Chinese Business Licence: Nigerian Buyer Guide

Check a Chinese business licence before paying: read company details, search official records and compare the supplier with your invoice and payment recipient.

Chinese Business Licence: Nigerian Buyer Guide

A Chinese business licence helps you identify the company behind a supplier's quotation. Request a clear copy, compare it with official registration information, and check how the company connects to your invoice, contract and payment recipient.

The document is called 营业执照 in Chinese and is also written as “business license” in English.

This guide was checked on 26 October 2026. It focuses on Mainland Chinese companies. Registration confirms aspects of business identity; production capacity, product quality and payment arrangements need separate checks.

1. What does a supplier's business licence actually show? #

China's company registration rules specify information recorded on a company licence, including its name, address, representative, capital, type and identifying code.

For a Nigerian buyer, those details provide a starting point for establishing which legal business you are dealing with.

Ask for a current, readable copy showing the complete document. Also request the registered Chinese name and Unified Social Credit Code as selectable text.

Keep the original alongside any translation. An English trading name on a website may differ from the registered Chinese name, so establish the connection before placing an order.

A licence image is a claim to check. Its colour, seal, QR code or professional appearance should not replace an independent registration lookup.

Use our factory or trading company guide when you also need to establish who manufactures the goods.

2. Which Chinese fields should you read? #

The layout can vary, but these labels help you find the important details:

• 统一社会信用代码: Unified Social Credit Code.
• 名称: Registered company name.
• 类型: Company or entity type.
• 法定代表人: Legal representative.
• 注册资本: Registered capital.
• 成立日期: Establishment date.
• 住所: Registered address.
• 经营范围: Business scope.
• 登记机关: Registration authority.

Beijing's market regulator explains that the Unified Social Credit Code contains 18 characters, using digits and specified uppercase letters.

Copy the code carefully. Having 18 characters does not establish that it belongs to the supplier or that the document is genuine.

Do not automatically reject a newer licence because it lacks an old expiry-date field. Guangzhou's official guidance explains that several entity types no longer display those duration fields.

That guidance also describes local differences in how business scope appears. Check the registered information rather than assuming every document must match an old online template.

3. How do you search the official Chinese company register? #

The relevant Mainland system is the National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System, commonly called GSXT.

Chinese government guidance identifies searches by company name, Unified Social Credit Code or registration number.

Start from the official GSXT website. Use the exact Chinese name or code supplied, then follow the site's current access requirements.

Your checking process should include:

• Confirming the name and code identify the same company.
• Comparing the registered address and representative.
• Reviewing the registration status and business scope.
• Checking relevant public notices and listed concerns.
• Recording the source and date of the check.
• Resolving differences with the document you received.

SAMR has published real-name access guidance. Do not assume every feature is available anonymously or that access will work from every connection.

If the system cannot be accessed, record that limitation. Recheck through an appropriate official route or obtain help from someone authorised and able to use the service.

An access failure is not a failed company check, and a search with a misspelt name should not be treated as proof that the business does not exist.

4. How do you match the licence with the invoice and payment recipient? #

Checking a Chinese business licence becomes more useful when you connect the record to the actual transaction.

Compare the registered business with the seller named on the quotation, proforma invoice, purchase order and payment instructions.

Our proforma invoice guide explains the commercial details to review. Use a purchase order to record who is responsible for supplying the agreed goods.

Ask about differences before paying. An English brand, related company, export agent or separate sales entity requires a clear explanation of the relationship.

For example, an Ibadan buyer may receive a Mainland manufacturer's licence but an invoice from a Hong Kong trading company. Establish which company is selling the goods, receiving payment and responsible if the order is wrong.

Request the relevant documents and verify the entities through the appropriate registries. Confirm important explanations through independently established company contacts.

Do not treat an explanation letter, by itself, as proof that the arrangement is sound.

If payment instructions change after the order is agreed, verify the change again. Our supplier payment guide explains the checks to make before transferring money.

5. Does the licence prove manufacturing capacity or financial strength? #

No. Registration information and the ability to fulfil your specific order answer different questions.

A business scope mentioning manufacturing does not show that your selected goods are made at the address in the document. Ask where production happens and which processes the company performs.

Request evidence relevant to the product: a live walkthrough, technical answers, an agreed sample or an independent site assessment.

Use our quality inspection guide to plan checks of the actual goods. A company-identity check does not replace an order inspection.

Registered capital also needs careful reading. China's Company Law distinguishes subscribed capital and contribution obligations; the figure on a licence is not a bank statement.

Check the currency and unit. 100万元 means one million yuan, but that figure does not establish how much cash is available for your order.

A long-established company can still quote the wrong specification or miss a delivery commitment. Review the product, contract and payment stages alongside registration.

6. What differences should be resolved before paying a deposit? #

Pause the payment process when the documents do not form a clear, consistent explanation.

Examples include:

• The supplied code belongs to another company.
• The licence name and contracting seller are unrelated without explanation.
• The address differs and the supplier cannot clarify why.
• A claimed production site cannot be connected to the order.
• The payment beneficiary changes without independent confirmation.
• The supplier refuses to explain who is responsible for defects or shortages.

Review official concerns in context. SAMR publishes rules for both the abnormal-operations list and the serious-illegal-and-dishonest list.

Read the reason, date, responsible authority and any later resolution information. Do not assume every notice means the same thing or that an old screenshot describes the current position.

Ask for clarification and verify it against available records. Keep unresolved points visible in your order file instead of treating the receipt of a licence photograph as the end of the check.

Our Chinese supplier scams guide covers other transaction checks, including changed bank details and misleading product evidence.

7. What do Nigerian buyers commonly ask about licence checks? #

Can I search using only the English company name? #

Request the registered Chinese name and Unified Social Credit Code. A translated or trading name may not identify the exact registered entity reliably.

Does an 18-character code prove the licence is genuine? #

No. Compare the code with the official record and the company claiming to use it. Correct-looking formatting alone does not establish identity.

Does high registered capital mean the supplier has enough money? #

No. The registered figure is not proof of current cash, profitability or the ability to finance your production run.

Is a licence without an expiry date automatically fake? #

No. Official guidance describes changes to displayed duration fields for several entity types. Check the relevant registration information and document format.

Can I use the same checklist for a Hong Kong company? #

Use the appropriate jurisdiction's registration documents and official registry. Do not assume that a Hong Kong entity should have a Mainland licence or GSXT record.

Does a different bank beneficiary automatically prove fraud? #

It requires an explanation and independent checks. Establish the relationship, contractual responsibilities and payment route before transferring funds.

Does a matching registration record guarantee a safe order? #

No. It helps establish identity. Product specifications, samples, inspection, contract terms, shipping and payment controls remain important.

ChinaBridge Global can help you review a Chinese business licence, compare the company with the quotation and payment instructions, and plan further supplier checks.

Send a clear licence copy, the registered Chinese name, company code, product details and proposed invoice. We can agree the scope and charges before proceeding.

First published 29 Oct 2026. Last checked 29 Oct 2026 by The ChinaBridge desk. Something here out of date? Tell us in the comments and we will fix it.