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1. WHO NEEDS LIAISON OFFICE?

 

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A liaison office does not carry out businesses that generate profit in Korea, but instead undertakes non- sales functions such as market research and R&D. Unlike a branch, a liaison office does not need to undergo registration, and is issued an identification number equivalent to the business registration number at a jurisdictional tax office in Korea.

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2. PROCEDURE

 

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After you pay the legal service fee, we will guide you through the required documents. Some documents should be prepared by you in your home country, and some are prepared by HWAUM Law Office.

When the documents arrive at our office by airmail, the procedure is as follows:

 

1) Notify to a designated foreign exchange bank the establishment of a domestic liaison office of a foreign company

 

You need to report to a foreign exchange banks on setting up a liaison office unless it is a special sector that requires government approval, such as the financial industry. 

HWAUM Law Office has partnered with Woori Bank’s Samsung-ro Branch to proceed quickly and accurately with customized procedures. 

 

2) Register liaison office to a tax office within jurisdiction

 

Since the liaison office does not operate for profit, it only requests for issuance of an identification number, not a business registration. Also, there is no obligation to pay withholding tax if the foreign headquarters pay the employee’s salary or no employee works at the liaison office in principle.

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3. TIMELINE

 

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D+0 Documents arrives in Korea

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D+3 Translation work

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D+3 Notification of the liaison office establishment to a bank

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D+5 Office lease contract

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D+7 Business registration to a tax office

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D+7 Complete!