Hainan may fit when
- You need a mainland entity to contract, invoice, employ staff or receive RMB.
- The company will manage China sales, importing or local distribution.
- You can support real operations, records and decision-making in Hainan.
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Thailand → Hainan · China company setup
Set Up a Hainan Company from Thailand
A Thai founder or company can establish a foreign-invested limited company in Hainan, subject to the activity and foreign-investment rules. For food, agricultural and consumer products, design the China entity and product-entry route together.
For individual founders and Thai corporate shareholders · One-hour time difference
Shareholder
You or your companyCompare control, funding and documents.
Preparation
Begin from ThailandConfirm bank attendance before travelling.
Budget
Formation + annual costsRegistered capital is separate.
Ready to operate
More than a licencePlan banking, tax and permissions.
01 / Start with the business
Is Hainan the right China base?
Hainan may work as a mainland sales, import or service entity, but the location must fit the customers, team and goods flow. Product access and customs treatment should be checked before the company scope is fixed.
Compare Hainan and the Greater Bay Area →Check the plan first when
- Your distributor already acts as importer and you do not need a China operating entity.
- The product cannot yet satisfy China market-access, registration or labelling rules.
- The plan relies on automatic zero-tariff treatment or a registration-only tax benefit.
02 / Choose your shareholder
Invest personally or through a Thai company?
The better route depends on funding, governance, future investors and the document chain. A wholly foreign-owned structure is commonly called a WFOE, while the entity is registered as a foreign-invested limited liability company.
| Decision | Individual shareholder | Thai company shareholder |
|---|---|---|
| Typical fit | A founder building a standalone China business. | An established business creating a China subsidiary. |
| Investor evidence | Passport or accepted identity document and the required verification route. | Current Thai company registration and constitutional documents, corporate approvals, authorised signatory details, directors, shareholders and ultimate beneficial owners. |
| Control & funding | Direct personal ownership and contribution obligations. | Group ownership, corporate approvals and documented funding. |
| Review before choosing | Nationality, future partners, succession and personal tax position. | Ownership chain, governance, funding and cross-border tax treatment. |
03 / Build the full budget
What should you budget for?
Include formation work, document costs, premises and permissions, then the first year of accounting and compliance. We quote after checking the activity and shareholder route.
| Cost component | What to budget for | What changes the cost |
|---|---|---|
| Formation support | Ownership and scope review, filing preparation, registration coordination and agreed post-licence tasks. | The activity, shareholder route and included deliverables. |
| Documents & third parties | Notarisation or legalisation where required, translation, courier, seals and bank charges. | The investor type, document route and receiving authority. |
| Premises & permissions | Registered address, operating premises and any customs, product or industry permissions. | The real location, activity, goods and licence conditions. |
| Annual running costs | Bookkeeping, tax filings, annual reporting, address renewal, payroll and audit work where applicable. | Transactions, staffing and the agreed compliance scope. |
Registered capital is company funding, not a service fee. For a new limited company, the general contribution deadline is five years from establishment, subject to special rules. Set a realistic amount and schedule.
04 / Plan the sequence
How does the setup work?
Treat the licence, bank account, tax setup and permissions as separate milestones.
Will you need to travel?
Planning and document work can begin overseas. Electronic verification may be available in some cases, but a bank can request attendance, video verification or a premises check.
- 01
Confirm the setup route
You: Describe the activity, customers, team, shareholder, funding and goods flow.
Our team: We screen ownership, business scope, location and licence dependencies.
Outcome: a workable structure before documents are ordered.
- 02
Prepare the overseas documents
You: Provide current identity or corporate records and approve the Chinese filing documents.
Our team: We confirm signing, translation and the accepted authentication route.
Outcome: a filing-ready document pack.
- 03
Register the Hainan company
You: Confirm the scope, registered-capital schedule and company appointments.
Our team: We coordinate the registration filing and respond to authority queries.
Outcome: the business licence and company records.
- 04
Set up banking and tax
You: Provide beneficial-owner, source-of-funds and business evidence; attend verification if required.
Our team: We coordinate seals, tax, invoicing and bank-application preparation.
Bank KYC and premises checks have separate timelines.
- 05
Prepare to trade
You: Keep contracts, invoices and operational evidence and report material changes.
Our team: We coordinate agreed customs, licence, bookkeeping and recurring compliance work.
Outcome: an operating plan beyond incorporation.
05 / Prepare the right documents
What should you prepare in Thailand?
We confirm the filing pack and authentication route before anything is notarised, legalised or translated.
Individual investor
Identity & company plan
- Passport or other accepted identity document.
- Nationality, address and contact details.
- Shareholding and registered-capital schedule.
- Company appointments, activities, staff and Hainan address.
Corporate shareholder
Company & ownership chain
Current Thai company registration and constitutional documents, corporate approvals, authorised signatory details, directors, shareholders and ultimate beneficial owners.
Current document route
Confirm before you certify.
Thailand acceded to the Apostille Convention on 30 June 2026, but it does not enter into force for Thailand until 28 February 2027. Before that date, do not assume an Apostille is available for the China filing. Confirm the current authentication and legalisation route before signing.
A simplified registration route does not remove the bank’s separate KYC checks.
06 / Connect registration to operations
Plan product access before the first shipment.
A China company does not automatically make a Thai product importable. The overseas producer, Chinese importer, product category, quarantine access, registration and label all need to align.
Overseas producer
Food manufacturers exporting to China may need GACC registration under the rules effective from 1 June 2026. The route depends on the product and may involve recommendation by the competent Thai authority.
China importer & product
Identify the mainland importer of record and check customs, food-safety, quarantine, formula or other product approvals before contracting or printing packaging.
Labels, records & distribution
Chinese labelling and packaging must match the product rules. Keep contracts, invoices, origin, registration and logistics records consistent with the declared transaction.
Read the related guide →07 / Plan beyond incorporation
Tax, banking and cross-border payments.
Only when the company qualifies
The preferential corporate income-tax rate requires qualifying encouraged-industry activity and substantive operations in Hainan. Registration alone is not enough.
Bank readiness
Plan KYC early.
Expect questions about ownership, source of funds, customers, suppliers, transactions and actual premises. The bank decides the verification and approval requirements.
Bank-account guide →Profit distributions
Build the evidence from day one.
Dividends require distributable profits, corporate approval, tax procedures and bank review. Treaty treatment is not automatic and should be checked for the shareholder.
Profit-repatriation guide →Can a Thai national own 100% of a Hainan company?
Often, yes. A Thai individual or company may own all the shares when the activity allows full foreign ownership. Restricted and licensed activities require a separate review.
Should I invest personally or through a Thai company?
Personal ownership may involve fewer corporate documents. A Thai corporate shareholder may better fit an established brand, group funding and formal governance. Compare the ownership chain, tax and expansion plan first.
Can Thai documents use an Apostille now?
Not yet. Thailand acceded on 30 June 2026, but the Convention enters into force for Thailand on 28 February 2027. Until then, confirm the applicable authentication and legalisation chain.
Can I register without travelling to China?
Planning, document work and much of registration can begin from Thailand. Bank opening and identity verification are separate, and the bank may request attendance, video verification or a premises visit.
How long does the setup take?
Plan separate periods for Thai document preparation, company registration, banking and tax, and any customs or product approvals. Food and agricultural market-access work may run independently from incorporation.
Does a Thai food producer need GACC registration?
It may. Under the rules effective from 1 June 2026, treatment depends on the food category and current GACC lists. Some producers need competent-authority recommendation; others may apply by the permitted route.
Can the Hainan company act as the importer?
Potentially, after its scope and customs, importer and product-specific requirements are in place. Incorporation alone does not authorise every product or shipment.
Are Thai goods automatically zero-tariff in Hainan?
No. Tariff treatment depends on the goods, origin, route, importer and policy conditions in force. Confirm eligibility before pricing a shipment.
Does every Hainan company receive the 15% income-tax rate?
No. The company must satisfy the encouraged-industry and substantive-operation conditions in force. Registration in Hainan alone is not enough.
What should I send for an initial assessment?
Send the product or service, proposed shareholder, China sales model, intended importer or distributor, and target date. For goods, include the product category and manufacturing country; do not send identity scans initially.
Your next step
Get a practical Thailand–Hainan setup plan.
Tell us the activity, shareholder, customers, staff, goods flow and target date.
- Recommended shareholder and registration route.
- Initial document and permission list.
- Planning timeline and itemised quotation.
Tell us about your planned Hainan company.
A short business description is enough. Please do not send a passport initially.
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Practical reading
Applying for a China work visa from Thailand?
If you hold a foreign passport and live in Thailand, check the Bangkok application requirements and where each supporting document was issued before planning your move to China.
China Work Visa from Thailand: Documents for Foreign Residents
For foreign residents applying from Thailand: check Bangkok requirements and the source of each supporting document.
Official references
Policy sources & review date.
Reviewed on . Official texts govern; document, bank, product and filing requirements should be reconfirmed before action.
Thailand Apostille status ↗
HCCH · accession on 30 June 2026; entry into force on 28 February 2027.
Imported-food producer rules ↗
GACC Decree No. 280 · revised registration rules effective 1 June 2026.
2026 implementation guidance ↗
Official policy summary of GACC Announcement No. 27 of 2026.
Hainan foreign investment negative list ↗
NDRC / MOFCOM · Hainan FTP list; read with later national and sector measures.
National foreign investment negative list ↗
NDRC / MOFCOM · 2024 edition, effective 1 November 2024.
Company Law: registered capital ↗
NPC · revised Company Law, effective 1 July 2024; Article 47 covers contributions for new limited companies.
Hainan corporate income-tax policy ↗
MOF / STA · eligibility rules, read with the official extension through 2027.
Corporate income-tax extension ↗
MOF / STA · Cai Shui [2025] No. 3, extending the policy through 31 December 2027.
Substantive-operation rules ↗
Hainan authorities · 2025 criteria for substantive operations through 31 December 2027.