Regulations on naming enterprises

When establishing enterprises to conduct production and business activities, individuals and organizations need to pay attention to naming such enterprises in accordance with the regulations of the law.

When naming enterprises, the following issues should be noted:

1. The Vietnamese name of the enterprise shall include two components in the following order:

• Type of enterprise: The type of enterprise is written as “limited liability company” or “LLC” for limited liability companies; “joint stock company” or “JSC” for joint stock companies; “partnership” or “P” for partnerships; or as “sole proprietorship”, “SP” or “private enterprise” for sole proprietorships.
• Proper name: written in Vietnamese letters, F, J, Z, W letters, numbers and symbols.

2. The foreign name and the abbreviated name of the enterprise:

• The foreign name of the enterprise is a name translated from the Vietnamese name into one of the Latin-based foreign languages. When translated into a foreign language, the proper name of the enterprise may remain the same or be translated into the corresponding meaning in the foreign language.
• In cases where the enterprise has a foreign name, such foreign name is printed or written with a smaller font size than the Vietnamese name of the enterprise at the main office, branch, representative office, or business location of the enterprise, or on transaction documents, financial documents, and publications issued by the enterprise.
• The abbreviation of the enterprise name is abbreviated from the Vietnamese name or the foreign name.

3. The business registration authority has the right to refuse the proposed registered name of the enterprise when:

(1) Such name is identical or confusingly similar to the name of a registered enterprise. Specifically:

(i) Such identical name is the Vietnamese name of the enterprise applying for registration that is written exactly the same as the Vietnamese name of the registered enterprise.

(ii) Cases considered as similar to the name of the registered business include:

a) The Vietnamese name of the enterprise applying for registration is pronounced similarly to the name of the registered business;

b) The abbreviation of the enterprise applying for registration is the same as the abbreviation of the registered business;

c) The foreign name of the enterprise applying for registration is the same as the foreign name of the registered business;

d) The proper name of the enterprise applying for registration is different from that of the same type of registered business by some natural numbers, order, or letters in the Vietnamese alphabet, the letters of F, J, Z, W written continuously or immediately following the proper name of that business;

đ) The proper name of the enterprise applying for registration is different from that of the same type of registered business by a symbol “&” or “and”, “.”, “,”, “+”, “-“, or “_”;

e) The proper name of the enterprise applying for registration is different from that of the same type of registered business by the word “new” or “newly” written continuously or immediately before or after the proper name of the registered business;

g) The proper name of the enterprise applying for registration is different from that of the same type of registered business by a phrase “Northern”, “Southern”, “Central”, “Western”, “Eastern”;

h) The proper name of the enterprise is identical to the proper name of the registered business.

(iii) Cases specified in points d, e, g, and h of clause (ii) above shall not apply to subsidiary companies of the registered company.

(2) Using the name of state authorities, armed force units, political organizations, socio-political organizations, socio-political-professional organizations, social organizations, or socio-professional organizations to fully or partly be the proper name of enterprises, except for cases where there are approvals from such authorities, units, or organizations.

(3) Usage of language or symbols which violates the traditional history, culture, ethics, and customs of the nation.

4. The name of the enterprise must be displayed at the head office, branches, representative offices, and business locations of the enterprise. The name of the enterprise must be printed or written on transaction papers, documents, and publications issued by the enterprise.

This article is only for informational purposes. The contents of this article shall neither constitute legal advice nor should it be considered as detailed legal advice for specific cases. For more information on these issues, please contact us for specific support and advice.