You are using an outdated browser and your browsing experience will not be optimal. Please update to the latest version of Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. Install Microsoft Edge

April 20, 2023

Restoring Company Registration and Status in Myanmar

Subscribe to Updates

In 2018, following enactment of the Myanmar Companies Law (MCL), the Directorate of Investment and Company Administration (DICA) launched Myanmar Companies Online (MyCO), an official online platform for corporate registration. The MCL required companies to re-register in MyCO, but some companies did not complete this step within the date provided by the law. In addition, the MCL introduced a requirement for companies to file an annual return through MyCO. Some companies have also failed to do this, which can eventually lead to DICA automatically striking the company’s name from the register.

If a company has not re-registered, it must follow specific administrative procedures to “activate” the company in MyCO. There are also administrative procedures allowing for restoration of companies that have been struck from the DICA register. This article considers the ramifications of each of these scenarios and outlines potential next steps for companies facing these challenges.

Activating a Company Not Yet Re-registered

Prior to enactment of the MCL, all companies were formed under the Myanmar Companies Act 1914, which was the primary law governing registration and operation of companies in the country. Once the MCL was passed, companies were required to re-register online via MyCO by January 31, 2019.

For companies that did not re-register on MyCO, the company’s name, old registration number, and registration date under the Myanmar Companies Act 1914 was recorded in MyCO, and the status of the company was set as “Not Yet Re-registered.”

Companies assigned this status should not assume that it means the company was struck off the DICA register. Rather, the DICA states that if a company is listed as not re-registered on MyCO, it can still re-register by fulfilling the requirements specified in the MCL.

In order to re-register under the MCL, the company must obtain a court order to proceed with the re-registration process and submit it along with the required form via MyCO in the presence of the registrar.

Restoring a Struck-Off Company

Under the MCL, all companies must file an annual return through the MyCO system within two months of incorporation and annually within a month of the incorporation anniversary. If a company fails to submit the annual return in time, the registrar will issue a notice. After 28 days, the company registration will automatically be suspended unless the company files its annual return and pays any outstanding fees and penalties.

If the suspension is not revoked within six months, the registrar will strike the company’s name off the register, and the company must then be liquidated under the Insolvency Law. Until the company is liquidated, all the directors and members of the company maintain their liability as provided in the MCL.

To date, the registrar has struck off approximately 8,300 companies. If these companies wish to regain their status and continue with their business activities—or if directors of the struck-off company want to establish a new company—they will need to restore their registration. To achieve this, a company can file a request for reinstatement in court, and the court may order the restoration of the company, which can then submit the order to the DICA to commence the restoration process.

Complying with Myanmar’s Corporate Registration Requirements

Though the rules surrounding registration and company status can seem complex, businesses in Myanmar must comply with them in order to operate legally and avoid penalties or administrative obstacles and delays. It is important for companies to stay up to date with changes in the law and fulfill all necessary requirements in a timely manner, including re-registering on MyCO and filing annual returns. Companies facing challenges with registration or restoration should seek legal advice and guidance to navigate the process effectively.

Related Professionals

Practices

Corporate/M&A

Location

RELATED INSIGHTS​ 

April 15, 2026
On March 31, 2026, Vietnam’s government issued Decree 102/2026/ND-CP (Decree 102), which amends Decree 75/2019/ND-CP on administrative sanctions for competition law violations (Decree 75). Effective from May 20, 2026, the new decree introduces a number of significant changes aimed at strengthening enforcement, revising penalty structures, and broadening the range of remedial measures, primarily for violations related to economic concentration. Revised Penalties for Economic Concentration Violations Decree 102 significantly revises the penalties for violations related to economic concentration. Failure to notify an economic concentration; implementing an economic concentration before clearance Under the new framework, Articles 14 and 15 of Decree 75 have been amended to impose a range of monetary fines, rather than relying solely on percentage‑based penalties as under the previous regime, for violations involving the failure to notify an economic concentration or the implementation of an economic concentration prior to clearance. The fines range from VND 500 million to VND 1 billion for each enterprise participating in a concentration with combined assets, revenues, or purchase value below VND 3,000 billion in the preceding fiscal year, capped at 5% of the violating enterprise’s total turnover in the relevant market. For concentrations meeting or exceeding the VND 3,000 billion threshold across those same metrics, the fines increase to VND 1 billion to VND 2 billion per enterprise, also subject to the 5% cap. These differentiated thresholds allow penalties to better reflect the size of the transaction and its potential competitive impact. Non-compliance with conditional approvals Enterprises that do not implement or only partially implement the conditions specified in a conditional economic concentration approval decision face fines ranging from 1% to 3% of total turnover in the relevant market during the fiscal year preceding the violation. Decree 102 also adds a new remedial measure requiring enterprises to fully implement all conditions
Read More
March 31, 2026
Against the backdrop of Vietnam’s rapid economic and technological transformation and its ambition to build a knowledge-driven economy, the National Assembly of Vietnam adopted Law on Higher Education No. 125/2025/QH15 on December 10, 2025, The new law took effect on January 1, 2026, replacing Law on Higher Education No. 08/2012/QH13 of 2012 and its subsequent amendments after more than a decade of implementation. The new law reflects a significant policy shift toward enhancing the institutional autonomy of higher education institutions (“HEIs”)—universities and other university-level institutions. By granting broader autonomy, Vietnam aims to enable HEIs to operate more proactively, better respond to market needs, and improve the quality and efficiency of education and research activities. Comprehensive Institutional Autonomy in HEIs The new law marks a significant shift by granting HEIs comprehensive autonomy as a statutory right, within the bounds of the licensed scope of educational operation and the legal framework, rather than a conditional right as provided under the former law. Under the new law, HEIs are empowered to exercise autonomy over their academic expertise, training, scientific research, international cooperation, organizational structure, personnel, finance, and other higher education activities. The expansion of institutional autonomy is also accompanied by a correspondingly strengthened framework of institutional accountability. However, Vietnam maintains a certain degree of control and imposes restrictions on institutional autonomy in sensitive and strategically important areas. These controls and restrictions include limitations on training autonomy in the majors of teacher training, national defense, and security; and restrictions on financial and personnel management autonomy for HEIs under the administration of the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Public Security. New Model for Curriculum Development The new law removes the concept of “opening a training major” and focuses regulation on how training programs are developed and delivered. Under the previous regime,
Read More
March 31, 2026
Thailand’s Department of Business Development (DBD) has issued a regulation imposing additional requirements for amending a company’s directors and signatory power to designate a foreign national as an authorized signatory of the company. This measure, effective April 1, 2026, has been introduced in response to the widespread use of Thai nationals as nominees to conduct business on behalf of foreigners, a practice considered to have an adverse impact on the country’s economic stability and security. The new measures are particularly concerned with changes to the authorized signatory structure of companies that originally had only Thai directors authorized to sign for and bind the company. Under the new rules, any amendment that results in a foreign national becoming an authorized signatory—whether solely or jointly—for such a company will be subject to additional verification. Directors signing an application to register such an amendment to the company’s authorized signatory structure are now also required to provide a statement confirming that all shareholders of the company have made genuine contributions and no Thai national has assisted with, supported, or participated in business activities in a nominee capacity. Implications Companies intending to appoint foreign directors as authorized signatories should be aware of the increased regulatory requirements and assessments. Additional documentation and confirmations may be required as part of the registration process.
Read More
March 31, 2026
On December 10, 2025, the National Assembly of Vietnam adopted Law on Vocational Education No. 124/2025/QH15, which took effect on January 1, 2026, replacing Law on Vocational Education No. 74/2014/QH13 of 2014. The new law broadens the categories of institutions eligible to deliver vocational training, introduces vocational upper secondary schools, and shifts governance structures for private institutions from ownership-representative boards of management to stakeholder-based school councils. These reforms aim to diversify training providers, align programs with labor market needs, and create a more flexible, open vocational education ecosystem, offering expanded opportunities for foreign and domestic investors, universities, and enterprises. Some highlights of the new Law on Vocational Education are presented below. Expansion of Vocational Training Levels and Programs In addition to elementary, intermediate, and college—the three levels of vocational training program set out under the 2014 Law on Vocational Education—the new law expands the structure by introducing two new levels: Vocational high school training programs are placed between elementary and intermediate levels, and are aimed at combining upper secondary education with vocational training, expanding options for learners after graduating from the lower secondary level. Other vocational training programs are not specified in detail under the new law, but aim to equip learners with the capability to perform and handle one or several simple tasks of an occupation. Expansion of Vocational Education Providers The new law reclassifies and extends vocational education providers by classifying them into two distinct categories: Vocational education institutions, which include colleges, intermediate schools, and vocational high schools. Establishments participating in vocational education activities, which include vocational education centers, vocational-continuing education centers, continuing education centers, other centers with vocational education functions, enterprises, cooperatives, and higher education institutions. Vocational education providers may provide one vocational training level only, or several/all levels, depending on the type of provider. The
Read More