{"id":2011,"date":"2026-07-02T17:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-07-02T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.manhattansez.com\/?p=2011"},"modified":"2026-07-14T17:21:21","modified_gmt":"2026-07-14T09:21:21","slug":"setting-up-a-business-in-cambodia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.manhattansez.com\/en\/setting-up-a-business-in-cambodia\/","title":{"rendered":"Business Registration in Cambodia (2026): 5 Steps, Costs &#038; Required Documents"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>Updated July 2026<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Quick answer:<\/strong> Foreign investors can register a 100%-foreign-owned company in Cambodia entirely online through the Ministry of Commerce <strong>Single Portal<\/strong> (registrationservices.gov.kh). The portal combines company registration, tax (GDT) registration and Ministry of Labour declaration in one application; straightforward cases are typically approved in about <strong>8 working days<\/strong>, and the minimum registered capital for a private limited company is only <strong>KHR 4 million (&asymp; US$1,000)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h2>Step 1: Choose Your Business Structure<\/h2>\n<p>Most foreign manufacturers register a <strong>Private Limited Company<\/strong> \u2014 it allows 100% foreign ownership, limits liability to registered capital, and needs only one shareholder and one director. Other available forms:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Private Limited Company<\/strong> \u2014 the default choice for factories and trading companies<\/li>\n<li><strong>Public Limited Company<\/strong> \u2014 for businesses that will issue shares publicly<\/li>\n<li><strong>Branch Office<\/strong> \u2014 extension of a foreign parent; parent bears liability<\/li>\n<li><strong>Representative Office<\/strong> \u2014 market research and liaison only, no revenue-generating activity<\/li>\n<li><strong>Sole Proprietorship \/ Partnership<\/strong> \u2014 rarely used by foreign investors<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.manhattansez.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/About-2-Business-Consultant.jpg\" alt=\"Business Registration in Cambodia (2026): 5 Steps, Costs &amp; Required Documents\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/figure>\n<h2>Step 2: Prepare Your Documents<\/h2>\n<p>For a private limited company you will need: passport copies of shareholders and directors, a registered office address in Cambodia (lease agreement), the company name in Khmer and English, articles of incorporation, and photographs of signatories. No minimum capital deposit certificate is required at filing, and there is no Cambodian-shareholder requirement.<\/p>\n<h2>Step 3: Register Online via the Single Portal<\/h2>\n<p>Since 2020, registration runs through the CamDX-based Single Portal, which files your application simultaneously with:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Ministry of Commerce<\/strong> \u2014 certificate of incorporation and business registration<\/li>\n<li><strong>General Department of Taxation<\/strong> \u2014 tax registration (TIN and patent tax)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training<\/strong> \u2014 enterprise declaration<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Government fees are paid once through the portal, and approvals typically arrive within about 8 working days for a standard application.<\/p>\n<h2>Step 4: Complete Post-Registration Obligations<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Open a corporate bank account in Cambodia and inject registered capital<\/li>\n<li>Register employees with the <strong>NSSF<\/strong> (National Social Security Fund)<\/li>\n<li>Obtain sector-specific licenses where applicable (factory permit from the Ministry of Industry for manufacturing operations)<\/li>\n<li>File monthly and annual tax returns \u2014 see our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.manhattansez.com\/en\/cambodia-tax-guide\/\">Cambodia Tax Guide<\/a> for rates and obligations<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Step 5 (For Manufacturers): Apply for QIP Status<\/h2>\n<p>If you are building a factory, register your project as a <strong>Qualified Investment Project (QIP)<\/strong> with the Council for the Development of Cambodia. QIP status unlocks a 3&ndash;9 year income tax exemption and duty-free import of machinery and construction materials \u2014 and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.manhattansez.com\/en\/2026-cambodia-qip-online-application\/\">since 2026 the QIP application also runs online<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Investors locating inside a special economic zone can complete company registration, QIP application and permits through the zone&rsquo;s <strong>one-stop service<\/strong>. See <a href=\"https:\/\/www.manhattansez.com\/en\/special-economic-zones-of-cambodia-a-complete-guide\/\">our complete guide to Cambodia&rsquo;s SEZs<\/a>, or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.manhattansez.com\/en\/contact\/\">contact MSEZ<\/a> for end-to-end setup support in Bavet.<\/p>\n<h2>Capital and Currency Rules<\/h2>\n<p>The general minimum registered capital is KHR 4 million (&asymp; US$1,000); certain regulated sectors require more. Cambodia is one of Asia&rsquo;s most dollarized economies with <strong>no foreign-exchange controls on ordinary business remittances<\/strong> \u2014 profits and capital can be repatriated through authorized banks.<\/p>\n<h2>Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n<h3>Can a foreigner own 100% of a Cambodian company?<\/h3>\n<p>Yes. Cambodia allows 100% foreign ownership in almost all sectors, including manufacturing. The main exception is land, which only Cambodian entities can own \u2014 foreign investors use long-term leases instead, such as land leases inside SEZs.<\/p>\n<h3>How long does business registration take in Cambodia?<\/h3>\n<p>About 8 working days through the online Single Portal for a standard private limited company, plus time for bank account opening and any sector licenses. Inside an SEZ with one-stop service, end-to-end setup is commonly completed within a few weeks.<\/p>\n<h3>How much does it cost to register a company in Cambodia?<\/h3>\n<p>Government fees for incorporation, tax registration and patent tax are paid once through the Single Portal and generally total a few hundred US dollars for a private limited company, before professional service fees.<\/p>\n<h3>Do I need a Cambodian director or shareholder?<\/h3>\n<p>No. Both shareholders and directors can be foreign nationals; a registered local address is required.<\/p>\n<h3>What is the difference between company registration and QIP?<\/h3>\n<p>Company registration creates the legal entity; QIP is an additional investment-incentive status for qualifying projects that grants tax holidays and duty exemptions. Manufacturers typically do both.<\/p>\n<p>\\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"msez-related\">\n<h3>Related Reading<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.manhattansez.com\/en\/business-license-in-cambodia\/\">Business License in Cambodia<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.manhattansez.com\/en\/business-entities-to-register-in-cambodia\/\">Choosing the Right Business Entity in Cambodia<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.manhattansez.com\/en\/cambodia-tax-guide\/\">Cambodia Tax Guide 2026<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.manhattansez.com\/en\/why-invest-in-cambodia\/\">Why Invest in Cambodia: Investment Environment Guide<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Are you looking for info about business registration in Cambodia? Starting a business in Cambodia can be an exciting and rewarding experience, but it requires careful planning and preparation. In my experience as a Cambodia business specialist, one of the most important steps in establishing a business in Cambodia is registering it with the relevant authorities.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2021,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,50,98],"tags":[30,581,31],"class_list":["post-2011","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-guide-to-invest-in-cambodia","category-blog","category-legal-en","tag-business-set-up","tag-company-registration","tag-types-of-business-entities"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.manhattansez.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2011","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.manhattansez.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.manhattansez.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.manhattansez.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.manhattansez.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2011"}],"version-history":[{"count":23,"href":"https:\/\/www.manhattansez.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2011\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11202,"href":"https:\/\/www.manhattansez.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2011\/revisions\/11202"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.manhattansez.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2021"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.manhattansez.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2011"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.manhattansez.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2011"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.manhattansez.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2011"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}