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Register as an overseas company with Companies House
You must register an overseas company with Companies House if you want to set up a place of business in the UK.
How to successfully expand your business and set up in the UK
Tell us about your business and we'll give you the official information and data you need, in one place
Foreign Office travel advice updates
Latest travel information for British nationals affected by the situation in the Middle East.
Check if you need a UK visa
You may need a visa to come to the UK to visit, study or work.
Apply to use simplified declarations for imports you entered in your records without authorisation
Choose how you’ll make supplementary declarations for goods that you entered into your own records without authorisation.
IP in China
Information to help you protect, manage and enforce your intellectual property (IP) rights in China.
Trade marks
The Chinese trade mark system is similar to the UK’s. Trade marks protect symbols, colours or other devices used to identify a business’ products or services. A trade mark is valid for ten years, then may be renewed indefinitely for further ten-year periods.
To protect a trade mark in China you have two options:
- Apply yourself or through a representative (e.g. a trade mark agent) directly to the CNIPA. On average it takes 7-8 months for a trade mark to be granted.
- Make an international trade mark application and select China as a designated country. This can reduce the cost and effort of applying for trade marks in multiple countries, but will take longer than applying direct to CNIPA.