Question: Recently, many localities across the country have implemented the merger of provinces and communes to streamline the administrative apparatus. This has led to changes in administrative boundaries, raising several legal questions for businesses. Therefore, I would like to ask: Is a company required to register a change of its business address when administrative boundaries are changed?
Answer:
- Is a Business Required to Change Its Address?
According to Official Dispatch No. 4370/BTC-DNTN dated April 5, 2025, issued by the Ministry of Finance regarding guidance on business registration in cases of changes to administrative boundaries, the following key points are noted:
- Enterprises, household businesses, cooperatives, etc., may continue to use their current Certificate of Business Registration even if the administrative address has changed due to a merger or adjustment of administrative boundaries.
- The business registration authority shall not require enterprises to register a change of address if the sole reason is the change in administrative boundaries.
- A business is only required to update its address on the Certificate of Business Registration if:
+ It voluntarily wishes to do so; or
+ It is carrying out other simultaneous changes to its business registration (e.g., change of legal representative, charter capital, business lines, etc.).
- Practical Notes
- When declaring taxes, issuing invoices, signing contracts, or submitting documents to government authorities, businesses should carefully verify whether the old address is still accepted, especially in relation to electronic administrative systems.
- If there is a risk of confusion or inconsistency between different documents, businesses should consider updating their address to reflect the new administrative designation, even though it is not mandatory.
See more at: Consulting services on changing business registration content
