Why Choose Georgia for Company Formation
Georgia offers something few jurisdictions in the wider European neighbourhood can match: a genuinely fast, low-cost incorporation paired with an Estonian-style tax model that taxes corporate profit only when it is distributed. A Georgian LLC has no statutory minimum capital, incorporates in roughly five to seven business days at the National Agency of Public Registry, and can be formed remotely. For operators concentrated in the CIS, the Caucasus, Turkey and the wider MENA region, it is a recognised regional footing at a fraction of the cost and lead time of an EU base, and one we form and run regularly.
Georgia’s distributed-profit model taxes profit only when you take it out, not when you earn it, making it uniquely efficient for operators building capital reserves rather than distributing annually — but the tax advantage evaporates if you adopt a dividend-first cash policy, so the structure works only with deliberate reinvestment discipline built in from incorporation. Banking openings from Georgian commercial banks remain the real constraint: incorporate as fast as you like, but account approval moves at the timeline of your source-of-funds diligence and the bank’s own risk appetite, which is why we run the banking application alongside incorporation rather than after it, and why operators building an EU-facing licensed business should pair Georgia’s speed and cost with a separate EU authorisation to get passportable market access Georgia itself cannot provide.
A Reinvestment-Friendly Tax Model
Since 2017 Georgia has run the Estonian model of corporate taxation: company profit is taxed at 15% only when it is distributed to shareholders, not as it is earned. Profit retained and reinvested in the business is taxed at 0%, which makes Georgia particularly efficient for operators building reserves, funding growth, or holding working capital across cycles. A 5% withholding tax applies on dividends when profit is finally taken out. For founders coming from Estonia or other distributed-profit systems, the mechanics are immediately familiar, and we structure the company so the distribution timing works for your cash flow rather than against it.
Fast, Low-Cost and Remote
Georgia is not a jurisdiction where formation drags. The LLC incorporates in days, the government registration fee is nominal, and the process is almost entirely document-driven, so most foreign founders never relocate to Tbilisi. We form the company by power of attorney and handle the steps that have to be done locally. The real lead time sits at banking, not at the registry, which is why we run the account application as a parallel workstream rather than a step that begins after incorporation.
Credible, Not Cut-Price
Georgia is cheap to enter, but it is not a brass-plate jurisdiction, and we will not pretend a paper company carries weight here. Its value is a real operating base with a genuine tax advantage and growing regulatory maturity, recognised across its region. What we deliver is a Georgian company you can bank, run and, where relevant, license, with substance built in from the start, not a disposable shell bought purely on price.
Which Business Models Suit Georgia
Georgia is not a one-size-fits-all jurisdiction, and part of what we do is tell you plainly when it fits and when it does not. Before we form anything, we map your business model against what Georgia actually rewards. The pattern is consistent across the operators we work with.
- Crypto and digital-asset businesses serving non-EU markets. A Georgian LLC is the standard vehicle for a National Bank of Georgia VASP registration, and the distributed-profit tax and VAT-exempt financial operations suit exchange, custody and over-the-counter desks targeting CIS, Caucasus, Turkey and MENA clients.
- IT, software and development companies. Virtual Zone Person status gives 0% corporate income tax on IT services exported outside Georgia, which makes the country one of the most efficient bases for a genuine software operation.
- Forex and trading operations focused on the region. A low-cost Georgian operating company pairs well with regional client bases and the distributed-profit model, where regulated activity is structured to the correct perimeter.
- Cross-border ecommerce and high-risk merchants. A fast, low-friction company with multi-currency banking suits operators who need a clean trading entity outside the heavily de-risked EU banking system.
- Holding and reinvestment structures. The 0% rate on retained profit rewards companies that accumulate and redeploy capital rather than distribute it annually.
- × Operators whose primary market is EU retail. A Georgian company carries no EU passport. If passported access to the single market is the goal, an EU member-state base is the answer, and we will say so and deliver it instead.
- × Businesses that need institutional Tier-1 regulator pedigree. Georgia’s supervisory track record is younger than the EU’s; where counterparties weight regulator standing heavily, a different base may suit better.
- × US persons. We do not take on US persons as clients; this page is reference only for them.
What We Do For You
We form your Georgian company and we run it. We are not a referral desk that hands you to a local agent and disappears. We file the incorporation, set up the operating layer, manage the ongoing compliance and stand behind the outcome. Where parts of the work are best done by an in-country lawyer or accountant, we use specialists we have personally vetted and work with directly, never an unverified third party, and we stay your single point of contact throughout.
- Incorporation, filed by us. Name reservation, the charter and founding resolution, the director and beneficial-ownership declarations, and the filing with the National Agency of Public Registry, expedited to one day where it matters.
- The operating layer, set up. Registered office and legal address, tax registration with the Revenue Service, VAT registration where applicable, and the corporate documents your bank and counterparties will ask for.
- Tax status, applied for. Where you qualify, we apply for Virtual Zone Person status for an IT operation, or structure the company for the relevant Free Industrial Zone, so the tax treatment is in place from the start rather than retrofitted.
- Banking, worked in parallel. We pre-qualify your profile against realistic Georgian bank and e-money appetite and run the account application alongside incorporation, with a clean source-of-funds dossier prepared before anything is submitted.
- Substance, built in from day one. A real legal address, local administration where the model needs it, and documented Georgian decision-making, structured so the company is defensible to banks and foreign tax authorities rather than retrofitted under challenge.
- The licensing path, designed in. If you are heading for a National Bank of Georgia VASP registration or a regulated activity, we structure the company for that authorisation from incorporation so you are not rebuilding later.
- Ongoing compliance, managed. Monthly tax filings, annual financial statements, statutory audit where thresholds apply, and the beneficial-ownership record, kept current so the company never drifts into penalty or deregistration.
The Georgian Limited Liability Company
The limited liability company (LLC), under the Law of Georgia on Entrepreneurs, is the vehicle behind the overwhelming majority of Georgian structures and the one almost every foreign operator and VASP applicant ultimately uses. The alternatives below exist, but for an operating or holding company the LLC does everything they do with less capital and governance overhead, and it is the entity we form for nearly every Georgian client.
Definition: Georgian Limited Liability Company (LLC)
The Georgian LLC is a private limited-liability company governed by the Law of Georgia on Entrepreneurs. It has no statutory minimum share capital (nominal capital suffices), needs at least one director and one shareholder, and permits 100% foreign ownership with no nationality restriction. Shareholders may be individuals or corporate entities. It keeps Georgian statutory accounts, registers for tax with the Revenue Service, and is the eligible vehicle for a National Bank of Georgia VASP registration, for Virtual Zone Person status, and for operation within a Free Industrial Zone.
- No statutory minimum share capital. Nominal capital suffices; there is no paid-in floor for an LLC.
- One director minimum and one shareholder minimum. Corporate shareholders are permitted; a single foreign owner is fine.
- 100% foreign ownership. No nationality restriction on owners or directors.
- Remote formation. The company can be formed by power of attorney without the founder travelling to Georgia.
Alternatives to the LLC
| Entity | Min. Capital | Used For |
|---|---|---|
| Limited Liability Company (LLC) | None (nominal) | The standard vehicle for trading, IT, holding, and VASP-bound structures |
| Joint-Stock Company (JSC) | GEL 100,000 authorised (25% paid in) | Larger operations, capital raising, and structures issuing shares to multiple investors |
| Individual Entrepreneur | None | Sole traders; taxed at the individual level, including the 1% small-business regime where eligible |
| Branch of a foreign company | None | A registered presence of an overseas parent; not a separate legal person |
| Free Industrial Zone company | Per zone | An LLC or JSC operating inside a Free Industrial Zone for the 0% in-zone tax treatment |
Formation Process and Timeline
We incorporate your Georgian company by filing with the National Agency of Public Registry, with a Georgian lawyer we work with directly handling the steps best done locally. A Georgian legal address is required, but you rarely need to travel; we form the company remotely by power of attorney. The genuine bottleneck is not the registry, which is fast, it is banking, which we run as a parallel workstream rather than a step that starts after incorporation.
Due Diligence and KYC
We collect a passport copy, proof of address dated within three months, and source-of-funds evidence for each director, shareholder and beneficial owner. Clean, well-presented documentation here is the single biggest driver of a smooth timeline downstream, both at the registry and, later, at the bank, so we get it right before anything is filed.
Name and Power of Attorney
We confirm the company name is available, prepare the power of attorney that lets us file on your behalf, and arrange notarisation and apostille for any documents executed abroad. This is what lets us form the company without you travelling to Tbilisi.
Drafting the Charter and Founding Documents
We draft the charter, the founding resolution, the director appointment and the beneficial-ownership declaration, making sure the stated activity matches what you actually intend to carry on and supports any tax status or licence you are heading toward.
Filing with the National Agency of Public Registry
We file the documents with the National Agency of Public Registry, either standard or expedited. Expedited filing typically returns the extract from the registry within one business day; standard registration runs to roughly a week, and we expedite by default unless there is a reason not to.
Tax Registration and Status
We register the company with the Revenue Service, register for VAT where the threshold or activity requires it, and, where you qualify, apply for Virtual Zone Person status or structure the company for the relevant Free Industrial Zone. These steps put the correct tax treatment in place from the start.
Banking Onboarding
Opening an account is the genuine bottleneck, so we begin it in parallel with incorporation, not after it. A clean, substance-backed company onboards faster; a crypto-adjacent, forex or non-resident-heavy profile takes longer and leans more on multi-currency and e-money facilities. The Banking section below sets out how we handle it.
Forming as a Non-Resident
Georgia places no nationality restriction on ownership and allows fully remote formation, so as a non-resident you rarely need to travel for the incorporation itself. We handle it from here. The two elements that need attention are the local-substance question, whether to appoint a resident director or manager, and the apostille chain for documents executed abroad, both of which we manage for you.
| Requirement | Position |
|---|---|
| Foreign ownership | 100% permitted; no nationality restriction |
| Resident director | Not required by law to incorporate, but often advisable for local substance and bank onboarding |
| Legal address | Mandatory Georgian address; we provide it as standard |
| Remote formation | Fully feasible by power of attorney; travel rarely needed |
| Apostille | Georgia is party to the Hague Apostille Convention; foreign documents typically need notarisation and apostille, with certified Georgian translation |
| Tax registration | With the Revenue Service after incorporation; VAT where the GEL 100,000 threshold or activity applies |
Costs
This is the section competitors avoid, so we lead with the headline-versus-reality split. The government registration fee is nominal, but a company you can actually bank and run costs more than that to set up and maintain in its first year. The fee is real; it is just not the cost. We quote you a single, all-in figure for what we deliver once we understand your model, so there are no surprises after incorporation.
Government and Official Fees (as of June 2026)
| Fee Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Standard registration | GEL 100 | The official government fee; registration in roughly 5–7 business days |
| Expedited (one-day) registration | GEL 200 | Returns the registry extract within one business day |
| VASP registration fee (if licensing) | GEL 5,000 | A one-off National Bank of Georgia fee, only if you take the crypto-licensing path |
| Annual government company levy | GEL 0 | Georgia charges no annual company maintenance levy |
Taxation
Georgia operates an Estonian-style corporate tax model that founders coming from distributed-profit jurisdictions find familiar: company profit is taxed at 15% only when it is distributed, not as it is earned, with a 5% withholding tax on dividends. Retained and reinvested profit is taxed at 0%. On top of that base, two statuses, Virtual Zone Person and Free Industrial Zone, can take qualifying activity to 0% corporate income tax, and individuals pay 0% on personal crypto gains. The table below states the position as it stands.
| Item | Position (as of June 2026) |
|---|---|
| Corporate income tax (standard) | 15% on distributed profit only; 0% on retained profit (Estonian-style) |
| Withholding tax on dividends | 5% on distribution to shareholders |
| VAT | 18% standard; registration threshold GEL 100,000 turnover; VASP financial operations VAT-exempt without input deduction |
| Corporate income tax (Virtual Zone Person) | 0% on profit from IT services exported outside Georgia; VAT-exempt on those exports |
| Corporate income tax (Free Industrial Zone) | 0% on qualifying in-zone activity; 0% VAT and dividend tax in-zone |
| Personal income tax (employment) | 20% flat on Georgian-source salary |
| Personal income tax (individual crypto gains) | 0%; treated as non-Georgian-source under a 2019 Ministry of Finance public decision |
| Small-business regime (individual entrepreneur) | 1% turnover tax up to the threshold, for eligible sole traders |
| Mining (export of hash abroad) | 0% VAT (zero-rated); domestic hash between residents is VAT-able |
The Distributed-Profit Model in Practice
The defining feature of Georgian corporate tax is timing. A standard company pays nothing on profit it earns and retains; the 15% charge arises only on distribution, calculated on the amount taken out. For an operator reinvesting in growth, building reserves, or holding working capital, this is a genuine deferral, not a presentational one. We structure the company and plan distribution timing so the model works for your cash flow, and we keep the filings clean so the 0%-on-retained position is never undermined by procedural error.
Virtual Zone Person and Free Industrial Zone Status
Georgia layers two further regimes on top of the standard model. Virtual Zone Person status grants a Georgian company 0% corporate income tax on profit from IT services supplied to clients outside Georgia, together with a VAT exemption on those exports; it is the standard choice for a genuine software or development operation. Free Industrial Zones, such as those at Tbilisi, Kutaisi and Poti, offer 0% corporate income tax, 0% VAT and 0% dividend tax on qualifying in-zone activity. Both are tax statuses, not licences: neither authorises regulated virtual asset services, so a zone or Virtual Zone company providing a regulated activity must still register with the National Bank of Georgia. We apply for the status you qualify for and keep the activity inside the perimeter that supports it.
Banking
Opening an account is the hardest and slowest step of a Georgian setup, and we will not pretend otherwise. Banking access for foreign-owned Georgian companies is available but selective: Georgian commercial banks onboard subject to their own risk appetite, with source-of-funds and beneficial-ownership diligence the main friction points rather than the incorporation itself. International correspondent access, particularly USD and EUR clearing, is more selective again. Banking is a supporting part of what we deliver, worked in parallel with formation, not a headline promise.
The natural primary layer is a Georgian commercial bank holding GEL and major-currency operating accounts, supplemented by regional banks where the client base sits in the Caucasus and Turkey, and by licensed EU or UK electronic-money institutions for international receivables and cross-border B2B flows. Client funds at a licensed e-money institution sit in segregated safeguarding accounts; an e-money institution is not a deposit-guaranteed bank, and that distinction matters. The documentation typically requested is the full corporate document set, certified beneficial-ownership identification, proof of address, a detailed business description, expected volumes, and source of funds and wealth, and we prepare it with you before anything is submitted.
The substance link is direct: banks over-comply at the individual file level, so demonstrable substance, a real address, local administration and genuine activity, measurably improves approval odds. We assess your profile against realistic banking and e-money appetite before we file anything, and we run the application as part of the formation, not as an afterthought. We never name a specific bank or provider in advance, because acceptance turns on your own profile, but a credible operating story and a clean ownership chain are the constants that move an application forward. See the banking overview for how we approach accounts.
Annual Compliance and Substance
A Georgian company carries ongoing obligations whether or not it trades. The core duties are monthly tax filings, annual financial statements, a statutory audit where size thresholds apply, and an up-to-date beneficial-ownership record. The burden is lighter than in tiered-licensing jurisdictions, but it is continuous, and persistent non-filing escalates to penalties and eventual deregistration, which is why we manage the full compliance cycle for the companies we form so nothing lapses.
| Obligation | Detail |
|---|---|
| Monthly tax filing | Corporate (distributed-profit) and VAT returns filed monthly with the Revenue Service |
| Accounting | Georgian statutory accounting; IFRS or IFRS for SMEs where applicable |
| Annual financial statements | Prepared and submitted in line with the company’s size category |
| Statutory audit | Required for companies meeting the size thresholds; smaller companies are exempt |
| Beneficial-ownership record | Maintained and kept current; changes notified as required |
| Tax status conditions | Virtual Zone and Free Zone statuses carry continuing conditions that must be met to keep the 0% treatment |
| Deregistration | Persistent non-filing leads to penalties and eventual removal from the register |
Substance: Light, but Not Optional
Georgia has no offshore-style economic-substance return classifying relevant activities against substance tests, as the Cayman Islands or the British Virgin Islands do. That box does not exist here. But substance still matters, through two mechanisms, and we build it in from incorporation. First, Georgian banks reward it: a real address, local administration and genuine activity measurably improve onboarding and reduce the risk of later de-risking. Second, foreign tax authorities probe structures used by their former residents, so a defensible operating footprint protects the company’s standing abroad. A paper company banks poorly and travels badly; a substance-backed one does neither.
Licensing Pathways from a Georgian Company
A plain Georgian LLC is not a licensed financial entity, and a Free Zone or Virtual Zone tax status does not authorise regulated activity. Where your model needs a licence, we design the formation structure for it from the start. The clearest pathway in Georgia is the crypto VASP route: we incorporate the LLC, build the substance and governance, prepare the bespoke AML/CFT framework and the fit-and-proper evidence, and file the registration with the National Bank of Georgia, which is the supervisor and registrar for seven regulated virtual asset activities. The full detail of that regime sits on our dedicated Georgia crypto licensing page.
[Crypto
Georgia NBG VASP Registration
Registration with the National Bank of Georgia (NBG) for one or more of seven regulated virtual asset activities. No statutory capital floor; a single GEL 5,000 fee.](/crypto-licensing/georgia/) [Crypto
EU CASP / MiCA Licensing
Where you need passported EU access a Georgian company cannot give, we deliver crypto-asset service provider authorisation in the EU jurisdictions we serve.](/crypto-licensing/) [Forex
Forex & Trading Authorisation
For regulated trading activity, we structure the entity and deliver the authorisation in a jurisdiction matched to your target market.](/forex-licensing/)
How Georgia Compares
Georgia competes with the bases we serve for operators who want speed, low cost and a distributed-profit model: Estonia, the original Estonian-system EU member with full EEA passporting; Lithuania, the EU fintech and crypto-licensing hub; Cyprus, the credible onshore EU base; and Hong Kong, the Asia-gateway cross-check from outside Europe. Georgia’s edge is cost and speed paired with a genuine reinvestment incentive; its weakness, relative to the EU members, is the absence of an EU passport and a younger supervisory track record. Estonia, Lithuania and Cyprus are EU member states, so each offers EEA passporting once a company is licensed; Georgia and Hong Kong do not.
| Factor | Georgia | [Estonia](/company-formation/estonia/) | [Lithuania](/company-formation/lithuania/) | [Cyprus](/company-formation/cyprus/) | [Hong Kong](/company-formation/hong-kong/) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dominant entity | LLC | OÜ | UAB | Private Ltd | Private Ltd |
| Formation time | 5–7 days (1 expedited) | ~1 day | 3–7 days | 5–10 working days | ~1 day (incorporation) |
| Government fee | GEL 100–200 | ~EUR 265 | ~EUR 60–160 | EUR 165 | ~US$500 (incl. business registration) |
| Min. capital | None (LLC) | EUR 0.01 (since 2023) | EUR 1,000 (UAB) | None (1 share) | None (nominal HKD) |
| Corporate tax | 15% on distribution (0% retained) | 22% on distrib. (0% retained) | 15% (5% reduced) | 15% | 8.25–16.5% territorial |
| EU passport (with licence) | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| FATF / MONEYVAL | Clean (MONEYVAL) | Clean | Clean | Clean | Clean |
| Remote management | Strong | Strongest | Strong | Strong* | Strong (local secretary required) |
| Banking (non-resident) | Selective | Moderate to high | Moderate (EMI-led) | High difficulty | High |
See every jurisdiction we form companies in →
*Strong subject to a substance caveat: Cyprus rewards management-and-control substance more than a purely remote setup.
The pattern is consistent. Georgia and Hong Kong are the fastest and cheapest to enter, and Georgia pairs that with the reinvestment-friendly distributed-profit model and a younger but functioning regulatory base. The EU members, Estonia, Lithuania and Cyprus, cost more and move slower, but each carries the EEA passport that Georgia and Hong Kong cannot offer once a licence is in play. Georgia wins where speed, cost and a non-EU regional footprint matter more than passported single-market access, and where you are prepared to plan banking rather than assume it. We form companies in every one of these jurisdictions, so if Georgia is not the right home for your business, we will tell you which is and deliver it ourselves.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does Georgia company formation take?
A Georgian LLC incorporates in roughly 5 to 7 business days at the National Agency of Public Registry, or as little as one day with expedited filing, and the process is largely document-driven, so most founders never travel to Tbilisi. Being fully operational with a working bank account commonly takes a further 2 to 6 weeks, and longer for crypto, forex and other high-risk profiles, which is the part we plan as a constraint from the outset.
Can a non-resident own 100% of a Georgian company?
Yes. There is no nationality restriction on the ownership of a Georgian LLC, a single foreign shareholder is permitted, and we form the company remotely by power of attorney without you needing to relocate. Foreign documents typically need notarisation, apostille and certified Georgian translation. The friction sits at banking rather than incorporation, which is why we scope it in parallel.
What is the minimum capital for a Georgian LLC?
A Georgian limited liability company has no statutory minimum share capital and can be formed with nominal capital. A joint-stock company is different and requires GEL 100,000 of authorised capital with 25% paid in at incorporation, which is why the LLC is the standard vehicle for almost every operator.
What is the corporate tax rate in Georgia?
Georgia runs an Estonian-style model: company profit is taxed at 15% only when it is distributed, not as it is earned, so retained and reinvested profit is taxed at 0%. A 5% withholding tax applies on dividends. Qualifying Virtual Zone Person and Free Industrial Zone companies can reach 0% corporate tax on in-scope activity.
What is Virtual Zone Person status?
Virtual Zone Person status is a tax status granted to Georgian companies that produce IT services for export. It gives 0% corporate income tax on profit from IT services supplied to clients outside Georgia, and an exemption from VAT on those exports. It is a tax status only, not a licence, and it does not authorise regulated virtual asset services, which require a separate National Bank of Georgia VASP registration.
How much does it cost to form a company in Georgia?
The government registration fee is GEL 100 for standard processing and GEL 200 for one-day expedited filing. The realistic first-year cost of a company you can actually bank and run is higher once the legal address, accounting and tax compliance are included, and crypto, forex or other high-risk structures with banking run higher again. We give you one all-in quote for the work we deliver. Book a free consultation for your figure.
How hard is it to open a Georgian bank account?
Banking is available but selective. Georgian commercial banks onboard foreign-owned companies subject to their own risk appetite, with source-of-funds and beneficial-ownership diligence the main friction points, and international USD and EUR correspondent access is more selective again. We scope banking alongside formation, not after it, and prepare a clean source-of-funds dossier before any account is approached.
Is Georgia a tax haven or grey-listed?
No. Georgia is not on the FATF list of Jurisdictions under Increased Monitoring (grey list) or the list of High-Risk Jurisdictions subject to a Call for Action (black list) as of June 2026. Its AML/CFT framework is assessed by MONEYVAL, a FATF-style regional body. The distributed-profit model is a genuine reinvestment incentive rather than a zero-tax shelter.
Can a Georgian company hold a crypto (VASP) licence?
Yes. The Georgian LLC is the vehicle, but the authorisation is a separate Virtual Asset Service Provider registration with the National Bank of Georgia under the AML/CFT Law. A plain company is not authorised to provide regulated virtual asset services until it holds that registration, and a Free Zone or Virtual Zone tax status does not substitute for it. The detail is on our Georgia crypto licensing page.
Can a Georgian company serve EU clients?
A Georgian company can trade internationally, but a Georgian crypto VASP registration confers no EU passport, and MiCA has no third-country equivalence regime for crypto-asset service providers as of June 2026. Operators who need systematic EU market access should obtain a separate CASP authorisation in an EU member state, which we deliver in the jurisdictions we serve.
Form your Georgian company, banking-ready
Formation, tax status, banking and your licensing path, delivered end-to-end by one accountable firm. Book a free consultation and we will tell you straight whether Georgia fits, map the route, and give you a single all-in quote for the work.
Banking & Payments
A company and a licence still need a bank account
Banking is one of our three core services. We help high-risk and regulated businesses open the bank and payment accounts that others refuse: we work directly with EU EMIs, payment institutions and crypto-aware banks, confirm appetite before you apply, and make the introduction. Take it with your company and licence, or on its own.
Related Services
- Georgia Crypto / VASP Licensing: National Bank of Georgia VASP registration for the seven regulated activities
- Estonia Company Formation: The original Estonian-system EU base, compared in this guide
- Lithuania Crypto Licensing: MiCA CASP authorisation with EU passporting, delivered end-to-end
- Forex Broker Licensing: Authorisation for regulated trading activity, matched to your market
- Banking for Crypto & Fintech: Account placement for crypto, fintech and high-risk businesses