plant's own website, not the one in the email, and ask them to confirm the offer and the person sending it.
What to compare
| Field | Where to check it | What must match |
|---|---|---|
| Enterprise code / tax code | Business register and tax lookup | Same 10 digits on invoice, contract and both systems |
| Vietnamese legal name | Business register | Exact name, including TNHH or Cổ phần |
| Legal representative | Business register | The signer, or a signed authorisation from them |
| Address | Both systems | The address on the offer; tax status not 06 |
| Tax status | tracuunnt.gdt.gov.vn | Active, not 03 or 06 |
| C/O issuer | The certificate | MoIT office for C/Os issued from 5 May 2025 |
Red flags
- No enterprise code, or a code that opens a different name.
- A 13-digit branch code used to sign the contract as if it were the parent company.
- Tax status 03 or 06, or a tax address in a different province from the offer.
- The signer is not the legal representative and has no written authorisation.
- A company seal used as "proof". Under Article 43 of the Law on Enterprises 2020, a company chooses its own seal design and number of seals, and no longer has to register the seal sample, so a stamp alone proves little.
- A trading company with no plant, no supply contract and very large monthly volumes of cement or clinker.
- Free webmail, a mobile number only, and pressure to pay a "registration" or "allocation" fee before you see documents.
- A request for the buyer to pay deposits to a third-country account in a name that is not the registered company.
A clean register entry shows the company exists. It does not show that the person emailing you works there or that the cargo exists, so combine it with the steps in how to verify a cement supplier and an independent inspection before you pay.
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FAQ
What is a Vietnamese enterprise code?
It is the company's registration number (mã số doanh nghiệp). Under Decree 01/2021/ND-CP it is also the tax code. A main company has 10 digits; a branch or dependent unit adds a hyphen and a 3-digit suffix, giving 13 digits.
Is the Vietnamese business register free to search?
The basic record on dangkykinhdoanh.gov.vn is free. Registration certificate information, filed documents and financial statements are paid, for example VND 20,000 or VND 40,000 per copy.
How do I check a Vietnamese tax code?
Search the code on tracuunnt.gdt.gov.vn, the Tax Department's taxpayer lookup. It shows the name, managing tax office, address and status. Status 03 or 06 means the business has stopped operating or is not at its registered address.
Who issues certificates of origin in Vietnam?
Since 5 May 2025 the Ministry of Industry and Trade is the only issuing body (Decision 1103/QĐ-BCT). VCCI no longer issues certificates of origin.
Vanguard Verify is run by Vanguard Trade Capital Goods Wholesalers DWC-LLC, Dubai South, Licence 14282. This answer is general information, not legal or financial advice.