Business registration in Georgia is one of the fastest and most straightforward processes in the world. Foreign entrepreneurs can register a fully operational company in as little as one business day, with no minimum capital requirements, no mandatory local partner, and a fully digital filing system. Georgia consistently ranks among the top countries globally for ease of doing business – and the registration process is a core reason why.
This guide walks you through every step: choosing the right entity type, the registration process, costs, timelines, tax registration, and what to expect after your company is live.
Why Foreign Entrepreneurs Choose Georgia for Company Registration
Before diving into the process, it helps to understand why business registration in Georgia has become a destination choice for international founders, digital nomads, and investors.
Georgia offers 100% foreign ownership – no local partner or director is required. The corporate income tax applies only to distributed profits at 15%, meaning retained earnings are never taxed. The small business tax regime allows eligible companies to pay just 1% of turnover. The country has signed double tax treaties with 55+ countries, and the Revenue Service portal (rs.ge) handles all filings digitally. Combined with a low cost of living, a strategic location between Europe and Asia, and a straightforward residency pathway, Georgia offers a compelling package for business formation.
Step 1: Choose Your Business Entity Type
The first decision in any business registration in Georgia is selecting the right legal structure. Georgia has several entity types, but two dominate for foreign entrepreneurs.
Limited Liability Company (LLC)
The LLC is the most common structure for small and medium businesses, startups, and foreign-owned operations. Key features: liability is limited to the amount of capital contributed, no minimum share capital is required, a single shareholder and single director structure is permitted, and the company can be 100% foreign-owned. This is the default recommendation for most foreign entrepreneurs.
Individual Entrepreneur (IE)
The Individual Entrepreneur status is suitable for freelancers, consultants, and solo operators who want the simplest possible structure. An IE is not a separate legal entity – the individual is personally liable for business obligations. The main advantage is eligibility for the 1% micro or small business tax regime, which significantly reduces the tax burden for lower-turnover operations.
Joint Stock Company (JSC)
The JSC is used for larger businesses planning to raise capital through share issuance, attract institutional investors, or list publicly. It involves more administrative complexity and is rarely the right choice for early-stage foreign-owned businesses.
Branch or Representative Office
Foreign companies can register a branch or representative office in Georgia rather than incorporating a new entity. A branch can conduct commercial activity; a representative office is limited to marketing and liaison functions. Both require the parent company’s founding documents, notarized and apostilled.
Step 2: Prepare Your Documents
For an LLC registration by a foreign individual, the standard document set is as follows.
A valid passport of each founder and director is required. If the founder is a legal entity (a foreign company), you will need the company’s certificate of incorporation, articles of association, and a document confirming the authorized signatory – all notarized and apostilled in the country of origin. You will also need the company name in Georgian and Latin script, the registered address in Georgia (a virtual office address is accepted), and the share distribution among founders if there are multiple shareholders.
All foreign-language documents must be translated into Georgian by a certified translator.
Step 3: Register at the National Agency of Public Registry (NAPR)
Business registration in Georgia is handled by the National Agency of Public Registry (NAPR), also known as the House of Justice (სამართლის სახლი). Registration can be done in person at any NAPR branch, through an authorized representative with a notarized power of attorney, or entirely online via the e-services portal for eligible applicants.
Standard registration timeline: 1 business day for the standard service. Express registration: Same-day processing is available for an additional fee.
The process at the NAPR branch is straightforward: submit documents, pay the registration fee, receive your registration number (Identification Number) immediately or the following day. The company is legally formed upon registration – there is no separate confirmation letter or waiting period.
Registration fees: Standard service (1 business day) costs 100 GEL. Express service (same day) costs 200 GEL. Name reservation (optional, valid for 30 days) costs 20 GEL.
Step 4: Obtain Your Tax ID and Register with the Revenue Service
Upon company registration at NAPR, your company automatically receives an Identification Number (ID), which also serves as the Tax Identification Number (TIN) for Revenue Service purposes. There is no separate TIN application – the NAPR and Revenue Service systems are integrated.
Within a few days of registration, you can log into the Revenue Service portal (rs.ge) using your company ID to access your tax account, view your registered status, and begin filing.
Important: If your company anticipates annual turnover exceeding 100,000 GEL, you must register for VAT within 2 business days of crossing that threshold. Voluntary VAT registration is available before this threshold – useful for B2B businesses that want to reclaim input VAT on purchases.
Step 5: Select Your Tax Regime
This is one of the most consequential decisions after business registration in Georgia, and it is worth getting professional accounting advice before filing your first return.
Standard CIT Regime (Estonian Model) All companies default to the standard corporate income tax regime. Under this model, retained profits are not taxed. A 15% CIT applies only when profits are distributed as dividends. This is ideal for businesses that plan to reinvest profits and scale before extracting earnings.
Small Business Status (1% Flat Tax) Companies with annual turnover between 30,001 GEL and 500,000 GEL can apply for small business status. The tax is 1% of gross turnover (or 3% if VAT-registered). This regime dramatically reduces the effective tax rate for service businesses, agencies, and consultancies – but it is not available to all activity types, and certain corporate structures are ineligible. Confirm eligibility with a licensed accountant before applying.
Micro Business Status (1% below 30,000 GEL) Individual entrepreneurs with annual turnover under 30,000 GEL can register as a micro business. The tax rate is 1% on gross revenue. No VAT registration, no employees permitted.
Virtual Zone Company IT companies providing services exclusively to non-Georgian clients can apply for Virtual Zone (VZ) status. A Virtual Zone company pays 0% CIT on distributed profits from foreign-sourced IT services, and 0% VAT on those services. This is one of the most favorable structures available globally for IT businesses and is a primary driver of Georgia’s appeal for software companies.
Step 6: Open a Georgian Bank Account
A corporate bank account is required to conduct business in Georgia. Georgian banks are generally accessible to foreign-owned companies, though onboarding requirements vary by bank and the founder’s country of origin.
Major commercial banks accepting foreign-owned company accounts include TBC Bank, Bank of Georgia, Liberty Bank, and Credo Bank. Most banks require in-person founder presence for account opening, though some offer remote options for specific nationalities. Processing time typically ranges from 2 to 10 business days depending on the bank and the complexity of the ownership structure.
Documents typically required include the NAPR registration certificate, company charter, passport copies of all directors and beneficial owners, proof of address, and a description of the business activity.
Post-Registration Checklist
Once business registration in Georgia is complete and your bank account is open, the following items should be addressed immediately.
Accounting setup is the first priority – even simple businesses need to track income and expenses for monthly tax filings. Monthly tax returns (VAT if registered, PIT for employees, CIT when distributing profits) are due by the 15th of each month. If you have employees, mandatory pension contributions of 2% (employer) + 2% (employee) must be enrolled from the first payroll. A company seal is not legally required but is commonly used in practice. And if you plan to sign contracts with Georgian state entities or large corporates, having an electronic signature (e-signature) registered through the Data Exchange Agency is recommended.
Common Mistakes to Avoid After Business Registration in Georgia
Choosing the wrong entity type from the start. Switching from IE to LLC, or restructuring to access Virtual Zone status, involves additional legal steps and costs. Getting the structure right at registration is always cheaper than changing it later.
Missing VAT registration deadlines. The 2-day window after exceeding 100,000 GEL is strict. Penalties are calculated retroactively from the date the threshold was crossed, not from when you registered.
Filing under an ineligible tax regime. Applying for small business status for an activity type that is excluded under the Tax Code creates retroactive tax liability and penalties.
Not keeping accounting records from day one. Even if your first months have zero revenue, you are required to file monthly returns. Starting clean from month one avoids complications.
How a Professional Accounting Firm Supports Your Registration
Business registration in Georgia is fast – but the decisions made at registration (entity type, tax regime, VAT status) have compounding long-term consequences. A licensed accounting firm ensures you make the right structural choices from the start, not just the fastest ones.
Our team supports foreign entrepreneurs through the full registration process: entity type selection and structuring advice, document preparation and translation coordination, NAPR registration and Revenue Service setup, tax regime selection and VAT registration, bank account introduction and onboarding support, monthly accounting and compliance from day one, and English-language communication throughout.
