China Company Chops and the Post-Registration Checklist

A company chop or seal is a controlled authority tool that connects a document or transaction to the Chinese company. Different chops serve different functions, and legal effect depends on the seal, the document, the user's authority and the surrounding facts. It should never be treated as office stationery.

A standard operating set often includes the official company chop, finance chop and legal-representative chop. An invoice chop may be used for applicable invoicing workflows. Contract, customs and other specialist chops are added only where the company actually needs them.

Company seals should be made by a qualified engraver through the local public-security seal system. Under the revised national seal-carving rules, the engraver verifies the supporting material and reports the company, applicant, impression and supporting records after carving. Keep the local filing or registration evidence with the company records.

No single formality answers every case. A contract may be concluded through an authorised signature, a company chop, a reliable electronic signature or other evidence of agreement, subject to the transaction and any special legal requirements. For risk control, verify the Chinese legal entity, the person's authority and the seal, and retain the complete final agreement.

That creates a serious control risk. Separate custody from approval and execution: for example, the person holding the finance chop should not also be the only online-banking maker and checker. Use named custodians, approval thresholds, dual control and a numbered usage log.

No. Do not stamp blank paper, an incomplete contract or a detached signature page. The custodian should compare the final approved document, apply the correct chop, record the use and retain a copy of exactly what was sealed.

Secure the remaining chops, licence, bank devices and platform credentials; document the incident and recent usage; obtain corporate authority for replacement; and follow the local invalidation, public-notice, police-report and licensed re-carving process. Requirements differ by city and by whether the chop was lost, stolen or damaged.

Preserve evidence of the refusal, confirm the resolutions and registration changes, secure all other credentials and obtain local advice on invalidation and replacement. Many locations allow replacement through documented corporate authority, public notice and licensed re-carving, but an active dispute may also require notices, court relief and evidence preservation.

Yes, when it complies with the applicable electronic-seal and reliable-electronic-signature rules. The 2025 national Electronic Seal Management Measures state that a compliant electronic seal has the same legal effect as a physical seal, except where law or regulation excludes electronic use. A pasted scan of a red chop is not the same thing.

Not necessarily. China's electronic-invoice systems can use electronic signatures and platform verification instead of displaying a physical invoice chop. The finance team should follow the format and validation rules for the invoice being issued rather than copying a red seal image onto the file.

Inventory the formation records and seals; confirm electronic tax-bureau access, tax types, accounting and invoice setup; open the corporate bank account and report it for tax where required; arrange payroll, social insurance and housing fund if hiring; and obtain customs, foreign-exchange and sector permits needed by the activity.

Tax filing can begin before the company earns revenue, including nil returns where required, so confirm the assigned tax types and first filing period immediately. The enterprise annual report for the previous year is submitted through the national publicity system from 1 January to 30 June, starting in the year after incorporation.