(1)      Legal Status of a Permanent Representative Office

The Permanent Representative Office (also known as Resident Representative Office) is a non-legal entity operating representing its parent foreign company registered outside China, including those registered in Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan). A Permanent representative office is not allowed to engage itself in business activities, issue invoices on its own, signing sales or purchase contracts, or receiving income from services performed but may act as a liaison and promotion office for its parent company.

(2)      Name of a Permanent Representative Office

The name of the Permanent Representative Office should be in the form of “Name of the Foreign Enterprise + Ningbo + Representative Office (or Office)”. For example, USA New York LLC Ningbo Representative Office.

(3)      Business Address (Registered Office)

Before submitting the documents for application for registration to the Administration for Industry and Commerce, it is required that the office premise to be used by the Permanent Representative Office be leased and a tenancy agreement concluded. The tenancy agreement could be executed by the Chief Representative of the Permanent Representative Office or the director of the foreign company applying to set up the Permanent Representative Office.

The foreign company applying to set up the Permanent Representative Office is responsible for the preparation of the following information and documents:

(1)	One set of legalized (by Chinese Embassy or Consulate) Business Registration Certificate or Certificate of Incorporation of the applicant company;
(2)	One set of legalized (by Chinese Embassy or Consulate) bank’s reference letter issued in the name of the applicant company;
(3)	One original Tenancy Agreement (lease agreement) of the office premise to be used by the Representative Office; the lease term should not be less than 12 months. The tenancy must be entered into in the name of the parent company, and signed by its legal representative;
(4)	One photostat copy of the Certificate of Property Ownership evidencing the landlord owning the property;
(5)	A brief summary of the operations and business of the applicant company, such as the principal business activities, registered address, contact phone number, name of the applicant company; the address and contact number of the managing director of the applicant company;
(6)	One set of legalized (by Chinese Embassy or Consulate) Power of Attorney, Letter of Appointment of the Chief Representative with his or her identity documents;

The procedures for registration of a Permanent Representative Office in Ningbo can be summarized into two steps:

Step 1:   Application for Registration Certificate
The first step is to apply for registration certificate with Ningbo Administration Bureau for Industry and Commerce; and once the Permanent Representative Office Registration Certificate is issued, the post-registration procedures as listed in Step 2 below then need to be performed.

Step 2:   Post establishment Registration Procedures
Upon the issuance of the Permanent Representative Office Registration Certificate, we will then perform the post-establishment registration procedures, including:
(1)   Applying for representative certificate
(2)   Engraving of Office Stamp (after approval of the Public Security Department of Ningbo Public Security Bureau)
(3)   Opening of bank accounts

Procedure	Description	Working Days
1	Application for Permanent Representative Office Registration Certificate	10
2	Application and engraving of stamps	3
3	Application for Representative Certificate for Chief Representative	4
4	Opening of bank account	10-15
	TOTAL	4 - 6 weeks