Register a Business Address in Vietnam: What the 2026 Apartment Rules Mean for Your Company

Register a business address in Vietnam, and that address now carries more legal weight than it used to. Decree 339/2026/NĐ-CP, effective August 26, 2026, fines an individual up to VND 130 million for running a business out of a home apartment. An organization faces up to VND 260 million. This guide covers what Vietnamese law actually requires of a business address, why an apartment rarely qualifies, and how to switch to a compliant one without losing your tax code.

What you need to register a business address in Vietnam

Under the Law on Enterprises 2020, Article 42, a company’s head office is defined simply as its contact address. The law sets no minimum floor area. It lets several businesses share one contact address, as long as each one can be reached there. That’s the legal foundation a virtual office relies on.

It’s also why the address itself, not the square footage behind it, is what regulators care about. A serviced apartment, a private office and a virtual office can all satisfy Article 42 equally well. What decides whether an address holds up isn’t the type of space. It’s whether that address meets three specific conditions tax authorities check.

This applies whether the entity is a fresh startup, a subsidiary of a foreign parent, or a representative office set up for market entry. The registration form doesn’t ask what kind of space sits behind the address. It only records the address itself.

The 3 conditions that let you register a business address in Vietnam

First, a company sign has to be visible at the registered address, confirmed by a photo or a site visit. Second, mail and official notices from government agencies have to reach the right person at that address. Nothing should go unanswered or get returned. Third, a valid service contract has to prove the company’s right to use the address, ready to produce if the tax office asks for it.

A residential apartment rarely holds up on all three points at once. Building lobbies don’t carry company signage. Mail gets lost without someone there to receive it during the day. A residential lease isn’t a service contract for office use, so it carries no weight when a tax officer checks the address on file.

These three conditions apply to companies: limited liability companies, joint-stock companies and representative offices. A household business, or hộ kinh doanh, needs an actual place of business under separate rules. It can’t substitute a virtual office for one.

Why a home apartment can no longer register a business address

If your company still lists a home apartment as its registered address, the calculation just changed. Decree 339/2026/NĐ-CP took effect on August 26, 2026. Under Point d, Clause 3, Article 62, an individual who uses a residential apartment for a purpose other than living in it faces a fine of VND 100-130 million.

An organization faces double that, VND 200-260 million, under the same article. Beyond the fine, the violator has to restore the apartment to residential use, under Point đ, Clause 4 of the same article.

The rule doesn’t distinguish between an online business and a physical one. An apartment used as storage for a steady stream of e-commerce orders falls under the same regulation as the transaction address of a consulting firm. What matters is how the apartment actually functions, not the business model behind it.

This exposure is highest for young companies and market-entry teams. A founder who registered a company from a rented apartment before hiring staff fits this profile.

So does a country manager who used a corporate serviced apartment as the address during setup. Neither started out trying to break a rule. Both now hold an address that no longer fits it.

The consequences don’t stop at the fine. Banks, business partners and corporate clients routinely verify a company’s registered address before signing a large contract. An address flagged as a violation can slow down a bank account application, a work visa for foreign staff, or a tender submission, even before any penalty is formally recorded.

Decree 339/2026 triples the cost to register a business address at home

Decree 16/2022/NĐ-CP, the prior rule, capped the fine for an individual at VND 40 million. The below compares the two fine schedules.

Old fine, through Aug 25, 2026 (Decree 16/2022):

• Individual, household business: VND 20-40 million
• Organization (double the individual rate): VND 40-80 million

New fine, from Aug 26, 2026 (Decree 339/2026):

• Individual, household business: VND 100-130 million
• Organization (double the individual rate): VND 200-260 million

The rule isn’t aimed at remote work. Answering email or processing online orders from a personal laptop at home isn’t the target. The risk starts once an apartment becomes a business’s regular place of operation.

Signs of that include a company sign at the door, staff arriving to work every day, clients visiting regularly, or inventory stored on-site. Authorities use these same signals to determine that an apartment has become an office in practice.

A freelancer answering client emails from a living room isn’t at risk. A three-person company that turns a bedroom into a meeting room, hangs a logo by the door, and has clients over every week to sign contracts is a different case.

Enforcement doesn’t rely on inspections alone. A building management board, a neighbor or a visiting client can all report a suspected violation. Once a violation is recorded, the fine applies right away. The time lost during an address change can cost more than the fine on paper.

Business address in HCMC: virtual office pricing and locations

A Dreamplex virtual office starts at VND 30,000 a day, with a 12-month minimum contract. That’s long enough to give an address stability, and short enough not to lock you into more than you need. The package includes a valid registered address, a company sign installed free of charge once the contract is signed, and staff who receive and forward mail on time.

That covers all three conditions tax authorities check, in a single package. Dreamplex staff handle setup directly at each location, so you’re not managing the paperwork alone. The same package works whether you’re registering a brand-new company or moving an existing one off a home address.

You choose the location that fits your business. District 1 has two addresses: Nguyen Trung Ngan and Tran Quang Khai. District 2 has Ngo Quang Huy in Thao Dien and Le Hien Mai. District 3 has Tran Quoc Toan.

Outside Ho Chi Minh City, the Hanoi virtual office sits in Thai Ha, Dong Da. With six locations across two cities, you can expand into Hanoi without switching address providers.

Every package includes one free coworking day a month, plus member pricing on meeting rooms. That’s a difference from providers that sell an address alone. You’re not just buying a name on paper. You have somewhere real to meet a client when it matters.

Already using a home address? How to register a business address the right way

Many companies ask whether a virtual office is legally sufficient to run a business on. It is, as long as the address meets the three conditions above and you hold a valid service contract as evidence.

If your company currently lists an apartment, here’s the good news: the tax code doesn’t change when the registered address does. A tax code stays with the company for its entire operating life, independent of where the office sits.

Register a business address without losing your tax code

The switch happens in two steps. First, sign a virtual office contract at a compliant address and receive the company sign and contract as legal proof.

Second, file a change-of-address notice with the Department of Planning and Investment where the company is registered. The filing typically includes a notice of change to company registration details, a resolution from the owner or members’ council, and the virtual office contract as evidence for the new address. It’s a standard administrative filing, not a corporate restructuring.

If the new address falls under a different district, the tax office managing the company changes too. The tax code itself stays the same. The handover of records between the two tax offices is worth planning for, though, since it can add a few extra days to the process.

Waiting doesn’t help. Decree 339/2026/NĐ-CP carries no grace period for companies already registered at a home address before it took effect. The rule applies from August 26, 2026 to every apartment used outside its residential purpose, regardless of when the company first registered there. Switching before an inspection is always cheaper than dealing with a fine after one.

Virtual office to private office upgrade HCMC: growing with Dreamplex

Many Dreamplex members start with a virtual office when the team is a few people working remotely. They move up to a dedicated desk or a private office at the same location once the company grows. The registered address and tax code stay the same through that process. Only the space changes.

That path suits a founder building a company from a small base. Start at the lowest cost that still looks credible enough to meet a client or a partner. Expand when the company needs the space, not when a lease happens to run out.

It also suits a country manager reporting to a regional or global head office. A registered address that photographs well, receives mail reliably, and upgrades to a real office as headcount grows is easier to defend in a budget review than one that raises questions.

The member community at each location is a further benefit. It’s where founders meet potential partners and clients, something that sits outside the registration paperwork but often matters more to a new company than the paperwork itself.

If you’re weighing a move off a home apartment before Decree 339/2026/NĐ-CP takes full effect, the Dreamplex team can help you register a business address and pick the right location. The contract and company sign are ready within days, so you can file your address change as soon as you need to.

Ready to get your business registered and thriving?

• Book a Tour → Experience how Dreamplex helps enterprises reduce cost per employee while enhancing daily performance.
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Dreamplex provides registered business addresses at six locations across Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, alongside serviced offices and coworking when the team needs physical space. Contact Dreamplex for a free consultation and explore special offers:

• Hotline: +84 909 90 34 99
• Email: sales@dreamplex.co

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