Can you register a company in China without visiting?
Wondering whether you can register a company in China without visiting the country? The short answer is yes. Since China’s Hague Apostille Convention accession took effect in November 2023, foreign founders can incorporate a Wholly Foreign-Owned Enterprise (WFOE) entirely from abroad — no entry visa, no border stamp. You provide a handful of notarized identity documents; a licensed China agent handles the rest.
What you only need to prepare (5 documents)
As the foreign shareholder, you prepare just five items, all issued or notarized in your home country:
1. Valid passport — proof of your identity as the foreign investor.
2. Apostille (Hague certification) of your passport/ID — replaces the old embassy legalization step.
3. Certified Chinese translation of the passport and apostille, stamped by a qualified translation agency.
4. Notarized Power of Attorney (POA) appointing your China agent to file and sign on your behalf.
5. Beneficial Owner (UBO) declaration — used by banks for anti-money-laundering (AML) and KYC checks.
What your China agent handles for you
A licensed domestic agent takes care of the entire setup, including:
— Drafting the Articles of Association;
— Company name pre-approval (submit 3–5 Chinese name candidates);
— Securing a registered address (lease or compliant proxy address);
— Appointing the legal representative, director, supervisor, and finance officer;
— FDI foreign-exchange registration (SAFE);
— Company chops, tax and social-insurance onboarding.
The key mechanism: appoint a China-resident legal representative
To keep you off the plane even at the banking stage, appoint a natural person resident in China as your company’s legal representative (法定代表人). This person is an officer, not a shareholder — you remain the 100% owner, with no equity nominee required. Because the legal representative is physically in China, they can satisfy the bank’s in-person KYC, so you never need to enter the country.
The honest boundary (banking)
Most Chinese banks require the legal representative to appear in person for account-opening KYC (biometrics, original passport). By appointing a China-resident legal representative, that person appears — not you. A few foreign-invested banks (e.g., HSBC China, Standard Chartered Shanghai) offer video-KYC pilots. Policies vary by bank and city, so confirm the workflow early.
Why founders do this: sell into China
A remotely incorporated WFOE lets you settle on China’s domestic e-commerce platforms (Tmall, JD, Douyin shops), collect RMB, and issue fapiao — reaching hundreds of millions of Chinese consumers without a single trip.
How Hongshengze helps
Hongshengze helps foreign sellers incorporate and operate in China 100% remotely — from document checklist to agent coordination to platform settlement. Contact us / learn more.
Related: Work With a China Trading Partner
Related: Work With a China Trading Partner
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