2 Steps to Change the Address of a RO

By Richard Hoffmann, ECOVIS Beijing China

Changing the registered office address of a Representative Office requires a property backround check and the preparation and submission of several documents. For more detailed information an expert should be consulted. This short “step-by-guide” provides merely a brief overview of the process.

Step 1: Property Backround-Check

• Liase with property management office and make sure that the property can be used as a residence address of the RO

•  Check the ownership certificate of the property to verify that it can be used for commercial purposes

Once the property has been rented, the following documents should be issued by the property management office:

•  Certificate of Enterprise’s Residence Address
•  Copy of the Certificate of House Property Ownership

Step 2 : Draft and amend documents

Several documents need to be amended with the relevant authorities (in Chinese). The following documents need to be changed to reflect the new registered address:

• Registration Certificate (10 working days).  Relevant authority: BAIC
• Organizational Code Certificate; original, copy and Code IC Card (3 working days). Relevant authority: Quality Supervision and Inspection Bureau
• Tax Registration Certificate; original and copy (7 working days). Relevant authority: State and Local Tax Bureau
• Registration Record Book (3 working days). Relevant authority: Public Security Bureau
• Bank account certificate (5 working days). Relevant organisation: Opening bank of the RO

Total Time Frame:

Typically it will take around 45 days once the above documents have been accepted by the relevant authorities. However, the total time frame will also depend on the time needed to prepare the documents.