Reviewed by Scott, Scott Info Consulting · October 2026
Open a company and get a work visa in Yiwu
Opening a company in Yiwu with your own work and residence permit costs $1,550–1,750 (about RMB 10,500–11,600) in our fees for the first year and takes about 5–7 weeks inside China, or 9–11 weeks from abroad. Your office and your own social insurance are paid separately.
What your money pays for
In our fees
- Company registration and business licence
- Company bank account
- First year of bookkeeping and tax filingsmall-scale taxpayer
- Work permit and system accountwith a visa
- Residence permitwith a visa
Budget separately
- Small office for a work visafrom about $1,200 (RMB 8,000) a year; we take no commission and you can find your own
- Virtual address, company onlyabout $300 (RMB 2,000), or use your own
- Your social insuranceabout $255–270 (RMB 1,700–1,800) a month, with a visa
- Import and export registrationoptional add-on, about 1 week
- Notarisation, translation and government visa feesas needed
How the weeks add up
Inside China: about 5 to 7 weeks. Once the company is registered, the bank account and the work permit system account run at the same time. Plan for at least two weeks for the work permit itself. Lighter bars show how long a step can take.
From abroad: about 9 to 11 weeks, including about two weeks for the Z visa. Visa times vary a lot between Chinese consulates. Lighter bars show how long a step can take.
Your route, step by step
Prepare your documents
- PassportYou in person, or a notarised copy in original
Notarisation and translation fees are paid separately.
Do I need to be in China to register a company in Yiwu?
Not necessarily. Yiwu accepts either you in person or an original notarised copy of your passport. One of the two is required.
Register the company
- Time1–2 weeks
- AddressSmall office for a visa · virtual address otherwise
For a work visa, Yiwu expects a real office; a small single room is enough. If you only need the company, a virtual address works.
How much does it cost to open a company in Yiwu?
Our fees for the company alone are $900–1,000 (about RMB 6,000–6,600) in the first year, covering registration, a company bank account and one year of bookkeeping as a small-scale taxpayer, plus a virtual address of about $300 (RMB 2,000) or your own. With your own work and residence permit, our fees are $1,550–1,750 (about RMB 10,500–11,600) for the first year.
On top of that, budget for a small office, usually from around $1,200 (RMB 8,000) a year, and your own social insurance of about $255–270 (RMB 1,700–1,800) a month. Notarisation, translation and government visa fees are not included.
Do I need an office in Yiwu?
For a work visa, yes; for the company alone, no. A small single room usually starts from around $1,200 (RMB 8,000) a year. We can help you look, but we take no commission from landlords and we encourage you to find your own. If you only need the company, a virtual address is enough.
Open the company bank account
- AttendIn person, or with your original passport
Our fee includes the account opening.
Can a foreigner open a company bank account in Yiwu?
Yes. You either attend in person, or we open it on your behalf with your original passport.
Get your work permit
- TimeAt least 2 weeks, plus the system account
- You payYour own social insurance
You pay your own social insurance every month, about $255–270 (RMB 1,700–1,800) at the 2026 minimum base. Foreign merchants in Yiwu also usually register a Yiwu business friend card (商友卡) at the local police station; it is used in renewal declarations and market purchase filings.
With a degree
You can use the standard Category B route if you meet it, or the Yiwu investor route below, which does not depend on your degree.
No degree? Yiwu’s investor work permit
Yiwu runs its own work permit pilot for foreign investors. For Category C you need:
- An international trade company with registered capital of at least RMB 100,000 and at least 25% of the shares in your name, or a trade-related service company with at least RMB 150,000 and 30%
- A real office where the company operates
- Social insurance paid as required (commercial insurance if you are not eligible)
- Proof of real purchasing in Yiwu, such as purchase orders. There is no fixed amount, but it has to make sense for your business
- Your highest education certificate, whatever level it is, and generally an age of 60 or under
Our service fees are the same with or without a degree.
Can I get a work visa through my own company in Yiwu?
Yes. Yiwu has an investor work permit pilot for foreign shareholders of trade companies, in addition to the standard routes. Check your national points to see if Category B is open to you.
Can I get a work permit in Yiwu without a degree?
Yes, through the investor route. You need a trade company with enough registered capital, at least 25% of the shares (30% for a trade-related service company), a real office, social insurance and proof of real purchasing in Yiwu. You still provide your highest education certificate, whatever its level.
Get your residence permit
- Time1–2 weeks in China
Government visa fees are paid separately. If you apply from abroad, you first get a Z visa at a Chinese embassy, which adds time.
Can my family get visas if I work in Yiwu?
Yes. Your spouse, children and some other family members can get family residence permits. The requirements depend on the family category (S1 or S2). A business visa cannot bring your family; a work visa can.
Every year after
- Every yearBookkeeping, office rent, social insurance
- Category C50 renewal points
- Category B1 year, or 2–4 years from 60 points
Government visa fees for renewals are paid separately.
What does a Yiwu company cost every year?
Our bookkeeping and tax filing is about $480 (RMB 3,200) a year for a small-scale taxpayer. Add your office rent and, if you hold a work permit, your monthly social insurance.
What do I need to renew my work permit in Yiwu?
Enough points on Yiwu’s renewal table, plus normal insurance payments and a self-declaration of your business. Category C needs 50 points and can be renewed for up to one year under the rules, though six months is common in practice. Category B renews for one year, or two to four years with 60 points. Check your score.
Yiwu renewal points: check your score
Yiwu has its own points table for renewing an investor’s work permit. It is not the national 60-point table used to decide your category; for that one, use our work permit points calculator. Category C needs 50 points to renew; Category B can renew for 2 to 4 years from 60 points.
Based on Yiwu’s published renewal points table (pilot rules in force until December 31, 2027). An estimate only; the authorities make the final decision.
Example: how a trader reaches 50 points
A trader on Category C with 40% of the shares, two years in Zhejiang, a bachelor’s degree and HSK 3:
| Item | Points |
|---|---|
| Personal credit score 105–109 | 12 |
| Company credit B, no deductions: 10 × 40% | 4 |
| Personal income tax RMB 2,000–2,999 | 10 |
| Company tax RMB 30,000–39,999: 20 × 40% | 8 |
| Two years worked in Zhejiang | 20 |
| Bachelor’s degree | 5 |
| HSK 3 | 3 |
| Total | 62 · above the 50-point line |
Without the degree, the same trader scores 57 and still renews. Company points count only for your share, so a larger share or higher company tax helps most.
Keep these records from day one
At renewal, Yiwu asks you to declare how your business actually runs. Traders who collect money in cash or through personal accounts often cannot prove it later. The declaration asks for:
- Foreign currency settled into your personal account last year, and the company’s tax for last year
- Containers shipped and total trade value last year
- Products you sell and the countries you sell to
- Whether you trade in cash or other forms
- Office and warehouse size and rent, and your freight forwarder
- Chinese employees and how many have social insurance, your registered and paid-in capital
Run payments through traceable accounts and keep your shipping records from the first order.
Grow from Category C to Category B
Yiwu does not ask you to collect the national 60 points to move up. It looks at how your business performs. A foreign investor with stable operations and social insurance can be managed as Category B by meeting one of these:
- USD 500,000 or more settled in foreign currency in a year
- RMB 10 million or more in yearly imports and exports
- RMB 2 million or more in yearly sales
- Two years or more in Zhejiang, with at least two Chinese employees on social insurance
- Eight years or more working in Zhejiang
- An award from a county-level authority or above, or a recommendation from the industry authority
Category B can be extended up to age 65.
Yiwu or Guangzhou for a trader’s work visa?
| Yiwu | Guangzhou | |
|---|---|---|
| No degree | Investor route for trade company shareholders | Usually only the high-salary route |
| Chinese employee | Not required | Usually required |
| Degree verification | No CSCSE verification required at present | Strict; some cases need CSCSE verification |
| Office cost | Lower | Higher |
Should I use a business visa or a work visa in Yiwu?
It depends on how long you stay and whether your family comes. If you visit for a few days at a time, a business visa is often enough, and you can still open a company with a virtual address for your trade. If you want to live in Yiwu or bring your family, a work visa through your own company is the way, but weigh it against the monthly social insurance cost.
Can my Yiwu company import and export?
Yes. We can add the import and export registration through the single window, which usually takes about a week.
Is Yiwu a good city for a foreigner to open a company?
Yes, if you really trade in Yiwu and plan to live there. The investor route works without a degree and without Chinese staff, and offices are inexpensive. The main ongoing cost is your own social insurance, so compare it with what the work visa gives you.
Reference prices for our services, valid until December 31, 2026. Not included: office rent, social insurance, notarisation, translation and government visa fees. USD converted at about 6.69 RMB per USD. Investor work permit rules follow Yiwu’s pilot rules of June 2025, valid until December 31, 2027. Your final quote follows a short assessment of your situation.