How to register a business in Georgia

Choose a legal form

Under the Law of Georgia on Entrepreneurs, business activity may be carried out as an individual entrepreneur or through a business company. The business companies are the general partnership, the limited partnership, the limited liability company (LLC), the joint stock company (JSC) and the cooperative. For a foreign founder, four options matter in practice:

An individual entrepreneur is not a legal entity. They are personally liable to creditors for business obligations with all their property, unless otherwise agreed with the creditor. Small business status can be granted only to an individual engaged in business.
An LLC is a separate legal entity. A partner is not liable to creditors for the company’s obligations, except where they abuse the limited liability form. An LLC can be founded by a single person. The law sets no minimum capital, and stating the capital is not mandatory either. If you do state it, it must be expressed in GEL.
A joint stock company’s issued capital must be at least 100,000 GEL at the time of registration. On registration, the shareholders must pay in cash at least 25 percent of the nominal value of the shares.
A branch of a company registered abroad is not a legal entity. To register it, you need the parent company’s certified registration and founding documents, the decision to establish the branch and the consent of the branch manager. A branch (representative office) of a foreign non-entrepreneurial (non-commercial) legal entity is a separate category and is not covered in this guide.

Liability, taxation and reporting depend on the legal form, so discuss your plan with a lawyer or accountant before you choose. The director of an LLC may be an individual with full legal capacity or a legal entity.

Choose a name and a legal address

The company name must be in Georgian and must include an addition indicating the legal form, for example the Georgian abbreviation for LLC (“shps”) or for individual entrepreneur (“indmetsarme”). The name of a business company must differ from the names of entrepreneurs already registered.

The legal address is the entrepreneur’s physical address in Georgia. It must be a place where the company’s documents can be inspected and where a notice delivered is deemed received. So choose an address where you will actually receive your mail.

If you do not own the premises, submit to the Registry the owner’s duly certified consent or an agreement on the use of the premises. An individual entrepreneur does not need consent if they register at the address shown in their identity document. Agree the form of consent with the owner in advance, for example with your virtual office provider.

Prepare the LLC documents

According to the Public Registry’s information card, registering a business company requires:

a registration application
a founders’ agreement that includes the charter, signed by all founders and duly certified. You can use the standard charter approved by Order No. 791 of the Minister of Justice of 29 November 2021: in that case, you do not submit a charter separately. Sample agreements are on the Registry’s website
the mobile phone number and email of the person authorized to manage and represent the company, which are stated in the founders’ agreement so that the electronic portal can be set up
the applicant’s identity document (for a foreigner, an international passport or a residence card)
each director’s consent to take up the position, if that consent is not expressed in the founders’ agreement
if needed, the consent of the owner of the legal address or an agreement on the use of the premises
proof of payment of the fee
if a representative submits the application: their identity document and a duly certified power of attorney

For a foreign partner, the founders’ agreement states the details by which that person is identified in Georgia when a notarial act is performed. If the partner is a foreign company, it is identified by an extract from the relevant registry or another document confirming its registration.

To register as an individual entrepreneur, you only need the application, an identity document, the address owner’s consent if required and proof of payment of the fee. The Registry may request an additional document or information.

Signatures, translation and apostille

The signatures on the founders’ agreement are certified by a notary. A notary is not needed if the signatures are verified by the Public Registry or the document is signed in accordance with the Law of Georgia on Electronic Documents and Electronic Trust Services. If the signatures are verified at the Registry, 7 GEL is added to the registration fee. A power of attorney must also be notarized or drawn up as an electronic document in accordance with the same law.

A document drawn up abroad must be apostilled or legalized, unless an international treaty of Georgia makes this unnecessary. Administrative proceedings are conducted in Georgian. A document in another language must be accompanied by a notarized translation, and the statutory time limit starts to run from the date the translation is submitted.

If you remain abroad, have the power of attorney notarized there and apostilled or legalized, and have a certified translation of it prepared in Georgia. If you do not speak Georgian, check in advance whether you will need an interpreter when signing.

Where and how to submit the application

You can submit the application in person at any territorial office of the National Agency of Public Registry, at a Public Service Hall or with another authorized person. You can also submit it electronically through the unified portal of electronic services (my.gov.ge). To submit online, you need to log in to the portal, so check in advance which login method you will be able to use. The steps are:

Choose the legal form, a Georgian name and a legal address
Prepare the founders’ agreement, the consents and, where needed, the apostilled and translated foreign documents
Pay the fee for the processing time you choose
Submit the application and, if the signatures are not notarized, have them verified at the Registry
Receive the registration decision and the registry extract, then activate your page on the electronic portal

Fees and timelines

The Public Registry’s official fees:

Registration of an LLC, JSC or other business company: 200 GEL within 1 business day, 400 GEL on the day the application is filed
Registration of an individual entrepreneur: 26 GEL within 1 business day, 75 GEL on the day the application is filed
Verification of the parties’ signatures on a transaction submitted for registration: an additional 7 GEL
Registry extract: 20 GEL within 1 business day, 75 GEL on the same day; 13 or 52 GEL respectively when requested online
Extract in English: 26 GEL on top of the fee for the main service

The time limit runs from the day after the application is registered. If the last day of the time limit is a non-working day, it ends on the next business day. If the documents are incomplete or not submitted in the required form, the Registry, as a rule, suspends the proceedings for 30 calendar days. Notary, translation and apostille costs are not included in these fees. The fee for registering a branch of a foreign company is not listed separately in the Registry’s fee table, so check it in advance.

After registration: the registry extract, the portal and tax registration

An entrepreneur comes into existence upon registration in the Registry, and the registration decision takes effect as soon as it is posted on the Registry’s unified electronic portal. The registry extract is issued together with the registration decision, and it is the extract that confirms the entity exists. A company receives a permanent nine-digit identification number, while an individual entrepreneur’s identification number is their personal number.

After registration, the portal activation code, username and password are sent to the director’s mobile phone number. A notice sent through the portal is deemed delivered on the 15th day after it is posted, unless you have read it earlier. So check the page regularly.

Registering an entrepreneur also includes tax registration: the Registry sends the data to the Revenue Service electronically. You create a user on the Revenue Service e-services portal (eservices.rs.ge) yourself, with the identification number, a mobile phone number and an email address. The activation link is sent to the email registered with the Public Registry. The form asks for the mobile number in the 5XXXXXXXX format, so get a Georgian mobile number before you register.

Taxes and monthly returns

Below are the main rules of the Tax Code (consolidated version, 30 September 2026). Check your specific case with an accountant.

Company: the profit tax rate is 15 percent (20 percent for banks, credit unions, microfinance organizations and lending entities). Tax is charged on distributed profit (dividends), expenses unrelated to economic activity, free-of-charge supplies and representation expenses above the set limit. The return is filed with the Revenue Service monthly, by the 15th of the following month
Dividends that a company pays to an individual or a non-resident company are taxed at source at 5 percent
Salaries: personal income tax is 20 percent. The employer files the return on salaries paid and tax withheld monthly, by the 15th of the following month
VAT: the rate is 18 percent. If your total VAT-taxable transactions exceed 100,000 GEL in any continuous 12 calendar months, you must apply to the Revenue Service for registration within 2 business days of exceeding the threshold. Voluntary registration is also possible. The return is filed and the tax paid monthly, by the 15th of the following month
Individual entrepreneur: the Revenue Service grants small business status on application. With this status, income is taxed at 1 percent. If total income for the calendar year exceeds 500,000 GEL (700,000 GEL for wine tourism and agritourism businesses), the rate is 3 percent from the month the threshold is exceeded until the end of the year. The return is filed and the tax paid monthly, by the 15th of the following month. The status is not available for certain activities: the government sets the list of those activities. Without the status, an individual’s taxable income is taxed at 20 percent under the general rule
Financial statements: companies submit their financial statements to the Service for Accounting, Reporting and Auditing Supervision (SARAS) through the reporting portal, no later than 1 October of the year following the reporting period. An individual entrepreneur has this obligation only if they meet the criteria for Category I, II or III

Bank account and permits

The bank sets the account opening terms and also makes the final decision. Under the rules of the National Bank of Georgia, the bank must study the client’s ownership and control structure and identify the beneficial owner. According to ProCredit Bank’s official list, for example, an LLC needs an application, a registry extract, the representative’s identity document and specimen signature, the founding document, a copy of the beneficial owner’s identity document and a self-certification. Details for each bank are in our bank guides.

Registration by itself does not give you the right to carry out a regulated activity. The Law of Georgia on Licences and Permits sets out an exhaustive list of license and permit types: banking, private broadcasting and tobacco production, for example, require a license. The issuing authority is determined by law or by government resolution. Before you start your activity, check whether you need a license or a permit.

Common mistakes

Signing contracts in the company’s name before registration: the founding partners and the persons acting on the company’s behalf are jointly and severally liable, without limitation, for such obligations, unless otherwise agreed with the creditor
An address where no one can receive mail, or an address given without the owner’s consent
A foreign document without an apostille, legalization or certified translation
A name that is not in Georgian or does not indicate the legal form
Assuming that an LLC can use the 1 percent regime: small business status is granted only to individuals engaged in business
Not keeping track of turnover: once you exceed the 100,000 GEL VAT threshold, you have only 2 business days to register
Ignoring the portal: a notice may be deemed delivered even if you have not opened it
Expecting that the bank will definitely open an account for you once you are registered

Frequently asked questions

Can I register an LLC without coming to Georgia?

Yes, a representative can also submit the application under a duly certified power of attorney. Documents drawn up abroad need an apostille or legalization and a notarized translation. Your signature on the founders’ agreement must be verified by a notary or at the Registry, or you must sign the agreement with an electronic signature that complies with the law.

What is the minimum capital for an LLC?

The law sets no minimum capital for an LLC, and stating the capital is not mandatory. The minimum capital of 100,000 GEL applies to joint stock companies.

How long does registration take?

With complete and correctly prepared documents, the Registry completes the service within 1 business day, or on the day the application is filed if you pay the expedited service fee. This timeframe does not include the time needed to prepare the documents, obtain an apostille and have translations made.

Do I need to register separately with the Revenue Service?

No, registering as an entrepreneur also includes tax registration. You need to apply separately only to register as a VAT payer or to obtain small business status.

Registering a business in Georgia