Registering a Company (LLC) in Georgia 2026: Step-by-Step Guide

Registering a company in Georgia — an LLC (Georgian: შპს), a firm or another legal entity — takes about one business day and costs from 100 GEL in state fees. No minimum share capital is required, a foreigner can own 100% of the company and act as its director without holding a residence permit or visa, and the whole procedure runs through the House of Justice (Public Service Hall / NAPR). This is the complete 2026 guide: business forms, a step-by-step walkthrough, costs, taxes, bank accounts, remote registration by power of attorney and the most common mistakes.

Why Georgia is one of the easiest jurisdictions to start a business

• Speed: a company is registered in 1 business day, or same-day with the expedited procedure.
• Cost: the state fee is 100–200 GEL (roughly 35–75 USD) and there is no mandatory share capital.
• Taxes: 15% corporate tax on the Estonian model — payable only when profit is distributed; as long as profit is reinvested, the tax is zero. Sole proprietors can pay 1% of turnover, and IT companies can qualify for 0% via Virtual Zone status.
• No currency control: free movement of capital, USD/EUR/GEL accounts, unrestricted dividend payouts abroad.
• Foreigner-friendly: 100% foreign ownership, non-resident directors, registration by power of attorney without visiting.
• Banking: Bank of Georgia and TBC Bank offer English-language apps and multi-currency accounts.

Which form to choose: LLC, sole proprietor or branch

LLC — the standard for a full-scale business

The limited liability company (შპს / LLC) is the most common form. Members' liability is limited to their contributions, 100% foreign ownership is allowed, and every special tax status (Virtual Zone, International Company Status) is available to it.

Sole proprietor with Small Business Status — for solo founders

If you work alone and sell services, an individual entrepreneur with Small Business Status usually beats a company: 1% tax on turnover up to 500,000 GEL per year with minimal reporting. See the dedicated guide: How to register as a sole proprietor in Georgia and pay 1%.

Branch of a foreign company

A branch registers just as quickly, but it remains part of the parent entity and rarely benefits small or mid-sized businesses. In practice a local LLC is almost always simpler.

LLC vs sole proprietor at a glance

What to prepare before filing

Documents

• Passport of each founder (and of the director, if different).
• Company name — check availability in the registry at napr.gov.ge; Latin script is fine, and the legal form (შპს/LLC) must be indicated.
• Legal address in Georgia — a rented office or an address provided with the owner's written consent (or a lease agreement). Registrars and law firms offer a registered address as a service.
• Charter — a standard template works for simple cases; with several founders, a custom charter defining shares and exit rules is worth the effort.
• Incorporation resolution appointing the director.

Structural decisions

Fix in advance: the founders and their shares, the director (a founder or a non-resident — no restrictions), and the main activity. Licensing in Georgia applies only to a narrow list of fields (finance, healthcare, security and similar) — most services and trade need no license at all.

Step-by-step registration

Step 1. Prepare the charter and incorporation resolution

Documents are executed in Georgian (bilingual versions are accepted). If a founder does not speak Georgian, a translator joins the signing at the House of Justice. A lawyer or registrar can prepare the paperwork — this is normally part of any turnkey package.

Step 2. File at the House of Justice (NAPR)

Registration happens at any Public Service Hall — electronic queue, 30–60 minutes in total. You can file in person or through a representative under a power of attorney. The fee is paid on the spot: 100 GEL for next-business-day registration or 200 GEL for same-day.

Step 3. Receive the extract and identification number

The company receives its identification number (which doubles as the tax ID) and an extract from the registry of entrepreneurs. Company seals are optional in Georgia. From this moment the entity legally exists and can sign contracts.

Step 4. Activate the taxpayer portal at rs.ge

The company is registered with the Revenue Service automatically. Set up access to the personal cabinet at rs.ge — all tax returns are filed there, and it is also where you register for VAT and apply for special statuses (Virtual Zone, International Company Status).

Step 5. Open a bank account

Open the account at Bank of Georgia, TBC or another bank. Non-resident directors go through compliance checks (KYC) — details below. With an active account the company is fully operational: invoicing, receiving payments, paying salaries.

Remote registration: opening a company without visiting Georgia

The company can be registered entirely remotely, by power of attorney:

1. You issue a power of attorney to a local lawyer or registrar.
2. The PoA is notarized in your country and apostilled (for Hague Convention countries; documents from several CIS countries are accepted without apostille under legal assistance treaties).
3. The PoA is translated into Georgian and certified by a Georgian notary.
4. The representative files at the House of Justice and collects the extract.

Timeline: usually 1–2 weeks including document delivery. One important caveat: opening the bank account remotely is much harder — most banks want to meet the director in person, and only some accept PoA-based opening after enhanced checks. Plan a single trip for the bank, or confirm the bank's current policy in advance.

How much it costs to register a company in Georgia

Fees are adjusted from time to time — verify current amounts at rs.ge or the House of Justice.

Taxes for a Georgian company in 2026

The Estonian model in numbers

Suppose the company earns 100,000 USD of profit in a year. While the money stays in the business (purchases, salaries, new projects, deposits) the corporate tax is 0 USD. If the founder distributes 20,000 USD as dividends, 15% corporate tax applies to the distributed amount, then 5% dividend tax. The remaining 80,000 USD keeps working tax-free. For a growing business this is Georgia's key advantage: you are taxed on what you take out, not on what you earn.

Reporting

Returns are filed through the rs.ge cabinet monthly, by the 15th (corporate tax on distributions, payroll taxes, VAT for registered payers). Once a year companies submit financial statements via the SARAS portal — small businesses in simplified form. In practice nearly everyone outsources this: bookkeeping for a small company starts at roughly 150–300 USD per month.

Double tax treaties

Georgia has more than 50 tax treaties in force (including Germany, the UAE, Israel, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Armenia). There is no treaty in force with Russia — a Russian tax resident declares Georgian dividends at home without credit for Georgian tax, so model this in advance with an adviser.

Special regimes: Virtual Zone, International Company, free zones

• Virtual Zone Person — for IT companies selling services outside Georgia: 0% corporate tax on exported IT revenue, 5% on dividends. The status is applied for online after the LLC is registered. Details: IT business in Georgia: Virtual Zone and 0% tax.
• International Company Status — for IT and maritime companies with a proven track record: 5% corporate tax, 5% payroll income tax, 0% dividend tax.
• Free Industrial Zones (FIZ) — Poti, Kutaisi, Tbilisi: 0% corporate tax on qualifying operations inside the zone, with a separate zone license fee.

The right regime depends on your revenue structure and clients — a wrong choice at the start is expensive to unwind, so run the numbers before registering.

Company bank account: what non-residents should expect

Georgian banks open multi-currency accounts (GEL, USD, EUR and more). For companies with non-resident directors or shareholders, enhanced KYC applies:

• Prepare a clear description of the business: what you do, who the clients are, where funds come from.
• Supporting evidence helps: a website, contracts, invoices, statements from other banks.
• The director is almost always expected to visit a branch in person.
• Opening takes from 1–3 days up to a couple of weeks; the bank may request more documents.
• One bank's refusal is not final — risk policies differ, try another bank.

A detailed walkthrough of the procedure and requirements: How to open a bank account in Georgia.

Can Russian citizens open a company in Georgia

Yes. There are no legal restrictions on Georgian company ownership for citizens of Russia (or Belarus): the same 1 day, the same 100 GEL fee, the same taxes. The practical difference is banking compliance: checks take longer and banks look harder at the source of funds and sanctions lists. A valid passport, a transparent business structure and documented income sources resolve it in most cases.

Common registration mistakes

1. Choosing an LLC where a 1% sole proprietorship wins. A solo service freelancer on an LLC pays 15%+5% on distributed profit instead of 1% of turnover.
2. Missing the VAT threshold. Turnover passes 100,000 GEL without VAT registration — penalties and back-charges follow.
3. A careless charter. A template charter without exit rules and share mechanics turns any partner conflict into a deadlock.
4. No time budgeted for the bank. The company is ready in a day, but a non-resident account can take weeks — plan the trip and documents ahead.
5. A legal address "on trust". Without the owner's consent or a lease the filing is rejected, and a fictitious address is a risk with both the bank and the tax office.
6. Forgetting monthly returns. Georgian returns are filed every month even at zero turnover — missed deadlines accumulate fines.

Registration checklist

1. Choose the form: LLC or sole proprietor (model the taxes on your numbers).
2. Pick and check the company name.
3. Secure a legal address.
4. Prepare the charter and incorporation resolution.
5. File at the House of Justice (in person or by PoA), pay 100/200 GEL.
6. Receive the extract and identification number.
7. Activate the rs.ge cabinet.
8. Apply for a special regime if relevant (Virtual Zone etc.).
9. Open the bank account (director visits in person).
10. Set up bookkeeping and the filing calendar (monthly, by the 15th).

Conclusion

Georgia remains one of the fastest and cheapest places to launch a business: one day to register, fees from 100 GEL, no share capital, and corporate tax only when profit is distributed. The decisions that matter are made before you walk into the House of Justice: the form (LLC or sole proprietor), the tax regime (standard, 1%, Virtual Zone), the ownership structure and the bank. Angels Investment handles registration end-to-end — charter, registered address, bank account and bookkeeping setup — and if you are planning relocation, we also assist with a residence permit through real estate.

Read also:

• How to register as a sole proprietor in Georgia and pay 1%
• IT business in Georgia: Virtual Zone and 0% tax
• Georgia's tax system: the full overview
• How to open a bank account in Georgia